Russia has officially taken the Taliban off its list of designated terrorist organizations, a legal step following years of pragmatic relations with the Afghan militant group.
Although the Taliban has been classified as a terrorist entity in Russia since 2003, experts note that the Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday does not signify a formal acknowledgment of the Taliban’s governance. However, it illustrates Moscow’s ongoing pivot towards new regional partnerships following the strain in relations with traditional allies due to its invasion of Ukraine.
Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021 amid the chaotic pullout of U.S. and NATO forces, Moscow has moved to establish more normal interactions with the group.
“Russia has maintained a degree of cooperation with the Taliban, even while they were officially labeled as a terrorist organization,” noted Ruslan Suleymanov, a Central Asian and Islamist movements expert, in an interview with The Moscow Times.
“This relationship with the Taliban and similar Islamist entities has become a facet of Russia’s state policy and messaging in its confrontation with the West. With the Taliban representing a clear challenge to Western influence, it is significant for Russia to express solidarity with such movements globally,” Suleymanov remarked.
Delegations from the Taliban participated in Russia’s prominent St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in both 2022 and 2024. Additionally, the Taliban’s chief diplomat held discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow last year.
“A long time has passed as we’ve been working towards this decision,” a Russian official, who chose to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the topic, told The Moscow Times.
“The question now lies in how synchronized this action is with our partners and allies,” he added, alluding to Russia’s regional allies in Central Asia. “We will observe our partners’ responses, as it will serve as a litmus test for our relationships.”
Political analyst and Central Asia specialist Arkady Dubnov described the recent action as “anticipated and politically advantageous.”
“Choosing not to classify the Taliban as terrorists does not equate to offering them political legitimacy,” he expressed on the Telegram messaging platform.
“It is vital to encourage the Taliban through economic and practical strategies — a process that will unfold over many years. Time moves slowly in the East. Yet, Afghanistan is an integral part of Central Asia,” he argued, stressing that Russia’s interests in the region necessitate collaboration with Kabul.
One significant area of collaboration is in security matters.
On Thursday, Russia conveyed appreciation to the Taliban for “the military actions carried out by the authorities,” as both Moscow and the Taliban have been striving to combat the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), a group responsible for numerous deadly attacks in both Afghanistan and Russia, including the concert hall tragedy in Moscow in March 2024 that resulted in 145 fatalities.
The Taliban welcomed the lifting of the ban on its activities in Russia, expressing that Moscow and Kabul are destined to forge robust economic and diplomatic relations going forward.
Despite the strengthening ties, the Taliban had been legally recognized as a terrorist organization in Russia for almost twenty years – a designation that carried significant ramifications.
From 2016 to 2025, at least 37 individuals in Russia faced criminal or administrative charges for purported connections to the Taliban, according to the independent news source Vyorstka.
Out of these, approximately 20 individuals received penalties for displaying Taliban symbols on social media or messaging platforms, facing fines or short administrative detentions. A notable leniency was shown in the case of acclaimed journalist Nadezhda Kevorkova, who was fined after being convicted for “justifying terrorism” through two social media posts mentioning the Taliban.
At least nine others were found guilty under criminal charges for advocating or inciting terrorism, with sentences reaching up to 12.5 years in a high-security penal institution, according to Vyorstka.
Following the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has added numerous prominent opposition figures to its list of “extremists and terrorists,” a classification that imposes significant restrictions on their right to engage in various professions, run for public office, establish media outlets, and access financial resources.
“I, along with my colleagues from the Anti-Corruption Foundation, Leonid Volkov’s father, and many other good people, have been classified as terrorists,” stated Ivan Zhdanov, an exiled associate of the late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
“I can’t help but wonder, if we all join the Taliban, will we again be designated as such?” Zhdanov, who was added to the extremist and terrorist list in 2022, queried.
Recently, four independent journalists received sentences of 5.5 years in prison for suspected connections to Navalny’s organizations, which Russia has labeled as “extremist.”
The decision to lift the Taliban ban could serve as a strategic maneuver for Moscow, potentially allowing it to engage with the authorities in Afghanistan and gain leverage with regional partners and the new U.S. administration.
According to political analyst Andrei Serenko, the implications of Russia’s rehabilitation of the Taliban remain uncertain.
“Will Moscow attempt to rekindle efforts to establish a regional consensus on Afghanistan — collaborating with Iran, China, and others — in reaction to forthcoming U.S. initiatives? Or will the Kremlin take a bold step and, amidst the rising speculation of a potential reset in U.S.-Russia relations, opt to engage with Afghanistan alongside the Trump administration?” Serenko inquired in comments to Russian media.
