Russia formally recognizes Taliban government in Afghanistan

Swati Gupta, Bloomberg News on Jul 4, 2025

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Russia has formally recognized the Taliban-ruled Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, almost four years after the controversial regime came to power, according to a statement issued by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Russia is the first country to offer recognition to the Taliban government that took over following the U.S.’s rushed exit in 2021.

On Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko accepted the credentials of Gul Hassan, Afghanistan’s new ambassador to Russia, according to the Tass news agency.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has steadily built ties with the Taliban government, which has been widely shunned by the international community due to repeated human rights violations. In April, Moscow lifted a two-decade-old ban on the group after Putin in 2024 had called the Taliban an “ally” in countering terrorism.

“Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on recommendation from Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an effort to show Moscow’s intent to develop ties,” Tass said, citing the Russian ambassador in Kabul.

A handful of countries, including China and Pakistan, have accepted Taliban diplomats, though they haven’t formally recognized the government.