US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad told a Congress panel on Tuesday that Russia is largely supportive of American diplomacy to reach a negotiated solution to the conflict in the country
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd September, 2020) US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad told a Congress panel on Tuesday that Russia is largely supportive of American diplomacy to reach a negotiated solution to the conflict in the country.
"They have been largely supportive of our diplomacy, as indicated in the [UN] Security Council or in the discussions that they have had with the Taliban, encouraging them to agree to a ceasefire or reduction of violence and negotiating with the government," Khalilzad said during a hearing before the House Subcommittee on National Security.
He added that, though Russia has an anti-American dimension in its approach, it shares common concerns over terrorist elements in Afghanistan, unlike Iran, where anti-Americanism, according to Khalilzad, is a dominant motivation.
"They [Iranians] would like to keep us entangled there and under pressure, suffering costs of different kinds," he said. "Iran is largely negative, Russia is mixed, in my view."
When asked about "Russian bounties", allegations of monetary awards for killing US soldiers in Afghanistan, David Helvey, Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, said during the panel discussion that no proof of it has been found.
"Since those reports have come out regarding Russian programs we have been looking specifically to identify corroborating information. We have not yet found it, though we continue to look for that because we want to understand the threats and be able to address them," he said.
The United States and the Taliban opposition movement signed a peace deal on February 29, which paved the way to intra-Afghan negotiations to start in Qatar earlier this month. There is no timeline on the discussions, which are the first direct talks between the two warring sides.
