Dr. Syed Mehboob
Economic and Political Analyst
http://www.thenewslark.com
Afghanistan is a war-torn, poverty-ridden country that needs political and economic stability. Isolating the Taliban is not the solution. The Taliban is the legitimate Afghan government and enjoys the confidence of the great majority of the Afghan people. Afghans are different people in other countries in that they have their traditions, values, and culture. They need recognition, global support to fight against poverty, illiteracy, extremism, and terrorism. The Afghan Taliban have shown great resilience against colonialism and fought for several years against American-led Western coalitions to get their country free from external interference.
July 3, 2025, was an important date when Russia recognized the Afghan Taliban government and became the first country to take this important step. Taliban, after a long fight of eighteen years against foreign powers’ occupation and their puppet regime, gained power in August 2021. Russia expects its decision would “ give an impetus “ to bilateral cooperation between the two countries. For the last decade, Russia has taken many steps to pave the way for this decision to recognize the Afghan Taliban government. In 2015-16, the Russians set up a formal engagement channel with the Taliban. The Russians not only maintained a steady engagement with the Afghan Taliban after the takeover in August 2021, and advised the Taliban to improve governance, counter terrorism, and respect human rights to pave the way for their mainstreaming and recognition. Russia wanted a stable government in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces, that could act against terrorist outfits, particularly the militant IS Khorasan, the trade of narcotics, and stop the spread of extremism into Central Asian countries. Afghanistan wants it representation in the UNO and OIC.
Russia has accepted the credentials of a new ambassador of Afghanistan as part of an ongoing drive to build friendly relations with the country’s Taliban authorities, which seized power as United States troops withdrew from the country four years ago.
“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,” said the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement. The move makes Russia the first country in the world to recognize the country’s Taliban government.“This brave decision will be an example for others,” Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said in a video of a meeting with Dmitry Zhirnov, the Russian ambassador to Kabul, posted on X.A Taliban delegation attended Russia’s flagship economic forum in Saint Petersburg in 2022 and 2024, and the group’s top diplomat met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow last October.In July 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Taliban “allies in the fight against terrorism” – notably against Islamic State Khorasan Province, ISKP (ISIS-K), a group responsible for deadly attacks in both Afghanistan and Russia. In April 2025, Russia’s Supreme Court lifted the Taliban from Terrorist groups.
Russia was the first country to open a business representative office in Kabul after the Taliban takeover, and has announced plans to use Afghanistan as a transit hub for gas heading to Southeast Asia. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi hoped it would serve as an example to others.Russia was one of the very few countries that did not close down their embassy in Afghanistan in 2021, as the Taliban swept across Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US troops.The country was also the first to sign an international economic deal with the Taliban in 2022, where they agreed to supply oil, gas and wheat to Afghanistan.Russian President Vladimir Putin also referred to the Taliban as an “ally” in fighting terrorism in July last year. Taliban representatives had visited Moscow for talks as early as 2018.
The Chinese embassy in Kabul is still open, and meetings between the two countries have taken place at the ministerial level. Iran also maintains diplomatic contacts with the Taliban, and it too has an embassy in Kabul. Pakistan also has a close relationship with Afghanistan. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement saying that Moscow’s recognition of the Taliban government will pave the way for bilateral cooperation with Afghanistan.“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 statement said.The Foreign Ministry said it would seek cooperation in energy, transport, agriculture, and infrastructure.
The Chinese government welcomed Russia’s official recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning said. “First of all, China welcomes the latest stage of development in relations between Russia and Afghanistan,” she said at a news briefing in response to a question from a Western journalist on Beijing’s reaction to Moscow’s official recognition of the Afghan Taliban government.Mao recalled that China maintains good-neighborly relations with the Afghan side. She noted that the Chinese government “has always believed that Afghanistan should not be isolated from the international community.”
“China speaks for boosting contacts between the international community and the interim Afghan Government,” the diplomat continued.Mao Ning also called on Afghanistan to “actively respond to the concerns of the international community,” pointing out the importance of providing joint support to Afghanistan in the country’s reconstruction and development.She confirmed that Beijing backs Afghanistan’s fight against terrorism and its contribution to maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.”No matter what changes have taken place inside Afghanistan or beyond its borders, relations between China and Afghanistan have held,” Mao stated. “After the formation of the interim Government of Afghanistan, the foreign policy missions of both countries located on each other’s territory continued to operate normally, and that played a positive role in the development of bilateral interstate relations.”
“China will continue to pursue a friendly policy towards the entire Afghan people, support exchanges and cooperation with Afghanistan in all spheres and maintain development in new areas,” she added.
Russia’s evolving approach to Afghanistan reflects a broader pattern in Russian foreign policy: proactive engagement, strategic autonomy, and multipolar diplomacy. From Syria to Africa, and now in South and Central Asia, Russia has demonstrated a willingness to challenge Western orthodoxy while advocating for local solutions to local problems.Russia understands that peace in Afghanistan is not only an Afghan need—it is a prerequisite for the security of the Eurasian landmass. It is in Moscow’s interest to stabilize its southern periphery, foster regional trade, and prevent Western military re-encroachment. Afghanistan’s transformation into a neutral, peaceful, and economically viable state aligns perfectly with Russia’s strategic objectives.
Recognition of the Taliban government by Russia is a move to pave the way for peace and development in the region and to promote trade, economic cooperation, and counter terrorism and extremism.
