MOSCOW, AUG 23: Russia has criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel‘s remarks on the Ukraine conflict during her meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday firmly rejected statements by the chancellor that Russia was a party to the conflict in the war in eastern Ukraine. “Russia has no connections whatsoever with the parties to the conflict,” Peskov said.

In contrast, Merkel had told journalists in Kiev on Sunday: “Because we see together with Ukraine that Russia is of course intensively involved in this conflict.”

To Russia’s annoyance, Merkel also supported Ukraine in its refusal to enter into direct negotiations with the pro-Russian separatists.”Therefore, direct talks with the separatists’ non-legitimized authorities are correctly rejected by Ukraine,” Merkel had said.

Russia has repeatedly demanded that the Ukrainian leadership enter into negotiations with the Moscow-backed separatists.

Moscow is also considered an actor in the conflict in the breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk because it distributes Russian passports to the Ukrainian population. Russia has also been criticized for letting weapons and other aid through its border with the separatist region.

Kremlin spokesman Peskov pointed out, however, that Russia was not listed as a party to the conflict in the peace plan negotiated by Germany and France. That is why Moscow does not agree with Merkel, he said.

Russia expressed reservations about Merkel’s proposal to hold a new Ukraine summit before the end of her term as chancellor. Peskov said that this would require preconditions that were lacking today.

Russia had repeatedly pointed out that the political steps agreed upon at the last Ukraine summit in Paris in December 2019 had to be implemented before a new meeting could take place. The next summit is to be held in Berlin.

The Taliban warned on Monday there would be “consequences” if the United States and its allies extend their presence in Afghanistan beyond next week, as chaos continued to overwhelm Kabul airport with tens of thousands of people still desperate to flee.

To oversee a chaotic airlift of foreigners and Afghans desperate to escape the return of the hardline Taliban regime, thousands of troops have poured back into Afghanistan and pressure is growing on Washington to extend an August 31 withdrawal deadline.

But the Taliban Monday showed no willingness to compromise, with spokesman Suhail Shaheen telling Sky News that staying beyond the agreed deadline would be “extending occupation”.

“If the U.S. or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations — the answer is no… there would be consequences,” he said.

Two Taliban sources, meanwhile, told AFP the group would not announce the makeup of its government or cabinet until the last US soldier has left the country.

HARROWING SCENES

The rush to leave Kabul has sparked harrowing scenes and killed at least eight people, some crushed to death and at least one person after falling off a plane.

The German defence ministry said Monday an Afghan man was killed and three others injured in a dawn firefight between local guards and unknown assailants.

German and American troops “participated in a further exchange of fire”, it said in a statement.

The Taliban, infamous for an ultra-strict interpretation of sharia law during their initial 1996-2001 rule, have repeatedly claimed to be different this time and declared an amnesty for government forces and officials.

But an intelligence document for the United Nations said militants were going door-to-door hunting former government officials and those who worked with US and NATO forces.

‘PAIN AND LOSS’

President Joe Biden has insisted he wants to end the US military presence and airlifts by August 31.

But with the European Union and Britain saying it would be impossible to get everyone out by then, Biden is under pressure to extend the deadline.

Speaking at the White House on Sunday, he said talks were underway to explore the possibility of extending the deadline.

Biden also acknowledged the tragic scenes at the airport, which have included babies and children being passed to soldiers over razor-wire fences and men clinging to the outside of departing planes.

He said, however, they were part of the cost of departure.

“There is no way to evacuate this many people without pain and loss and heartbreaking images you see,” he said.

‘PEACE AND CALM’

In the capital, the Taliban have enforced some sense of calm in a city long marred by violent crime, with their armed forces patrolling the streets and manning checkpoints.

Visually, they have also been looking to stamp their authority, ensuring the tri-coloured national flag is replaced with their white banner.

At a roadside in Kabul on the weekend, young men sold Taliban flags, which bear in black text the Muslim proclamation of faith and the regime’s formal name: “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”.

“Our goal is to spread the flag of the Islamic Emirate throughout Afghanistan,” said seller Ahmad Shakib, who studies economics at university.

RESISTANCE

Outside of Kabul, there have been flickers of resistance against the Taliban.

Some ex-government troops have gathered in the Panjshir Valley, north of the capital — long known as an anti-Taliban bastion.

The Taliban said Monday their fighters had surrounded resistance forces holed up in the valley, but were looking to negotiate rather than take the fight to them.

Taliban fighters “are stationed near Panjshir”, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted, adding the group was trying to resolve this issue peacefully”.

The announcement follows scattered reports of clashes overnight, with pro-Taliban social media accounts claiming gunmen were massing, and Afghanistan’s former vice president Amrullah Saleh saying resistance forces were holding strong.

One of the leaders of the movement in Panjshir, named the National Resistance Front, is the son of famed anti-Taliban commander Ahmad Shah Massoud.

The NRF is prepared for a “long-term conflict” but is also still seeking to negotiate with the Taliban about an inclusive government, its spokesman Ali Maisam Nazary told AFP in an interview on the weekend.

With government offices still mostly closed, many Afghans are worried about being paid — but the Taliban announced the appointment of a central bank governor Monday to keep the wheels of finance moving.

Civil servants were told at the weekend, however, that they wouldn’t get their salaries until a new government was formed.

Islamabad, AUG 23 /DNA/ – Special Adviser to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam, has said that the climate change impacts are continuously creating global chaos and IPCC report has highlighted this reality quite elaborately. Therefore, climate action has become imperative to avert various kinds of disasters including frequent floods, droughts, wildfires, and heatwaves in different parts of the world.  

He was speaking as chief guest at a webinar ‘Ahead of COP 26: what IPCC report has for South Asia’ organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). 

“The voice of Pakistan is being heard at important international forums dealing with climate change as Pakistan is amongst very few countries that are having climate action on the ground,” Aslam said adding that there should be a compensation mechanism in place coupled with allocation of funds, especially for the countries such as Pakistan that are facing huge losses to GDP due to climate change impacts.  

He highlighted that Pakistan is modeling climate action and playing an active role on combating climate change despite its insignificant contribution in global carbon emission. The Government of Pakistan is rigorously pursuing Green Solutions including enhancing the size of forests and mangroves, adding protected areas for forests and steps to achieve 30% energy target through green resources by the year 2030.  

Mr Sanjay Vashist, Director, Climate Action Network in South Asia (CANSA), earlier, explained that we have been seeing extreme weather phenomenon from last several years. We must hold ourselves, especially the rich people of the world accountable for allowing this crisis to happen and make serious efforts including getting rid of fossil fuel and making investment in renewable energy. He said within South Asia, we need to allocate our own resources as developed countries are now facing the impacts that have been averted earlier. Let us not wait for the developed countries to respond to our needs. We have to take action now to avert the impacts of extreme climate events. The eruption of wildfire is one of these significant impacts.  Therefore, besides pitching for the resources, we must explore alternate solution based on local actions, Sanjay added. 

Dr Shafqat Munir, Director Resilient Development Program SDPI, elaborated that in climate change, we are heading towards a tipping point and a humanitarian crisis is looming which call for dealing the situation with a sense of urgency. He said destruction of Biodiversity is one of the key eventualities of climate change. He said that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has not acted till now in a way it should have been as per its mandate. He said that the IPCC report has highlighted some unfortunate realities such as how many people are prone to severe effects of droughts and floods resulting by climate change. Highlighting the importance of ecosystem restoration, Dr Munir said it starts from within the communities who are the owners and protectors of ecosystem be it terrestrial or marine. He called for mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Ddisaster Risk Reduction (DRR) mechanisms into sectoral policies across ministries and divisions with a key role of the ministry of climate change.  

Ms Maryam Shabbir, Environmentalist at SDPI, earlier highlighted various aspects of IPCC Report through her technical presentation and said that the climate change impacts in various parts of the world are getting intensified and need urgent action. She said the report is an eye opener and a ‘red code’ for urgent actions to avoid rising temperatures that would harm life on the planet.