The Kremlin condemned the terrorist attacks in Afghanistan and said the situation continues to be a cause of “grave concern” for Russia.
“We condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms. Of course, this is very sad news about the large number of casualties,” Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with journalists.
The “pessimistic predictions” about the threat of attacks from ISIS were “unfortunately” realised, Peskov added.
“Unfortunately, pessimistic predictions are confirmed that terrorist groups, both ISIS and their derivatives, will not fail to take advantage of the chaos in Afghanistan. The danger to all is great. And this continues to be a cause for our grave concern,” he said Friday.
When asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin will be making a statement about the situation, Peskov emphasized that Russia is not part of the US-led coalition in Afghanistan.
“The President has no such plans. Because you know that Russia is not part of the US-led coalition, which was in Afghanistan for decades and carried out the withdrawal of troops, which provoked the situation,” he said.
Peskov added he is not aware of any appeals for help from Russia: “To help someone, you need someone to ask for it. I am not aware that there were any appeals from the Americans in this regard.”
Russian intelligence agencies are monitoring the situation and assessing whether the a threat of terrorist attacks is spilling over to other countries, Peskov said.
The Kremlin spokesman added that Russia is not yet planning new evacuation operations but said relevant departments are monitoring and further action will depend on the evolving situation, which he noted is “quite unpredictable.”