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.

Kabulov, who previously served as a Russian ambassador to Afghanistan, said ISIS remains a shared enemy.

“We see and appreciate the efforts that the Taliban are making in the fight against the Afghan wing of ISIS,” Kabulov said.

“This group is a common enemy for Russia and Afghanistan, and we will provide all possible assistance to the authorities of this country through specialized structures.”

Since the collapse of the U.S.-backed Afghan government in the summer of 2021, the Taliban has worked to solidify its claim to power.

In the process, Taliban forces have routinely clashed with the Afghan offshoot of ISIS, known as ISIS-Khorasan or ISIS-K.

ISIS has also claimed responsibility for attacks within Russia, including the March 2024 attack on the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, in which gunmen fired into crowds of concertgoers and set off incendiary devices, killing 145 and wounding hundreds more.

The Kremlin raised allegations of Ukrainian links to the Crocus City Hall attack, but has since stepped up calls for cooperation with Kabul to fight ISIS.

Moscow had previously included the Taliban on its terrorist group list, but removed the designation last month, paving the way for even closer cooperation.

In an April 17 statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said this change “opens the way to the establishment of a full-fledged partnership with Kabul in the interests of Russian and Afghan peoples.”

When asked whether Moscow is prepared to fully recognize the Taliban government in Kabul, Kabulov said, “Cooperation between Moscow and Kabul continues de facto.”

He also said the decision to remove the Taliban from Russia’s list of prohibited terror groups removes a final obstacle for a full-scale normalization of relations between Russia and Afghanistan.

When asked about opportunities for Russia to expand fuel exports to Afghanistan, Kabulov said this matter and other Afghan–Russian business ties will be a major focus at the Russia–Islamic World Kazan Forum later this month.

Russia could also potentially stand to gain from access to Afghanistan’s deposits of rare earth metals and other mineral resources.

“There are hydrocarbons, as well as deposits of precious stones and rare earth metals,” Kubalov said.

“However, it is too early to talk about the prospects for developing specific deposits; we should wait for the results of geological surveys.

“We should not forget that lithium mining requires large volumes of water, which is not very abundant in Afghanistan.”