Russia and the Taliban are FRIENDS now!

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]First enemies, now friends.

[00:00:02]Russia and Afghanistan just proved that there are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests. And Russia seems to be proving it. The same Soviet Union that once fought a brutal 10-year war in Afghanistan has now signed a military partnership with the Taliban. The ideological heirs of the Mujahideen it once battled. After the US withdrawal in 2021, Russia chose engagement over isolation.

[00:00:26]It kept its embassy open, expanded ties, and in 2025 became the first country to formally recognize the Taliban government. But here's the real reason.

[00:00:35]Russia is worried about ISIS-K, the Islamic State's Afghanistan branch, which threatens Central Asia. A region Moscow considers its strategic backyard.

[00:00:46]Since the Taliban is also fighting ISIS-K, Russia now sees them less as enemies [music] and more as a buffer force protecting its southern sphere of influence.

[00:00:55]And this is bigger than Afghanistan.

[00:00:56]>> [music] >> It reflects Russia's wider strategy of building alliances outside the Western bloc, from Iran and North Korea to now the Taliban. So what matters more today?

[00:01:05]Ideology [music] or strategic interests?

[00:01:08]Comment below.