Russia recognized the Taliban government in Afghanistan on July 3 and received an ambassador from the Islamist group. Russia became the first country in the world to officially recognize the Taliban government.
This was announced by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan and the Russian Federation.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, in their opinion, will contribute to the development of effective bilateral cooperation between Russia and Afghanistan in various areas.
The ministry considers trade, energy, transport, agriculture and infrastructure to be "promising areas" for such cooperation. It also assured that it will continue to assist Kabul in strengthening regional security, in particular in the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking.
For its part, the Taliban Foreign Ministry called Russiaʼs decision positive and important. The new Afghan ambassador to Russia Gulya Hassan Hassan presented his credentials to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko.
"We hope that other countries will also take advantage of this opportunity and recognize the Islamic Emirate," said Afghan Foreign Minister Mian Muttaki.
Back in April, Russia removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations for the first time in more than 20 years. The Russian government explained that this decision would allow for closer cooperation with the Taliban on security issues, in particular to combat the Islamic State-Khorasan group, which is active in Afghanistan.
This group was responsible for the attack on the Crocus City Hall shopping mall outside Moscow last year, which killed more than 130 people — the largest attack in Russia since Putin took office. In 2022, the group also attacked the Russian embassy in Kabul.
CNN writes that Russia was one of the few countries that maintained a diplomatic presence in the country. The New York Times notes that Russiaʼs recognition of the Taliban was an important step in the militantsʼ efforts to engage with the world nearly four years after they seized power and declared victory in the war against the United States.
The Russian move is a major victory for the Taliban, whose restrictions have made Afghanistan a pariah state in much of the world. And thatʼs because, despite the Talibanʼs attempts to improve relations with other countries, most Western and Muslim countries have long shunned it. Even when the group promised to crack down on opium production and tried to soften its stance, it has convinced few.
However, last year the situation began to change. The world is gradually recognizing that the Taliban regime will remain, and international pressure will not force it to change its policy on womenʼs rights, writes the NYT.
Diplomatic contacts intensified in the second half of 2024: the countries began to talk with the Taliban about trade and investment. In particular, this year China announced that it wanted to expand the economic corridor through Afghanistan, and India began issuing visas to Afghans again.
Germanyʼs interior minister said on Wednesday that the German government needs to reach an agreement with the Taliban to be able to deport Afghan citizens from the country.
CNN writes that the Taliban is also trying to establish contact with the United States. After Donald Trump began his second presidential term in January 2025, these efforts became more active. In March, Afghanistan released two Americans, and the United States canceled the reward for three Taliban officials.
The Taliban, according to CNN, has proposed opening an office in the United States — something like an embassy — to resolve issues related to Afghanistan, and generally seeks official recognition by the United States.
“You need to be upfront and take risks. Do that, and it will probably open the way to better relations,” the US officials told the Taliban during a March meeting to secure the release of an American prisoner.
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