Russia has signed a military cooperation agreement with Afghanistan’s Taliban. The move could boost India’s engagement space. At the same time, it raises questions about any potential impact on the Ukraine war.
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A year after becoming the first country to recognise the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan, Russia has reportedly signed a military cooperation agreement with Kabul. The two sides signed the Military-Technical Cooperation Agreement at the inaugural International Security Forum hosted by Russia’s Security Council in Moscow.
According to a Politico report, the agreement was signed earlier this week during a meeting between Afghanistan’s Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqoub and Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu. However, exact details of the agreement are still under wraps.
“Interaction with Russia is important for us. Afghanistan and Russia have long-standing and historic relations, and we want to move forward in this direction. Russia is an important country in our region and throughout the world,” Afghan minister Yaqoub said.
Meanwhile, Russia also called for the unfreezing of the assets. “We are convinced that Western countries should unfreeze blocked Afghan assets, fully recognise their responsibility for their 20-year presence in Afghanistan, and bear the burden of the country’s post-conflict reconstruction,” said Shoigu, considered an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia-Taliban Pact – What It Means For India
As the two countries now sign a formal military pact, the closeness could present an advantage to India, which has been deepening its engagement with the Taliban over the years. Notably, Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi had visited India last year.
During the visit, India announced that it will upgrade its technical mission in the Afghan capital Kabul to an embassy. “India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan. Closer cooperation between us contributes to your national development, as well as regional stability and resilience. To enhance that, I am pleased to announce today the upgrading of India’s Technical Mission in Kabul to the status of Embassy of India,” said Jaishankar in his bilateral meeting.
A Russia-backed Taliban regime could give India more room to engage with Kabul without formal recognition, while also limiting Pakistan and China’s influence in Afghanistan.
Will Taliban Fighters Support Russia in Ukraine?
Meanwhile, many are worried if the Taliban will also send its fighters to Ukraine, just like North Korea. “Russia cannot expect any significant help from the Taliban – in terms of weapons or troops. In the absence of any detail on the agreement terms, it is actually hard to say what Russia can get from Afghanistan,” Aleksei Zakhrov, a fellow at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation think tank, told The Independent.
“The Taliban is currently struggling with rising instability in Afghan northern provinces and cannot fully protect the southern border with Pakistan. For this reason, Russia’s aid with repair of military equipment or supplies of some outdated weapons would be quite timely. However, Russia would be unlikely to share sophisticated technologies due to proliferation risks,” Zakhrov told the newspaper.
When Russia Became The First Country To Recognise Taliban
In July 2025, Russia became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban’s government in Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021, after Moscow removed the group from its list of outlawed organisations.
