Russia Becomes First Country to Officially Recognise Taliban Government

Russia has become the first country in the world to formally recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan, marking a significant step in Moscow’s bid to expand regional influence and normalise relations with Kabul.

On Thursday, Russia officially accepted the credentials of the Taliban-appointed Afghan ambassador, signaling full diplomatic recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, nearly four years after the Taliban took control of the country following the withdrawal of United States troops.

“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 in various fields,” the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

This move follows a decision by Russia’s Supreme Court in April to lift the Taliban’s designation as a terrorist organisation — a legal hurdle that had previously restricted formal engagement.

Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, welcomed the development and praised Moscow’s initiative.

“This brave decision will be an example for others,” Muttaqi said in a video of a meeting with Russia’s ambassador to Kabul, Dmitry Zhirnov, posted on X.
“Now that the process of recognition has started, Russia was ahead of everyone.”

The recognition is seen as part of Russia’s broader strategy to increase its regional clout in Central Asia and to counter Western influence, particularly following the diplomatic vacuum left by the U.S. and its allies.

However, the move is expected to draw scrutiny from Washington, which has frozen billions of dollars in Afghanistan’s central bank assets and continues to impose sanctions on top Taliban leaders. These sanctions have severely limited Afghanistan’s access to the international financial system and worsened the country’s economic crisis.

— Source: Al Jazeera