Medvedev Claims Taliban Did Less Harm to Russia than Western-Backed Groups

DID Press: Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, wrote in an article for Rodina (“Motherland”) magazine that the Taliban, during the period they were listed as a terrorist organization, caused less harm to Russia compared to public institutions and entities supported by the West, which, according to him, have aimed at fragmenting the country.

“Let’s be honest: the Taliban, long on the blacklist, inflicted far less damage on Russia than pseudo-scientific organizations that, under the guise of helping the oppressed, work to destroy our country,” Medvedev emphasized, adding that “their primary goal has always been the disintegration of Russia’s multi-ethnic population.”

These remarks follow the April decision by Russia’s Supreme Court to lift the ban on Taliban activities in Afghanistan.