Russia signed a military cooperation agreement with the Taliban during an international security forum in Moscow attended by senior Taliban leaders, including Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqoob, who is the son of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar. The deal has further strengthened Russia’s ties with Afghanistan, cementing its position as the only country to officially recognise the Taliban government.
The agreement has fueled speculation on whether the Taliban would provide experienced fighters to support Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. North Korea had earlier sent troops to assist Moscow after signing a defence pact with Russia in 2024.
Yaqoob called Russia an important regional and global power and announced that bilateral relations between both nations were growing.
“Afghanistan and Russia have long and historical relations, in this direction we want to move further. We have expanded bilateral relations,” he said.
Sergei Shoigu, former Russian Defence Minister and a close aide to President Vladimir Putin, attended the forum and criticised Western sanctions on Afghanistan, calling for frozen Afghan assets to be released.
“We are convinced that Western countries should unfreeze blocked Afghan assets, fully recognise the full extent of responsibility for their 20-year presence in Afghanistan and take upon themselves the full burden of post-event recovery of the country,” said Shoigu.
Russian officials also raised concerns about the presence of the Islamic State’s regional affiliate, ISIS-Khorasan, in Afghanistan and Central Asia, describing it as a growing security threat.
However, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed the ISIS was “completely eliminated” in the the country and maintained that no terrorist groups were operating from Afghan territory.
Mujahid said, “No country should have concerns about Afghanistan. No individual or group is allowed to carry out such activities. Isis has been completely eliminated in Afghanistan, and the Afghan security forces have fought against it.”
According to experts, the current agreement is likely to focus on security cooperation, equipment support, and regional stability instead of providing military assistance to Russia’s ongoing war efforts due to the Taliban regime’s own security challenges and lack of resources.
