Russia became the first country to recognize the Taliban as the ruling government of Afghanistan on July 3, Russia's Foreign Ministry announced.

"We believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in various fields," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Taliban, an Islamist militant group, seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces, toppling the Western-backed government.

Despite its control over the country, the Taliban-led administration has not been formally recognized by any other state due to its failure to meet international commitments on human rights, governance, and counter-terrorism.

Russian state media outlet TASS reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin made the final decision based on advice from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

As relations with Western governments fell apart following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin has increasingly looked to work closely with totalitarian regimes, including North Korea and Iran, to advance economic and military partnerships.

In recent years, Moscow has expanded engagement with the Taliban, deepening trade ties and investing in Afghan infrastructure. The Taliban also regularly participates in Russian economic and educational forums.

In recent months, Russia's Supreme Court ruled to suspend the ban on dealings with the Taliban, and Russia's State Duma passed legislation in December 2024 allowing the possibility of removing organizations from the list of banned terrorist groups.

Putin has previously referred to the Taliban as "allies," while Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called them "sane people."

The Taliban, however, continues to enforce strict Islamic law, banning women from education, restricting social interactions, and carrying out the public stoning of women to death.

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The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk