Afghans living abroad have told RFE/RL of their fears and concerns following Russia’s decision to officially recognize the Taliban as their country’s government.
Russia is the first country in the world to do so since the group regained power in 2021.
“How can the Russian Federation recognize the Taliban?” asked Farzana Rezaie, founder of the Afghan Women’s Movement in Exile.
Rezaie was speaking to RFE/RL’s Afghan Service from exile in Pakistan, where hundreds of thousands of people fled after the Taliban regained power in 2021.
“Legitimizing a group that has deprived half of society of the right to live [freely], is that diplomacy or a betrayal of human morality?” Rezaie added.
Former lawmaker Shukria Barakzai voiced immediate practical worries.
“This recognition has sparked a change in political equations in the region,” said Barakzai, who also served as the Afghan ambassador to Norway.
“Unfortunately, Afghanistan, once again, will be pushed to a unwanted proxy war,” she added.
Russia’s move, announced on July 3, followed a decision by Russia earlier this year to remove the Taliban from its list of terrorist groups, lifting a ban that had been in place since 2003.
“Official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The Taliban’s acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, praised what he called Russia’s “bold move” and expressed hope that it would become an example for other countries.
Many Western countries have been reluctant to directly engage with the Taliban government amid concerns over human rights violations, including a ban on girls’ education past primary school.
Other countries have stopped short of official recognition but have engaged with the Taliban by accrediting its appointed ambassadors and pursuing economic and other interests. Neighboring Uzbekistan hosted a Taliban delegation earlier this year for talks about a rail link, while India dispatched a special envoy to improve trade ties.
Russia’s recognition of the group is likely tied to its desire to maintain and expand influence in Central Asia, and may also be linked to security concerns about the Islamic State-Khorasan, an Afghanistan-based militant organization that was behind the deadliest attack in Russia in decades.
Scores of people were killed after gunmen stormed a concert venue in the Moscow region in March last year.
Some analysts say Russian officials likely view the Taliban as a lesser evil or even a potential security partner.
The Taliban toppled the Western-backed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan government as US-led international forces withdrew in 2021.
The withdrawal marked the end of a 20-year mission that had ousted the Taliban’s first regime, which ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.
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