Russia has signed a military cooperation agreement with the Taliban, deepening ties with the hardline Islamist group and becoming the only country to recognise its regime in Afghanistan. The deal was ratified at the 'International Security Forum' in Moscow on Wednesday, attended by Taliban defence minister Mohammad Yaqoob.
Neither side disclosed details of the technical agreement, but it has sparked concerns that the Taliban could provide fighters to support Russia's war in Ukraine, following North Korea's deployment of troops to the front lines after its own military pact with Moscow in June 2024.
Mr Yaqoob said bilateral relations had expanded, describing cooperation with Russia as carrying 'important meaning'. Sergei Shoigu, a top aide to Vladimir Putin, welcomed the Taliban leader and denounced Western sanctions, calling for the unfreezing of Afghan assets.
Experts caution that the level of cooperation remains unclear. Aleksei Zakhrov of the Observer Research Foundation noted that Russia cannot expect significant help from the Taliban in terms of weapons or troops, given the regime's fragile position and internal instability. He suggested Russia may instead seek Taliban cooperation in securing Afghanistan's northern borders against ISIS fighters.
Russia has expressed mounting concerns over the ISIS-Khorasan group, which it says is actively recruiting in Central Asia and among labour migrants in Russia. The Taliban, however, claim the group has been completely eliminated.
