Taliban, Russia are cozying up to each other — why?
Key takeaways
- Russia and the Afghan Taliban have signed a deal on repairing Soviet-era and Russian-made weapons, a seemingly small move in a larger game involving the US, Pakistan and Moscow's efforts to curb Western influence.
- https://p.dw.com/p/5Enjz In 2025, Russia became the first country to officially recognize the Taliban government Image: Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout/REUTERSAdvertisement.
- Islamabad, he said, would "soon no longer dare" to attack Afghan territory due to the military-technical cooperation agreement he had just signed in Moscow.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Russia and the Afghan Taliban have signed a deal on repairing Soviet-era and Russian-made weapons, a seemingly small move in a larger game involving the US, Pakistan and Moscow's efforts to curb Western influence.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Enjz In 2025, Russia became the first country to officially recognize the Taliban government Image: Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout/REUTERSAdvertisement. The acting defense minister in the Taliban regime, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, stepped off a flight in Kabul last week to deliver a warning to Pakistan.
Islamabad, he said, would "soon no longer dare" to attack Afghan territory due to the military-technical cooperation agreement he had just signed in Moscow.