Turkey may help Moscow with Afghan negotiations
Russia is increasing its mediation efforts in Afghanistan as the United States plans its exit.
A new round of US-Russian talks on Afghanistan is set to begin on Feb. 22 in Ankara.
Zamir Kabulov, Russia's presidential envoy to Afghanistan, will meet with US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Turkish officials, Kabulov announced at a recent news conference.
Russia is intent on taking over a share of American influence in Afghanistan as US troops pull out. Taliban leaders had visited Moscow in November for preliminary talks. Earlier this month, an Afghan team led by former President Hamid Karzai also met with Taliban representatives in Moscow. These talks, held over two days, included no representatives of current Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s government, prompting harsh criticism from the US-backed Afghan leader. Ghani said the meetings amounted to "nothing more than a fantasy.”
“No one can decide [Afghanistan's future] without the consent of the Afghan people," he told local media. "Those who have gathered in Moscow have no executive authority. They can say what they want," Ghani added.
