It is one year since the #Taliban stunned the world and took control of #Kabul way ahead of government estimates. In 2021, #Moscow responded to the news with a mix of calm and schadenfreude for its Western counterparts on the ground. Moscow then visibly took on the role of ‘pragmatic facilitator‘ for the Taliban’s consolidation. The Taliban’s anti-Western alignment, lack of allies abroad and desperate financial situation have all given #Russia (and China) leverage over the de facto Kabul government. That in turn gives #China and Russia a chance to ensure a development favourable to their regional interests. Indeed, the immediate aftermath of the takeover prompted many to speculate that China and Russia would jump at the opportunity to exploit the country’s mineral #wealth, unencumbered by a Western presence.

https://ridl.io/russia-and-the-taliban-one-year-since-the-takeover/ #women #isis #war #al-qaeda #afghanistan #tashkent #crisis #turkey