Afghanistan Times
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Russia took a significant step on Tuesday towards potentially recognising Afghanistan’s Taliban government, as the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, approved a law allowing the removal of the Taliban from Moscow’s list of banned terrorist organisations. This was the first of three required readings, as reported by the Interfax news agency.
No country officially recognises the Taliban, which seized power in August 2021 following the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led forces after two decades of war. However, Russia has been incrementally engaging with the group. In July, Russian President Vladimir Putin described the Taliban as an ally in combating terrorism.
Moscow faces threats from Islamist militant groups across regions stretching from Afghanistan to the Middle East. This security concern was underscored by a recent major attack: in March, 145 people were killed in a Moscow concert hall by gunmen in an attack claimed by Islamic State (ISIS). U.S. intelligence suggested the perpetrators belonged to ISIS-Khorasan, the Afghan branch of the organisation.
The Taliban claims to be actively eradicating ISIS from Afghanistan. However, broader international recognition of the Taliban is stalled due to their severe restrictions on women’s rights. The group has barred women and girls from high schools and universities and imposed strict mobility restrictions, defending these actions as adherence to their interpretation of Islamic law.
Russia’s history with Afghanistan remains fraught. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to support a communist government, but its forces were mired in a grueling conflict against U.S.-backed mujahideen fighters. The war ended in 1989 with the withdrawal of Soviet troops after 15,000 soldiers had been killed.
The legislative move marks Russia’s latest attempt to navigate its security concerns and geopolitical strategies in the volatile region.
