Pompeo, Russia's Lavrov discuss Afghanistan-related issues after bounty report

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed issues related to Afghanistan with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, said the US State Department, following reports of Russian military intelligence unit offering bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill US troops. White House has downplayed the reports of alleged Russian bounties, saying they were not verified or substantiated by the intelligence community.

In the formal request for full House briefing, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had said that the administration’s “disturbing silence and inaction” endanger the lives of US troops and coalition partners. She said that Trump’s refusal to stand up to the Russians also jeopardises lives in the region, as the Afghan government and the United States are engaged in critical peace negotiations with the Taliban. 

Pelosi takes jibe at Trump

The heightened concerns led to a classified “Gang of 8” briefing and Pelosi issued a joint statement with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. Pelosi accused President Donald Trump of being soft on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on issues of NATO, G7, Crimea, Ukraine and the ongoing “undermining of the integrity of our elections”. 

“Our Armed Forces would be better served if President Trump spent more time reading his daily briefing and less time planning military parades and defending relics of the Confederacy,” Pelosi added.

Read: Pompeo, Jaishankar, Nirmala Sitharaman To Address Virtual India Ideas Summit

Russia has, however, dismissed the media reports of the alleged involvement of its military intelligence unit in contract killings of US troops in Afghanistan, calling it “another piece of fake news”. In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, the ministry said that the report demonstrates “low intellectual abilities” of US intelligence “propagandists”.

“Nevertheless, what else could be expected from the intelligence agency that has failed miserably in the 20-year-long war in Afghanistan," the statement read.

Notably, Pompeo also raised the issue of election security with Lavrov after US officials hinted a possible Russian interference in the upcoming presidential elections. They also discussed convening P5 leaders in the near future to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.

Read: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Rejects Merkel's Accusation Of Hacking