Russian President Vladimir Putin called for improved relations with the Taliban government during a meeting with foreign news outlets on the sidelines of the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Putin acknowledged the Taliban's power in
Afghanistan and expressed the need to engage with them, while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov previously announced plans to remove the Taliban from Russia's list of terrorist organizations.
The Taliban has been labeled as a terrorist organization by Russia since 2003.
This designation could enhance diplomatic relations between Russia and
Afghanistan, but it does not equate to recognition of the Taliban government or the "Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan." Since seizing power, the Taliban have enforced a strict form of Islamic law, effectively barring women from public life.
Russia has maintained connections with the Taliban, with allegations of weapons provision surfacing in 2018, which Moscow denied.
Russia's relationship with
Afghanistan is complex, as the Soviet Union previously waged a war against mujahideen fighters in the 1980s to support a Kremlin-backed government.