Russia has become the first country to officially recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan. The announcement was made on Thursday and is being seen as a big shift in Russia’s foreign policy. This move may also lead to more countries thinking about building ties with the Taliban.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it has officially accepted the diplomatic credentials of Gul Hassan Hassan, who is now Afghanistan’s new ambassador to Moscow. Accepting his credentials means that Russia is now formally recognising the Taliban-led government.

“This step opens the door to productive bilateral cooperation,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in its statement.

Taliban welcomes move, calls it a big moment

The Taliban government quickly welcomed Russia’s decision. Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry called it a “historic step.” The Taliban’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also said it is “a good example for other countries.”

Since coming to power in August 2021, the Taliban has been trying to get international recognition but has not been successful. Most countries have stayed away from officially recognising the Taliban due to serious concerns about human rights, especially the treatment of women and girls.

When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan after the exit of US and NATO forces in 2021, they had promised to be more moderate compared to their earlier rule from 1996 to 2001. But soon after, they began enforcing strict Islamic laws. Girls are banned from studying beyond grade six, and women face heavy restrictions on work, travel, and even entering parks or gyms.

Despite this, the Taliban has continued talking to countries like China, Iran, and the UAE. But none of them had officially recognised the Taliban as the government—until Russia did now.

Russia lifts terror label, aims for full engagement

Earlier, Russia had labelled the Taliban as a terrorist organisation. But in April 2025, it removed that label as part of efforts to improve ties. Now, with the official recognition, Russia is clearly trying to build a stronger relationship with the Taliban.

Russia’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, said that this decision was made by President Vladimir Putin after advice from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “This proves Russia’s sincere striving for the development of full-fledged relations with Afghanistan,” Zhirnov said on television.

Experts say Russia is doing this mainly for security reasons. Moscow wants a stable Afghanistan so that violence or extremism does not spread to nearby Central Asian countries.

So far, no Western country has responded to Russia’s move. It is unclear whether others will follow. But this step has broken Afghanistan’s long period of diplomatic isolation and may force the world to rethink how it deals with the Taliban.

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