The Taliban has called on Russia and Ukraine to ‘resolve the crisis through peaceful means’ months after massacring innocent people as they took over Afghanistan.
In a statement posted to the Taliban’s official Twitter account, which now goes by the name of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the militant group said it was concerned ‘about real possibility of civilian casualties.’
Under the seal of the Emirate’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs – that closely resembles the seals used by US government departments – the Taliban called for dialogue to be held between Russia and Ukraine and to safeguard Afghans in Ukraine.
In a statement posted to the Taliban’s official Twitter account, the militant group said it was concerned ‘about real possibility of civilian casualties’ in Ukraine
The Taliban, as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has yet to be recognised by any country as Afghanistan’s new government since its brutal takeover in August.
Its foreign ministry posted its ‘Statement concerning crisis in Ukraine’ on Friday morning, and was shared on Twitter by key Taliban figures.
‘The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine and expresses concern about real possibility of civilian casualties,’ the statement said.
‘The Islamic Emirate calls for restraint by both parties. All sides need to desist from taking positions that could intensify violence.’
According to estimates, over 1,000 civilians were killed and over 2,000 injured when the Taliban launched their offensive to capture Afghanistan last year.
A further 1,500 Afghanistan forces were killed, while the now-defunct Afghan government claimed to have killed almost 10,000 Taliban militants.
The statement continued: ‘The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, in line with its foreign policy of neutrality, calls on both sides of the conflict to resolve the crisis through dialogue and peaceful means.
‘The Islamic Emirate also calls on parties to the conflict to pay attention to safeguarding the lives of Afghan students and migrants in Ukraine.’
According to CNN, 370 Afghans fled their home country last year to Ukraine.
