Vladimir Putin, answering questions from journalists in Astana during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, called the Taliban movement Russia's allies in the fight against terrorism.
“The Taliban movement has assumed certain obligations. And in general, there are issues that require constant attention — both within the country and from the international community. But in general we must assume that the Taliban movement controls power in the country [Afghanistan]. And in this sense, the Taliban are, of course, allies for us in the fight against terrorism,” Putin said.
From terrorists to partners. How Russia changed its attitude towards the Taliban
The Russian Supreme Court recognized the Taliban movement as “terrorist” in 2003. In May 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice proposed to Vladimir Putin to exclude the movement from the list of prohibited organizations. In June of this year, representatives of the Taliban participated in the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.