How Afghanistan Crisis Will Impact Russia and Central Asia

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Nikolay Bordyuzha served as Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) from 2003 to 2016, and in that role, he was engaged in countering Afghan threats. In an interview with the Kommersant, he discussed how the Taliban (which is illegal in Russia) takeover of Afghanistan presents a danger to Russia and when the CSTO might possibly intervene.

He stated that the situation in Central Asia has fundamentally changed since a hotspot of instability developed near the borders of our partners. It is unclear how the scenario will play out in the aftermath of the American withdrawal, but the Taliban does not control the whole nation and is encountering opposition in Panjshir in addition to other terrorist organizations. Much will be determined by the group’s policies, which is now difficult to anticipate.

Bordyuzha said that the post-Soviet security bloc may get engaged in the case of an intervention or a direct threat of military confrontation with a CSTO member state, as it has all of the necessary tools to defend its members from any attack. He thinks that Russia should wait and observe how the situation evolves before recognizing the Taliban as the legitimate administration.

He also believes that Russia should not welcome any Afghan refugees since it has no responsibilities to them and the repercussions of their presence in the nation are uncertain. A rise in drug trafficking from Afghanistan is also a probable result of the present crisis, as the nation seeks to maintain its economy via whatever means imaginable.