RUSSIA'S ROLE IN AFGHAN PEACE PROCESS

Abstract

Kabul has tremendous importance in Moscow's strategic culture. Moscow has seen Kabul as a place for competition with the western world. Russia has fought in Afghanistan in the 1980s with different segments of Afghan society. After the complete silence of more than two decades, Russia has now started to take an interest in the internal politics of Afghanistan directly. Moscow has established strong ties with the political identities of Afghanistan. Russia has also found links with the Taliban in Afghanistan. America has also blamed Russia for supporting the Taliban militants against American and NATO forces in Afghanistan. Moscow hosted the Intra Afghan Talks in 2019 before starting the official peace process between America and the Taliban. Moscow now fully supports the initiatives has taken by the United States; Moscow wants a significant role in Afghanistan after the American withdrawal. Washington and Moscow are not on the same page on different issues, but both states are willing to bring peace to Afghanistan.