Russian Foreign Ministry: U.S. troops in Afghanistan must not endanger third countries
MOSCOW. Dec 2 (Interfax) - Any adjustments in the procedure of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan must not create a threat to third countries, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich.
The U.S. president has signed a decree which allows several hundred more servicemen than planned to remain in Afghanistan in 2015, he said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
"In our opinion, any corrections should not disagree with the agreement on the status of U.S. forces recently signed between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Besides, a threat posed to other states by their presence on the Afghan land is impermissible," Lukashevich said.
He is confident that the further presence of U.S. forces and their NATO allies in Afghanistan "requires a relevant decision from the UN Security Council."
"This [decision] should clearly define parameters of the new operation Resolute Support and mechanisms for reporting to the UN Security Council and interaction between the foreign military contingent and the UN mission in that country," Lukashevich said.
