Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
If you’re running low on friends, you have to think outside the box.
Political alliances rarely make perfect sense on the surface.
Sometimes, two sides with entirely different worldviews find a practical reason to sit down at the same table.
And apparently, the Russian leadership does not care about the fact that their new “full-fledged” partner was previously considered a terrorist threat by the Kremlin.
Finding common ground
Reuters and The Moscow Times report that Russian officials are now actively strengthening their diplomatic ties with the Taliban, the current rulers of Afghanistan. The two sides speak quite openly about their increasingly warm relationship.
This comes after years of complicated history. During the Soviet-Afghan War from 1979 to 1989, many members of what would later become the Taliban fought against Soviet forces.
And in the 1990s, Russia considered the Taliban a terrorist threat, and in 2003 the Taliban was added to the federal list of banned terrorist organisations.
But following the Taliban’s successful return to power in 2021 after a long conflict and the sudden collapse of the previous government, relations have shifted rapidly in recent months.
Last summer, Russia officially recognised the new Afghan administration after the Taliban was removed from the list of terrorist organisations a couple of months earlier.
President Vladimir Putin offered high praise earlier this year. According to the state-run TASS news agency, Putin described the group as “allies in the fight against terrorism.”
Building a partnership
Those growing ties were on full display this week. Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu spoke at a major regional gathering in Kyrgyzstan on Thursday.
He explained that his country had established a working dialogue with officials in Kabul. The Russian official said the effort aimed to “meet the goals of regional security and economic development.”
The relationship goes well beyond basic diplomacy. Moscow wants to establish a deeper connection across multiple sectors in the coming years.
“We’re consistently building a full-fledged partnership ranging from political and security contacts to trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation,” Shoigu said, as reported by TASS.
Shifting the blame
Security concerns remain a major issue in the region. The Russian representative noted that tens of thousands of militants from various groups still operate inside Afghanistan today.
Still, Shoigu praised the Afghan government for its “fierce armed struggle” against the Islamic State. He then blamed the United States for the ongoing crisis.
He demanded that Washington step up and repair the damage caused by its long military presence. During his speech, he told the crowd that the US must take “full responsibility” and “assume the main burden” of rebuilding the entire nation.
Finally, Shoigu warned other nations against sending troops into the region. He added that Moscow has absolutely no plans to deploy its own military forces on Afghan soil.
Sources: TASS, The Moscow Times, Interfax, Reuters, Lawfare Media
