Russia on US Troop Reduction in Afghanistan: Action Speaks Louder Than Words

AVA- "Of course, we need to look at what will happen in reality," he said, adding that "let’s recall the previous US president and those promises concerning the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which were made six or seven years ago, and compare them to reality. That’s why we prefer to wait patiently and analyze what is happening in actual fact", TASS reported.
"The Kremlin is primarily interested in ensuring that the situation in Afghanistan remains stable, and that there is no place there for the proliferation of radical ideology and extremist influence, and that ISIL (ISIS or Daesh) and other fanatical organizations do not grow stronger there," Peskov stressed.
"Since Afghanistan has a long border with our partners in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the CIS, it is crucial for us to make sure that everything that is done there does not result in the destabilization of the situation," he emphasized.
US President Donald Trump earlier ordered the Pentagon to draw up a plan for the withdrawal of about 7,000 US troops from Afghanistan. The issue at hand is about one half of the US forces in that country. The pull-out may take several months.
Peskov also said on Friday that Russia is not inclined to exaggerate the role of the United States in the defeat of Daesh terrorist organization in Syria.
It is unclear for Moscow up to now "how, when, where and in which way the Americans are leaving Syria," the Kremlin spokesman stated.
Also, it is unclear for Moscow what the next phase of the developments in Syria will be, Peskov added.
On December 19, Trump announced the decision to start the pullout of US troops from Syria, saying that Daesh has already been defeated there, and fighting against it was the only reason for the US military presence in the country. Currently, the US military contingent in Syria numbers over 2,000 service members.