However, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would not rush to establish a close relationship with the Taliban government and said it would monitor the organization’s behavior before deciding to recognize it.
This summer, as the Taliban marched into Afghanistan, Russia and its allies Uzbekistan and Tajikistan held military exercises on the Afghan border as a demonstration of force.
Central Asian expert Arkady Dubnov said that Moscow will now seek to strengthen its military presence in the region.
“To varying degrees, these countries will have to accept Moscow’s help, but no country is willing to trade sovereignty for security,” he said.
He emphasized that Afghanistan’s three Central Asian neighbors—Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan—have different attitudes to the conflict.
Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have held high-level talks with the Taliban, and it is possible to recognize the Taliban’s rule, while Tajikistan has not yet contacted the militants.
