Russia has formally recognized the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, marking a major diplomatic shift and making it the first major global power to establish official ties with the regime.
The decision comes after Russia’s Supreme Court removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations in April—an official designation that had stood since 2003. The group returned to power in August 2021, following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces, and renamed the country the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
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On Thursday, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Andrey Rudenko, accepted the credentials of Ghulam Hassan, the Taliban’s appointed ambassador to Moscow, effectively formalizing diplomatic relations. Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, also confirmed the development.
The Taliban’s black-and-white flag was raised over the Afghan embassy in Moscow for the first time since the group took over Kabul, according to local media.
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Russia’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, stated that President Vladimir Putin made the recognition decision on the advice of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Zhirnov noted that Moscow had also been the first to recognize Afghanistan’s independence in the early 20th century, reflecting a long-standing connection.
Although most countries have avoided formally recognizing the Taliban, a few regional powers have taken steps toward engagement. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan removed the Taliban from their list of terrorist groups earlier this year. Turkmenistan has resumed work with Afghanistan on the TAPI gas pipeline, and Uzbekistan signed several cooperation agreements in August.
