Taliban urges Russia & Ukraine to show 'restraint', solve conflict through dialogue

As most countries implore Russia to stop its military attack, the Taliban on Friday, issued a statement asking both sides to desist from violence and resolve the crisis through dialogue. The Taliban also implored both Russia and Ukraine to safeguard the lives of Afghan students, expressing concern of civilian casualties. Currently, Russian troops are closing to capture Ukraine, battling forces in Northern Kyiv.

Taliban seeks restraint, safeguarding of Afghan students

Incidentally, the Taliban took over Afghanistan in a similar military attack on August 15, 2021 - after major cities like Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Jalalabad and Lashkar Gah fell without resistance as US troops retreat after 20 years from war-torn Afghanistan. The hasty withdrawal of the US troops saw thousands of people attempting to flee from Afghanistan with several clinging to a departing US plane's wheels, leading to them falling to their deaths. With Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar heading the govt, the regime has imposed strict rules in accordance to Sharia, curtailing women's rights, children's education, hunger, poverty and economic decline. Except China and Pakistan, other nations have refused to recognised the Taliban-controlled govt.

Russia invades Ukraine

For weeks, Moscow massed over 150,000 troops on Ukraine's borders in a bid to pressurise Western nations to not allow Ukraine to join NATO, threatening an invasion. On Thursday, Putin ordered a special military operation in Ukraine's Donbas region, which quickly accelerated into precision airstrikes on Kyiv, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, deployed tanks towards Lviv from the Belarus-Ukraine border. The Russian Navy is attacking from the shores of Mariupol and Odessa and troops have taken over Chernobyl nuclear plant, heading towards Kyiv. With Zelenskyy ordering martial law and full Army mobilisation, over 100,000 Ukrainians have fled while many nationals including Indians are stuck in Ukraine as airspaces were shut down. 

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union has announced 'maximum impact' sanctions on Russia targetting the country's financial, energy and transport sectors, visa policy, exports among other areas. US has levied sanctions on Russian banks, limited international trade with Moscow, froze assets of Putin's inner circle. While US has refused to step foot into Ukraine, it has sent over 12,000 people to Europe. Similar sanctions have been levied on Belarus for aiding Russian troops to attack Ukraine. Australia, Germany, Taiwan, France, Germany, EU, Japan have also levied financial, trade, diplomatic sanctions on Russia. UN Security Council will now vote on the global sanctioning of Russia for its attack which has killed 137 civilians and military personnel since Thursday.