Taliban urges restraint in Ukraine, 6 months after it took over Afghanistan by force

• A Taliban spokesman urged peace and restraint after Russia invaded Ukraine.
• The statement was similar to those of other countries, but at odds with the Taliban's own history.

The Taliban weighed in on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, calling for a peaceful resolution there despite owing their own status as rulers of Afghanistan to a campaign of force.

The spokesperson for the group's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, tweeted a statement Friday.

Using the group's term for Afghanistan — the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan — the statement said "all sides need to desist from taking positions that could intensify violence."

The group said its foreign policy is to remain neutral. Urging both sides of the conflict to ensure the safety of Afghan students in Ukraine, it asked the two countries to "resolve the crisis through dialogue and peaceful means."

This is not how the Taliban achieved its present dominance over Afghanistan, where it swept the country by force in 2021.

After conquering most of the country, Taliban fighters forced the western-backed government to flee in August by advancing on the capital, Kabul.

The group said it was concerned by the "real possibility of civilian casualties." 1,600 Afghan civilians died during the Taliban's insurgency in the first half of 2021, according to the BBC.

That was on top of the vast numbers killed in fighting and bombings during the 20-year-long insurgency after the US-led invasion in 2001.

While trying to project a turn towards moderation now it is in charge of Afghanistan, the Taliban have a brutal history and are responsible for decades of extrajudicial killings.

Ukraine evacuated 370 Afghan refugees in August 2021, per UNHCR.