Russian Foreign Ministry with the newly appointed Taliban envoy to Moscow Gul Hassan

Russia on Thursday officially recognized the Taliban government as Afghanistan’s rightful government, the first country to do so nearly four years since the extremists took power. The action is a diplomatic victory for the Taliban and underscores Russia’s increasing influence in Central Asia and South Asia, the New York Times reported.

In a statement on X, Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Russian Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov conveyed the Kremlin’s acknowledgement during a meeting in Kabul with Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The Russian Foreign Ministry declared the move would provide “impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation” in trade, energy, and infrastructure.

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A diplomatic win for the Taliban

The formal acknowledgment is a major victory for the Taliban, whose extreme restrictions on women and human rights have made Afghanistan an isolate in much of the globe. In spite of repeated attempts at rapprochement, the movement had not managed to gain legitimacy, since Western and most Islamic countries had maintained diplomatic ties at a bare minimum and often at the mercy of human rights improvements.

However, with time, attitudes have changed globally. With the Taliban firmly in place and with no sign of internal collapse, different countries have begun exploring pragmatic contacts, albeit short of recognition. The Russian step is a continuation of those steps, following China’s infrastructure overtures, India’s resumption of visa grants, and low-key diplomatic moves by Germany and others.

“Such acknowledgment by Russia provides not only diplomatic legitimacy but also bargaining power for the Taliban to demand more action from unwilling countries,” according to Tom Ramage, Brussels-based foreign policy analyst.

The designation is the culmination of heightened ties between Moscow and Kabul over the past few years. In April, Russia’s supreme court removed the Taliban from its official list of terrorist organizations, a designation that had been in place more than two decades previously. That move set the stage for more collaboration on security, notably against the Islamic State affiliate ISIS-K, which has become a common threat to both regimes.

ISIS-K launched a vicious attack in March 2024 against a Moscow-region concert hall that killed over 130. The group also targeted the Russian Embassy in Kabul in the past, giving Moscow all the more impetus to assist the Taliban in counterterrorism and intelligence efforts.

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Russia’s Foreign Ministry emphasized that enhanced cooperation would include energy, agriculture, and transport infrastructure. Moscow is keen on better access to Afghan mineral wealth and trade routes linking Central Asia with South Asia and beyond.

A change in the international landscape

While Russia’s move is singular in that it was the only complete recognition, it is one aspect of a broader rebalancing of foreign relations towards Afghanistan. China has pledged to extend its Belt and Road infrastructure projects into the country, and the United Arab Emirates and Iran remain two of Afghanistan’s largest trade partners.

Germany, in turn, is considering a deal with the Taliban to deport Afghan nationals residing illegally in Germany. Though not an official recognition, it does acknowledge the de facto rule of the Taliban over the state machinery.

The United States is also firmly opposed to recognition, pointing to the continued oppression of women by the Taliban, such as banning girls from schooling beyond sixth grade and restricting the employment of women. US officials have also rejected any effort to release Afghan central bank funds unless there are concrete human rights guarantees.

A complicated history

Russia’s move has a historic significance. The Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and engaged in a long, harsh conflict with US-supported mujahedeen fighters for a decade, killing almost 15,000 Soviet troops. Now, Moscow is seeking influence in the area through diplomacy, not military might, trying to fill a void left by the United States after it withdrew from the country in 2021.

Foreign Minister Muttaqi welcomed the recognition as “an opportunity for other countries to follow.” The Taliban hopes it will lead to greater economic investment and increased legitimacy, though obstacles remain. While Russia welcomed the Taliban, most of the world still denies it legitimacy in its form of government, and aid only comes in under tight controls.

As Moscow makes a comeback as an international player and Kabul looks for partners willing to ignore its human rights abuses, Thursday’s statement marks a turning point in the geopolitics of post-US Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s government said on Thursday that Russia had become the first country to officially recognise its rule, calling it a “brave decision”.

However, Afghan women activists condemned the decision, saying recognising the Taliban − under whom women and girls have seen freedoms curtailed − “will legitimise impunity”.

The Taliban swept back to power in 2021 after ousting the foreign-backed government and have imposed an austere version of Sharia.

They have sought official international recognition and investment, as the country recovers from four decades of war − including the Soviet invasion from 1979 to 1989.

The announcement was made after Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaqi met with Russia’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, in Kabul on Thursday.

“This brave decision will be an example for others … Now that the process of recognition has started, Russia was ahead of everyone,” Mr Muttaqi said in a video of the meeting on X.

He said it was “a new phase of positive relations, mutual respect and constructive engagement”, the Afghan Foreign Ministry posted on X.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry added on Telegram: “We believe that the act of official recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will boost the development of productive bilateral co-operation between our countries in several areas.”

It highlighted potential “commercial and economic” co-operation in “energy, transportation, agriculture and infrastructure”.

The ministry said Moscow hoped to continue helping Kabul “reinforce regional security and fight against the threats of terrorism and drug-trafficking”.

Moscow has taken recent steps to normalise relations with the Taliban authorities, removing them from a list of “terrorist organisations” in April and accepting a Taliban ambassador in Moscow.

In July 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Taliban “allies in the fight against terrorism”.

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.

Only Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the UAE recognised the Taliban during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001.

This time, a number of other states, including China and Pakistan, have accepted Taliban ambassadors in their capitals, but have not officially recognised the Taliban regime since the end of the then-insurgency’s two-decade war with US-led Nato troops.

There has been limited but growing engagement with the Taliban authorities, particularly from regional neighbours, but also global players China and Russia.

However, restrictions on women and girls, barring them from education and squeezing them from public life, have been key sticking points for western nations.

Senior Taliban figures remain under international sanctions, including by the UN.

A former MP in Kabul, Fawzia Koofi, said any recognition of the Taliban “will not bring peace it will legitimise impunity” and “risk endangering not just the people of Afghanistan, but global security”.

With AFP

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Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry called it a historic step, and quoted Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as welcoming the decision as “a good example for other countries.”

MOSCOW — Russia on Thursday (July 3, 2025) became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban’s government in Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021, after Moscow removed the group from its list of outlawed organisations.

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it had received credentials from Afghanistan’s newly appointed Ambassador Gul Hassan Hassan.

The official recognition of the Afghan government will foster “productive bilateral cooperation between our countries,” the Ministry said in a statement.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry called it a historic step, and quoted Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as welcoming the decision as “a good example for other countries.”

Amir Khan Muttaqi met Russia’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, in Kabul on Thursday,where Mr Zhirnov officially conveyed his government’s decision to recognise the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Members of the Taliban mark the third anniversary of the fall of Kabul in 2024. — Reuters

Muttaqi said it was “a new phase of positive relations, mutual respect, and constructive engagement.”

The Taliban have sought international recognition and investment since they returned to power in August 2021.

“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,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Russia was one of very few countries that did not close down their embassy in Afghanistan in 2021, and said on Telegram that “expanding the dialogue with Kabul” was critical in terms of regional security and economic development.

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.

The Taliban was removed from Russia’s list of terrorist organisations in April this year with the intention to pave the way for the establishment of a “full-fledged partnership” with Kabul, according to the Russian foreign ministry. — Agencies

Cover photo: Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi

AMN / WEB DESK

Russia said yesterday that it had accepted the credentials of a new ambassador of Afghanistan, making it the first nation to recognise the Taliban government of the country. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow saw good prospects to develop ties and would continue to support Kabul in security, counter-terrorism and combating drug crime. It also saw significant trade and economic opportunities, especially in energy, transport, agriculture and infrastructure.

Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said in a statement that his country values this courageous step taken by Russia, and God willing, it will serve as an example for others as well.

No other country has formally recognised the Taliban government that seized power in August 2021 as U.S.-led forces staged a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of war. However, China, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan have all designated ambassadors to Kabul, in a step towards recognition.

In a landmark move with far-reaching geopolitical implications, Russia has become the first country to officially recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

The announcement was delivered in Kabul on Thursday by Russia’s ambassador, Dmitry Zhirnov, during a meeting with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Describing the decision as “courageous,” Muttaqi hailed it as the beginning of a “new phase of positive relations, mutual respect, and constructive engagement” between the two nations. He further expressed hope that Moscow’s stance would serve as “an example” to other countries that have so far refrained from formal engagement with the Taliban-led Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Russia’s foreign ministry echoed the sentiment, saying it believed official recognition would accelerate “productive bilateral cooperation,” particularly in the areas of energy, transportation, agriculture, and infrastructure. It also reaffirmed its commitment to support Kabul in tackling terrorism and drug trafficking—two long-standing concerns in the region.

Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban have struggled to gain international legitimacy. Despite sustained outreach, most of the global community has withheld formal recognition, citing serious concerns over human rights abuses and the regime’s strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Russia’s recognition marks a significant diplomatic shift, especially given the complex history between the two nations. The Soviet Union’s 1979 invasion of Afghanistan led to a nearly decade-long war that cost more than 15,000 Soviet lives and deeply strained Moscow’s international standing. Today’s move reflects not only a dramatic evolution in regional alliances but also a pragmatic turn in Russian foreign policy.

Moscow has maintained a cautious but consistent diplomatic presence in Kabul since the Taliban’s return, choosing not to close its embassy in 2021. It has hosted Taliban representatives for talks as early as 2018 and signed a key economic deal in 2022 to supply Afghanistan with oil, gas, and wheat.

In April 2025, Russia formally removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organisations—a clear step toward laying the groundwork for full diplomatic and economic partnership. President Vladimir Putin further underscored the shift by referring to the Taliban as an “ally” in the fight against terrorism last year.

While Russia deepens its engagement, most Western governments and human rights organisations remain fiercely critical of the Taliban’s domestic policies, particularly their treatment of women and girls. In the past four years, Afghan women have been banned from secondary and higher education, prohibited from leaving their homes without male escorts, and subjected to draconian dress codes and “virtue” laws, including restrictions on speaking in public.

The United Nations has repeatedly condemned these measures as constituting “gender apartheid.” Reports of public floggings, extrajudicial killings, and violent reprisals against former government officials continue to emerge. In response, the international community has imposed heavy sanctions, including the freezing of nearly $9 billion in Afghan assets by the UN Security Council.

Despite appointing ambassadors to Kabul, countries like China, the UAE, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan have stopped short of formally recognising the Taliban regime. Russia now stands alone in offering full diplomatic legitimacy—a move that may have ripple effects across Central Asia and beyond.

As Afghanistan remains diplomatically isolated and economically fragile, Russia’s recognition offers a potential lifeline to the Taliban government, while also positioning Moscow as a key power broker in the region. Whether this decision paves the way for further international engagement—or deepens the divide between East and West—remains to be seen.

Melissa Enoch

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