PHOTO PHOTO: Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hold a joint news conference at the State Department in Washington, USA, December 10, 2019. REUTERS / Jonathan Ernst
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday he had warned his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that there would be “an enormous price to pay” if Moscow offered fines to kill US soldiers or other Western troops in Afghanistan.
The New York Times in June reported that a Russian military intelligence unit had secretly imposed fines on military personnel with the Taliban for killing coalition troops in Afghanistan – including U.S. troops, with the arrest of U.S. intelligence officials.
President Donald Trump said he was not told about the information because many U.S. intelligence officials doubted the truth, although several U.S. and European sources were at odds with his comments.
In an interview with Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Pompeo declined to say whether he believed the intelligence was credible or if he thought Trump should be informed, but said Washington would not stop doing such behavior.
“If the Russians offer money to kill Americans, or for that matter other Westerners, there will be an enormous price to pay. That is what I shared with Foreign Minister Lavrov, ”Pompeo said in an interview during his official visit to the Czech Republic.
‘I know our army has also spoken to its older leaders. We will not break it, we will not tolerate it, “said Pompeo.
Last month, U.S. and European sources, known for intelligence reporting, said the United States had received fresh reports in support of allegations that Russia had encouraged Taliban-affiliated militants to kill U.S. and allied troops in Afghanistan.
The intelligence report comes as the United States has been negotiating with the Taliban and the Afghan government to reach a ceasefire agreement reached in February for the withdrawal of US troops.
Report by Humeyra Pamuk; Edited by Leslie Adler
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