Washington has tried for 20 years to impose its standards in Afghanistan, but the result was only tragedies and losses, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with schoolchildren, which he held on the occasion of Knowledge Day during his trip to the Far East.
"For 20 years American troops have been present in this territory and for 20 years they have tried, one might say, without offending anyone, to 'civilize' the people who live there. And in essence - to impose their norms and standards of life in the broadest sense of the word, including the political organization of society. The result is nothing but tragedies. Only losses. For those who did it, for the United States, and all the more for the people living in Afghanistan," said the Russian leader.
"There is zero results, if not to say - everything has gone into the red," Putin believes.
Civilized help
The Russian president also referred to the reasons for what happened. The answer to this, in his opinion, is very simple. "If someone does something with regard to someone, they should proceed from the history, culture, philosophy - in the broadest sense - of those people's lives. One has to approach it with respect for their tradition. One has to understand that nothing can be imposed from the outside," said the head of the Russian state.
According to him, the necessary situation "must mature". "And if someone wants it to mature faster and of higher quality, they should help people. Yes, you can and should do it, but it must be done in a civilized manner, carefully, supporting positive trends, without haste. You have to be patient. And now what's going on?" pointed out the President of Russia.
According to Putin, without taking into account all of these factors, including historical factors, "it's practically impossible to achieve anything positive. "Of course, we have to take this into account first and foremost for ourselves," he noted.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS