Russia officially recognized the Taliban-led government of Afghanistan on Thursday, becoming the first country to formally do so since the group returned to power in August 2021.
Earlier in the day, Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirinov met with Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi and conveyed Moscow’s decision to formally recognize the Taliban, officially known as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as the legitimate government in Kabul.
“Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan following a recommendation from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as a demonstration of Moscow’s intent to deepen bilateral ties,” Zhirinov was quoted as saying by state broadcaster Rossiya-1. He added that Putin harbors a “sincere desire” to form a comprehensive partnership with Afghanistan.
The announcement came just one day after the Taliban-appointed ambassador to Moscow, Malwai Gul Hassan, arrived in Russia to assume his post.
In April, Russia removed the Taliban from its national list of banned organizations—a move that paved the way for accelerated diplomatic engagement. Since then, relations between Moscow and Kabul have steadily advanced.
While several countries—including China, Uzbekistan, and the United Arab Emirates—have normalized relations with the Taliban by accepting Kabul-appointed ambassadors, none had taken the formal step of recognizing the government until now. Others, including Pakistan, have signaled their willingness to upgrade ties, while nations like Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Norway have engaged at varying levels of diplomatic representation.
Russia’s decision may act as a catalyst for other regional actors to follow suit, especially as the Taliban government pushes for broader international recognition and seeks to reclaim diplomatic missions around the world.
Also on Thursday, Taliban Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, attending the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in Baku, called on Azerbaijan to upgrade its diplomatic ties with Kabul and accept a formal ambassador from the Afghan government.