Russia Says It Is Building Full Partnership With Taliban-Run Afghanistan

Russia is establishing what it calls a “full-fledged partnership” with Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban and is urging other regional countries to expand cooperation with Kabul, a senior Russian security official said Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Moscow.

The comments follow Russia’s formal recognition of the Taliban government in July 2025, making it the first country to recognise the administration that seized power in August 2021 after the U.S.-led withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said cooperation with Kabul was important for the security and development of the region. He described Moscow’s approach as a “pragmatic dialogue” that includes security, trade, culture and humanitarian support.

Shoigu spoke at a meeting with counterparts from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a 10-member group that includes China, India, Iran, Pakistan and several former Soviet states.

Russia urges wider regional engagement through the SCO

Shoigu called on other countries in the region to deepen their engagement with Afghanistan’s government and said the SCO should revive its contact group with Afghanistan to support broader coordination.

His remarks framed the partnership as part of a wider regional push to address shared risks and improve cooperation on cross-border issues that include economic ties and humanitarian support.

Ban lifted after Taliban was listed as terrorist movement

Russia outlawed the Taliban as a terrorist movement in 2003, but lifted the ban in April 2025, according to the official account of the policy change referenced in the statement.

Russia has said it sees a need to work with Kabul as it faces a major security threat from Islamist militant groups operating across a string of countries from Afghanistan to the Middle East.

Officials signaled that Moscow’s next steps will focus on expanding practical cooperation with the Taliban authorities and pressing the SCO to operationalise channels for coordinated engagement with Afghanistan.