While the Taliban have been included in Russia's list of terrorist organizations since 2003, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently stated that the Taliban are allies of Russia in the fight against terrorism.
According to a report by "Taraz Press," Mr. Putin made this statement on Thursday, July 5th, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Putin said, "The Taliban are our allies against terrorism because they run the country, and those who run a country are also inclined towards stability."
Mr. Putin further added about the Taliban: "We have repeatedly received signals from the Taliban indicating that they are ready to cooperate with us in the fight against terrorism."
In addition, the Russian President emphasized the resumption of the activities of the SCO Contact Group to strengthen relations with Afghanistan. Previously, there were reports that Moscow aimed to normalize relations with the Taliban, and about a month ago, Mr. Putin reiterated in an important statement that close ties with the Taliban are necessary. However, the main question remains: why does Russia not recognize the current Taliban regime as an official government, and moreover, why is it not willing to remove the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations?
The belief is that Putin aims to pursue two major goals in the region with such statements: one is to clarify Moscow's stance on the Taliban to its allied countries, and the other is to align with the recent efforts initiated by the United Nations to normalize relations with the Taliban. However, the Taliban will remain on Russia's list of terrorist organizations until Moscow's demands in Kabul are met. This is the price the Taliban are compelled to pay in exchange for the recognition of their government.
