Russia calls for talks with U.S. about its plan for Afghanistan

Russia has called for talks with the United States after Washington announced a new strategy on Afghanistan.

"Needless to say, in order to get a feel of how and what the United States is trying to accomplish in Afghanistan we should talk to them about it,” said Vassily Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations. "Serious and meaningful consultations should be conducted in this regard.”

While the strategy envisions military pressure on the Taliban to push the group to peace, Nebenzia pointed out nobody ever triumphed in Afghanistan militarily.

He said that history has proved on numerous occasions there is no military solution in Afghanistan, which makes the existence of a political process absolutely crucial to bringing about a solution.

The envoy reiterated Moscow’s concern about the "increased presence” of the Islamic State group fighters and the problem of drugs.