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U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden says if he is elected he will maintain a small troop presence in Afghanistan and Iraq to help battle terrorism in the war-ravaged countries.

Biden said he supports a reduction of troops in the country, "but here’s the problem: We still have to worry about terrorism and [the Islamic State]."

Biden was speaking in a phone interview with Stars and Stripes, the U.S. military newspaper, published on September 10. The newspaper said it has also requested an interview with President Donald Trump.

"I think we need special ops capacity to coordinate with our allies," Biden told the newspaper, adding that he envisioned 1,500 to 2,000 troops as the maximum number. He did not list the specific numbers for each country or for those in neighboring Syria, where U.S. troops are also deployed.

Biden added, though, that the military should not interfere in the political affairs of the countries where troops are deployed and should coordinate with allies to train and lead to “take out terrorist groups who are going to continue to emerge.”

The Pentagon earlier this week said that U.S. troops in Iraq would be reduced from just over 5,000 to about 3,000 this month.

Trump has said he will cut the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan from 8,000 to 4,000-5,000 by Election Day on November 3.

Biden also said he does not plan to slash the U.S. defense budget in the face of potential threats from countries such as Russia and China.

Trump has said repeatedly that he wants to end America's longest war, which began in Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.

Long-delayed peace talks between Taliban and Afghan government negotiators are set to kick off in Qatar on September 12.

The negotiations are part of a landmark deal signed between the United States and the Taliban in February.

Talks were initially supposed to start the following month but were delayed as the Taliban and the Afghan government completed a prisoner exchange.

Under the U.S.-Taliban agreement signed in Doha in February, international forces should withdraw from Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for counterterrorism guarantees from the militant group, which pledged to negotiate a permanent cease-fire and power-sharing deal with the Afghan government.

With reporting by Stars and Stripes and RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan

WASHINGTON -- A group of Democratic senators has introduced legislation to impose sanctions on any Russian individual or entity involved in a reported program to place bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

The six senators, led by Bob Menendez, the ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, submitted the Russia Bounty Act on September 10.

The draft legislation was introduced because U.S. Presdient Donald Trump's "deference" to Russian leader Vladimir Putin "demands that Congress proactively shape U.S. foreign policy toward Russia, especially with respect to sanctions," Menendez said in a statement.

The New York Times reported in June that a Russian military intelligence unit last year secretly offered bounties on U.S. and allied soldiers serving in Afghanistan.

The report also claimed that Trump was briefed on the matter in March, before a series of calls with Putin, but did not call for a response, sparking outrage mainly among Democratic members of Congress.

Trump officials developed several possible responses, including making a formal diplomatic complaint and imposing new sanctions, according to The New York Times.

Trump has claimed his intelligence officials did not report the information to him or Vice President Mike Pence because it was not credible.

The president also said he would respond if it were confirmed.

Amid a tight presidential race, Democrats have seized on the news to slam Trump's leadership and his attempts to improve relations with Russia, which was one of his stated foreign policy goals.

Trump, a Republican, is seeking reelection on November 3 against Democrat Joe Biden.

Besides imposing sanctions, the Russia Bounty Act also authorizes $50 million a year to individuals who provide information on Moscow-financed bounties against U.S. soldiers and $30 million a year to counter Kremlin influence in the region.

The legislation needs to pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate and be signed by the president in order to become law.

The Republicans currently control the Senate.