Afghanistan–Russia relations
Afghanistan–Russia relations have a long history dating back to the 19th century’s Great Game between Russia and Britain. Russia was the first to establish formal relations with Afghanistan after 1919, signing a Friendship Treaty in 1921. In the late 1920s the Soviet Union helped Afghanistan and intervened against the Basmachi movement.
After World War II, Afghanistan received substantial Soviet aid and development assistance. In 1978 the two countries signed a 20-year friendship treaty. However, in 1979 the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, a move that caused widespread condemnation and helped fuel years of conflict. The Soviet-backed government collapsed in 1992 after the Soviet withdrawal.
In the 1990s Russia’s stance toward the Taliban cooled, while it supported anti-Taliban forces in different ways over the years. Russia joined international efforts against terrorism and supplied military aid to Afghan forces and the Northern Alliance.
From the mid-2010s, Russia increased its involvement in Afghanistan. It hosted talks with Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and China to discuss peace efforts, opened a cultural center in Kabul, and celebrated the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2019. After the Taliban takeover in 2021, Russia took a pragmatic approach: maintaining contact without immediately recognizing the new regime. In 2022, Russia accredited a Taliban-appointed diplomat in Moscow and pursued trade deals, including petroleum and wheat.
In 2024 and 2025, Russia moved toward closer ties, including discussions about removing the Taliban from the list of terrorists and recognizing the Taliban as Afghanistan’s government. In January 2026, Russia formally accepted Gul Hasan, the Taliban’s ambassador to Moscow, as a fully accredited ambassador. Today, Russia has an embassy in Kabul and a consulate-general in Mazar-e-Sharif; Afghanistan has an embassy in Moscow.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:55 (CET).