Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the Taliban, the armed group in power in Afghanistan, an ally of Moscow in the fight against terrorism. Although the group is banned in Russia, Putin said that the Taliban is one of Moscow’s allies in the fight against terrorism. Because they are controlling Afghanistan.
The Russian President made this comment while participating in a conference in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Although the Taliban has been listed as a banned organization in Russia since 2003, Moscow has developed relations with the Taliban over the years. Last month, Putin ordered Moscow to “build relations” with the Taliban government.
The Russian president said, “We must accept that the Taliban is controlling the power in Afghanistan.” And in this sense, the Taliban are certainly our allies in the fight against terrorism. Because any authority is interested in stability in the country they rule.
The Taliban have long been fighting a rival militant group in Afghanistan, the Islamic State of Khorasan (ISK). Last March, ISIS fighters killed more than 140 people in a terrorist attack at a concert hall in Moscow. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in Russia in nearly two decades.
The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 after the departure of Western military forces. The ruling group in Afghanistan has since implemented strict Islamic law. As a result, women are almost banned from public life in the country.
Putin said that while the Taliban had accepted some responsibility, there were still many problems; The solution of which requires continuous attention of the country and the international community.
He said, I am sure that the Taliban is interested in stabilizing everything in Afghanistan.
Moscow has recently warmed its relations with the country after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. However, relations between the two countries have had a history of complications since the Soviet invasion in the 1980s. In addition, Russia has refrained from officially recognizing the Taliban-led government.
