Recognizing Afghanistan’s extremist leaders will fuel radicalism
Nearly four years after the Taliban’s reconquest of Afghanistan, Moscow has formally recognized the Taliban regime as the legitimate government of Afghanistan—a move that has been welcomed by China. Moscow’s decision is an invitation for other states in the region, from China to India to Iran, to follow suit in recognizing the Taliban. But it may also backfire on Russia.
While some in the West focus their concerns about the Taliban on matters such as women’s issues and widespread human rights abuses, Afghanistan’s authoritarian neighbors have different priorities. Russia, China, and Iran emphasize their security interests over promoting internal reforms within the country. Their primary concern is preventing extremist violence, terrorism, and refugee flows from spilling across their borders—challenges that they see as more immediate than influencing Afghanistan’s political structure and reshaping its governance. Although they recognize the Taliban’s ties to regional militant groups and the potential threat that this poses, they view recognition of the Taliban regime as a means of containing that threat.