Moscow, Taliban forge military alliance in power grab after US Afghanistan exit: reports

close Video Gordon Chang- Xi, Putin are ‘two weak states’ threatened by Trump’s America Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to discuss China and Russia’s growing weakness, Putin’s failed Beijing pipeline push and why the U.S. should stop aiding China’s AI rise. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Hören Sie sich diesen Artikel an 4 Min Russia and the Taliban government in Afghanistan have signed a military cooperation pact, cementing an alliance that further solidifies Moscow’s influence in Central Asia, according to reports. The deal, finalized Wednesday at an international security forum in Russia, followed a meeting between Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu and Afghan Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob. The Taliban Defense Ministry announced on X that Yaqoob had traveled to Russia to attend the conference. Yaqoob is the Taliban’s former military chief and the son of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar. al Qaeda REMAINS MOST DANGEROUS TERRORIST GROUP 24 YEARS AFTER 9/11, EXPERT WARNS Russia and the Taliban government in Afghanistan have signed a new military-technical cooperation pact, cementing an alliance that solidifies Moscow’s influence in Central Asia. (Photo by Elke Scholiers / Getty Images) Omar had formed a close alliance with Osama bin Laden and provided a safe haven from which al Qaeda planned the 9/11 terrorist attacks. As of Thursday, neither Russia nor the Afghan side had shared the further details of the new military agreement. "Afghanistan and Russia have long and historical relations. In this direction, we want to move further. We have expanded bilateral relations," Yaqoob said at the meeting. The pact follows statements from a senior Russian security official who noted that Moscow has established a "full-fledged partnership" with Afghanistan's ruling Taliban and is encouraging other countries in the region to expand cooperation with Kabul, Reuters reported. The Taliban had regained power in August 2021, after overthrowing the U.S.-backed Afghan government run by President Ashraf Ghani. In 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the possibility of dropping Russia’s classification of the Taliban as a terrorist organization. FORMER AFGHAN TRANSLATOR WARNS OF STARVATION, HUMANITARIAN CRISIS: 'BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED IN 2001' In 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the possibility of dropping Russia’s classification of the Taliban as a terrorist organization. (Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo/AP, File) In 2024, he called the Taliban "allies in the fight against terrorism" and Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. "After several years of vacillation, Russia has become the first country in the world to officially recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan," Nikita Smagin, an expert on Iranian foreign and domestic policies, Islamism and Russia's policy in the Middle East, said in a report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "It’s more of a symbolic gesture than something driven by trade or economic considerations," Smagin added, describing how when Taliban militants entered the Afghan capital in August 2021, "Russia was already deemed eligible for special treatment." "Its diplomatic mission was immediately provided with security, and Russian Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov became the first foreign diplomat to meet with the new rulers of Afghanistan," he explained. On Wednesday, Shoigu also called for Western countries to unfreeze sanctioned Afghan assets. Afghanistan'S ONLY WOMEN-LED RADIO STATION TO RESUME OPERATIONS AFTER Taliban LIFTS SUSPENSION Russia has become the first country in the world to officially recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan. (Photo by Elke Scholiers / Getty Images) "We are convinced that Western countries should unfreeze blocked Afghan assets, fully recognize their responsibility for their 20-year presence in Afghanistan, and bear the burden of the country's post-conflict reconstruction," Shoigu said, according to reports. "Moscow needs to take steps that will restore its image as an influential power that holds the initiative, and recognition of the Taliban regime serves precisely that purpose," Smagin added. "The status of the first country to establish official diplomatic relations with the Taliban government should ensure Russia has a leading role in discussions of regional security issues." The recognition of the Taliban, he said, was an attempt by Russia to "prove itself as a leading global force that is not afraid to break established norms and set precedents for other countries." Moscow continues to emphasize the need to work directly with Kabul as it faces severe, ongoing security threats from various rival Islamist militant groups operating throughout Central Asia and the Middle East, Reuters said. Shoigu also said Moscow was building a "pragmatic dialogue" with the Taliban that included security, trade, culture and humanitarian support, the outlet reported May 14. Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.