Afghanistan asks Russia for military assistance aid in the fight against ISIS and “Taliban”

Almaty. August 9. Silkroadnews – Afghan authorities have asked Russia for military assistance aid in the fight against ISIS and “Taliban” movement, in particular, for free supply of attack helicopters Mi-35, the newspaper “Izvestia” writes.

“If the Union of ISIS and the Taliban against the Afghan military and the US forces really happened, it undermines the position of Kabul and threatens the security of the entire Central Asian region. Earlier the army could attack the scattered groups of the militants and regain the territories seized, now this goal becomes not that reachable.

Moscow is extremely interested in the stability of the region, thus, Kabul has a right to ask for its friends help. We are not talking about the beginning of military operations. The least that the Russian side can do is to provide the military assistance”, the article quotes a source as saying.

Director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies Omar Nessar noted that the two terrorist groups’ joint efforts can change the course of Kabul negotiations with Moscow on the arms delivery.

“Moscow is interested to strengthen the positions of the Afghan forces. The question is to what extent the Afghan military can resist the ISIS, to what extent their moral and physical conditioning meets the threat hanging over”, O. Nessar said.

In the meantime, Moscow insists on supply on a commercial basis. As the special envoy of Russian President on Afghanistan, Director of Second Asia Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry Zamir Kabulov noted, “in case Kabul cannot conclude an agreement on a commercial basis, NATO together with the U.S. have certain obligations. Let them provide financial aid to the Afghan government”.

He also reminded, recently Russia has unilaterally delivered to Afghanistan 10 thousand of Kalashnikovs, “not waiting for NATO to assist on this”.

According to O. Nessar, after the escalation of the situation in the country Russia and NATO should resume their negotiations on Afghanistan.