Even the Taliban wants Russia and Ukraine to stop fighting

published 25 February 2022

Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has sparked near-universal condemnation — including, on Friday, by the Taliban.

In an official "statement concerning [the] crisis in Ukraine," the Taliban, which governs Afghanistan, formally called for "restraint by both parties" in the crisis and expressed concern about the "real possibility of civilian casualties."

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Kabul might have another reason for calling for calm, however: Hundreds of Afghans fled to Ukraine on evacuation flights in August 2021. "Just like a war zone, everyone is running to the shelters, streets are full of the army," Jawed Haqmal, an Afghan refugee living in Kyiv, told The Globe and Mail. "Just like war, the same as what was going on in front of the airport of Kabul on the last day. The same thing is going on here."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.