Russia targets US over financial support for Afghanistan; 'It is you who must pay...'

During the UN Security Council discussion on Afghanistan, Vasily Nebenzya, the Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, urged his American counterpart Linda Thomas-Greenfield to pay back the money that had been taken from the Afghan people rather than demanding other nations pay for their debts.

It is worth mentioning that, Thomas-Greenfield, during the meeting, asserted that Russia's financial support for Afghanistan's reconstruction is insufficient. "The cynicism of the US' claims that Russia and China do nothing but talk is simply shocking," according to Nebenzya. The diplomat noted that Russia is being asked to pay for the restoration of the country, whose economy was effectively destroyed by the US and NATO's 20-year occupation.

Nebenzya said, "Instead of admitting it’s own mistakes and trying to fix them, we are being accused of being unwilling to pay for someone else’s bill. It is an interesting proposal. No, our dear former Western partners, it is you who must pay for your own mistakes. And, for starters, it is necessary to return the money stolen from the Afghan people back to them. We have been helping and will help Afghanistan. And we suggest that you focus on paying the bills to the Afghan people for the 20 years of pointless occupation, which destroyed Afghanistan and which put its people on the brink of survival."

Afghan crisis

Money cannot buy the loyalty of the Afghan people, which the US appears to have completely lost, nor can money measure the lives of those who lost their lives as a result of the US imposing democracy in that country, Nebenzya concluded. Meanwhile, the United Nations humanitarian chief urged donors on Augsut 29 to restore funding for economic development and immediately provide $770 million to help Afghans get through the winter as the United States argued with Russia and China over who should pay.

Martin Griffiths told the United Nations Security Council that Afghanistan is facing multiple crisis, including humanitarian, economic, climate, hunger and financial crisis. Conflict, poverty, climate shocks, and food insecurity have long been a sad reality in Afghanistan, but he says the halt in large-scale development aid since the Taliban's takeover a year ago has made the current situation critical.

Image: AP