Russia hosts Taliban and regional powers for fresh Afghanistan talks
Russia on Monday hosted a new round of consultations on Afghanistan, with representatives of the Taliban government joining officials from China, India, Iran, Pakistan and several other countries. The talks underlined Moscow’s growing engagement with Kabul after Russia became the first country to recognise the Taliban government in July 2025.
At the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov welcomed Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and praised the group’s record since taking power. He also repeated Moscow’s opposition to any future NATO military presence in Afghanistan or neighbouring countries, while saying Russia would continue humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
Lavrov congratulated Muttaqi on “the fifth anniversary of Afghanistan’s liberation from the NATO contingent”. He said, “Five years is a short time to overcome the consequences of many decades of occupation, yet your government’s achievements are evident, and we welcome them.” He also praised the Taliban’s efforts against the Islamic State group and other extremist forces, as well as moves to curb drug trafficking.
The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 after the withdrawal of US and NATO forces. Since then, they have sought international recognition while enforcing their strict interpretation of Islamic law. While Russia was the first country to recognise the Taliban administration, the group has also held high-level talks with many countries and built some diplomatic ties with nations including China and the United Arab Emirates. Even so, the Taliban government remains relatively isolated internationally, largely because of its restrictions on women.
During Monday’s talks, Lavrov said “the powerful military machine of the United States and their NATO allies was broken by the fighting spirit and resilience of the Afghans”. He added that the Taliban’s “successes in the fight against narcotics and terrorism are to a significant extent linked to the ongoing military-technical cooperation between our countries”. Lavrov also said Moscow viewed the deployment of any NATO military infrastructure in Afghanistan and neighbouring states as “categorically unacceptable”. “Historical experience shows that such a presence is fraught with destabilisation and escalating conflict,” he said.
The former Soviet Union fought a 10-year war in Afghanistan that ended with the withdrawal of its troops in 1989. Over the past decade, Moscow has tried to strengthen its influence in the region by holding regular consultations on Afghanistan involving senior Taliban representatives and neighbouring countries. Officials from China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan took part in Monday’s meeting.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said Moscow was also ready to help ease tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Cross-border fighting between the two countries has continued for months despite international mediation efforts. “Russia stands ready to help end this conflict using all possible means and acting independently or together with other partners if both parties ask for it,” Kabulov told reporters.
The meeting in Moscow brought together the Taliban and regional countries as Russia pushed ahead with its Afghanistan outreach, backing the Taliban’s actions against militancy and narcotics, offering humanitarian support, and saying it was ready to help reduce tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
