July 08, 2025

Welcome to Moscow, Taliban!


Welcome to Moscow, Taliban!
The Taliban's new flag for Afghanistan, flying in Moscow. TASS, Telegram.

On July 3, Russia became the first country in the world to recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, legitimizing the Taliban, its former enemy. Afghanistan's former black, red, and green flag in its Moscow embassy was replaced with the militant group's banner.

The Russian ambassador in Kabul, Dmitry Zhirnov, said Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested to President Vladimir Putin that Russia recognize the Taliban's sovereignty of Afghanistan. Zhirnov said the decision stems from Moscow's "sincere desire to establish a full-fledged partnership" with Kabul.

Russia has had a hot-and-cold relationship with the Taliban. The militant group emerged from the Mujahideen movement, which fought against Moscow's invasion during the Soviet-Afghan war (1979-1989). In 2003, Russia recognized the Taliban as a terrorist organization. In 2021, the extremist political and religious organization seized control of all of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of American troops. These events apparently convinced the Kremlin to soften its stance on the group.

Yet Russia actually began to actively cooperate with the Taliban as soon as they came to power. Representatives of the movement are frequently spotted in Moscow visiting government officials. In December 2024, the Duma passed a law allowing the Taliban to no longer be considered a terrorist organization.

In March 2025, the Prosecutor General's office asked the Supreme Court to suspend Russia's ban on the group's activities. By April, the ban was suspended.

The Taliban, meanwhile, has been criticized for suffocating a free press and implementing gender apartheid in Afghanistan.

You Might Also Like

Tali-unbanned
  • April 20, 2025

Tali-unbanned

The Russian government has removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations.
The Music of War
  • October 30, 2024

The Music of War

Russian military ensembles glorify war and profit from it.
Afghanistan: A Second Chance?
  • February 20, 2009

Afghanistan: A Second Chance?

Thirty years ago, in 1979, the Persian Gulf was a tinderbox. On January 16, following months of uprisings, the Shah of Iran was overthrown. One month later, it looked like Afghanistan’s turn. The Soviet-backed thugs running the country had imposed radical social reforms, sparking a civil war and threatening pro-Soviet rule...
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals
[INVALID]
[INVALID]

Some of our Books

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955