Russia Offers to Help Taliban Fight ISIS as It Eyes Natural Resources

Zamir Kabulov, the special Russian presidential representative to Afghanistan, said ISIS ‘is a common enemy for Russia and Afghanistan.’

A Taliban fighter stands guard as women wait to receive food rations distributed by a humanitarian aid group in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 23, 2023. Ebrahim Noroozi/AP

Russia is offering to help Kabul’s de facto Taliban government fight ISIS, as Moscow weighs its opportunities to grow its economic interests in Afghanistan.

Zamir Kabulov, the special Russian presidential representative to Afghanistan, announced the possible partnership in an interview with the Russian state-run news agency Ria Novosti on May 2.