Moscow Says Ghani Should Prioritize National Interests to Secure Position as US Withdraws

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th April, 2021) Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will be unlikely to repeat the fate of his assassinated predecessor if he abandons any personal agenda and acts in the interests of the country, Russia's presidential envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov told Sputnik on Wednesday.

Some experts convey the fear that if the Afghan sides do not reach an agreement before the withdrawal of American troops, president Ghani may face the same fate as the late leader Mohammad Najibullah, who was killed by the Taliban in the UN mission building in Kabul in 1996.

"We do not wish this upon anyone. Hopefully this does not happen. To prevent this from happening, one must show pragmatism, sobriety and willingness to sacrifice, in the sense that one must be ready to sacrifice personal interests for the sake of national interests.

If he acts this way, he likely will not repeat the fate of the late Najibullah," Kabulov said.

The US and NATO ground forces are expected to be out of Afghanistan by September 11, despite the 2020 US-Taliban peace deal setting May 1, 2021 as the deadline for withdrawal. The Taliban had said the non-aggression clause against US forces will become null on the May 1 deadline and refused to participate in further intra-Afghan peace talks until the troops leave the country.