Russia has officially recognized the Taliban government in Afghanistan, becoming the first country to do so. This pivotal development came after Moscow accepted the credentials of a new Afghan ambassador.
Russia announced on Thursday its intention to strengthen ties with Kabul, particularly in the areas of security, trade, and counter-terrorism. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry indicated that Moscow sees good prospects for developing relations and will continue to support Kabul in security, counter-terrorism, and combating drug crime.
The ministry also identified significant trade and economic opportunities, especially in energy, transport, agriculture, and infrastructure. “We believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in various fields,” the ministry stated.
The Taliban hailed the move as “courageous” and expressed hope that it will encourage other countries to follow suit. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi commented in a statement: “We value this courageous step taken by Russia, and, God willing, it will serve as an example for others as well.”
No other country has formally recognized the Taliban government, which seized power in August 2021 as US-led forces carried out a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan after two decades of war. However, China, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan have all designated ambassadors to Kabul, a step widely seen as moving towards recognition.
This Russian move represents a major milestone for the Taliban administration as it actively seeks to ease its international isolation. The development is likely to be closely monitored by Washington, which has frozen billions in Afghanistan’s central bank assets and imposed sanctions on some senior Taliban leaders, contributing to Afghanistan’s banking sector being largely cut off from the international financial system.
Complex History
Russia has been progressively building relations with the Taliban, a group President Vladimir Putin characterized last year as an ally in fighting terrorism. Since 2022, Afghanistan has imported gas, oil, and wheat from Russia.
The Taliban was initially outlawed by Russia as a terrorist movement in 2003, but this ban was lifted in April of this year. Russia perceives a necessity to collaborate with Kabul given the significant security threat posed by Islamist militant groups operating from a range of countries stretching from Afghanistan to the Middle East.
In March 2024, gunmen killed 149 people at a concert hall outside Moscow in an attack claimed by Islamic State. US officials indicated they possessed intelligence suggesting the Afghan branch of the group, Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), was responsible. The Taliban, for its part, states it is actively working to eradicate the presence of Islamic State within Afghanistan.
Western diplomats maintain that the Taliban’s path towards broader international recognition remains obstructed until it alters its policies on women’s rights. The Taliban has closed high schools and universities to girls and women and imposed restrictions on their movement without a male guardian. They assert that their interpretation of Islamic law guides their respect for women’s rights.
Russia shares a complex and often violent history with Afghanistan. Soviet troops invaded the country in December 1979 to prop up a Communist government, but became embroiled in a protracted war against mujahideen fighters armed by the United States. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev withdrew his army in 1989, by which point approximately 15,000 Soviet soldiers had lost their lives.
