UNITED NATIONS — Russia's UN envoy has urged U.S. and NATO commanders in Afghanistan to continue to eradicate opium poppy fields after reports that they would now pay poppy farmers to destroy their own crops.
Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin made clear to the UN Security Council that Moscow was concerned about the reported "intention of ISAF [NATO] in Afghanistan to give up on destroying the poppy fields, including in those territories that have been liberated from Taliban."
"How can we overcome the Taliban when they continue to obtain financial resources from the illegal drugs trade?" Churkin asked the 15-nation Security Council on Monday after it voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the UN mission in Afghanistan for another year.
After weeks of intense fighting over the Taliban stronghold of Marjah, U.S. Marines have said they were taking cautious aim at the drug trade, with a new program designed to pay opium poppy farmers to destroy their own crops without a fight, instead of NATO troops destroying the poppy.
The goal of the new program is to tackle the drug trade that fuels the insurgency without alienating farmers whose livelihoods depend on a crop they planted last year.
Afghanistan is the world's top producer of poppies used to make opium, a key ingredient in the production of heroin.
Churkin indicated Russia wanted U.S. and other NATO forces to continue destroying Afghan poppy fields themselves.
"We are convinced that the ISAF contingent and the anti-terrorist coalition must … continue in an active and robust way to deal with the drug threat coming from Afghanistan," Churkin said.
"This is the only way to build on what has been achieved militarily, and this approach will mean a significant contribution to the long-term stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan and the region," he said.
He also warned Security Council members that "any attempt to bring the Taliban on board will be a great mistake."
The Russian ambassador also raised concerns about the Afghan government's reconciliation process — an attempt to reach out to the Taliban to integrate, and offer amnesty to those willing to support the Kabul government.
Churkin said Moscow backed the idea of a political settlement, including reconciliation, but made clear it could not violate Security Council sanctions going back to 1999 that have imposed asset freezes and travel bans on hundreds of individuals and firms linked to the Taliban and al-Qaida.
"A dialogue is possible only with those who have laid down their arms, recognized the government and constitution of Afghanistan and have broken their links with al-Qaida and other terrorist groups," he said.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's latest report on Afghanistan included what UN diplomats said was a request for a green light for UN officials to continue informal "discreet" talks with the Taliban to support Afghan reconciliation efforts.
The resolution extending the mandate of the UN mission in Afghanistan included such a green light, but made clear any UN involvement in the process would have to take place with "full respect" for the sanctions regime — which UN diplomats said would rule out talks with any Taliban officials on the UN blacklist.