KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Russia continues to view Afghanistan under Taliban control as a major threat to regional security, despite removing the Taliban from its terrorist list.
As reported by the Russian state news agency TASS, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said at a CSTO defense ministers’ meeting that Afghanistan remains a key source of instability in Central Asia.
According to the report, the Russian defense chief warned that more than 20 radical armed groups and over 15,000 militants are currently operating in Afghanistan.
He added that these groups pose the greatest threat to regional security, and that broader instability in the Middle East is also worsening the situation.
The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan has raised fears among neighboring countries, especially CSTO members and Pakistan. Terrorist groups such as IS-KP, Al-Qaeda, the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), and Jamaat Ansarullah are seen as major threats that could destabilize the region and wider world.
The UN Security Council and several countries have repeatedly called on the Taliban to take stronger action against these groups and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for extremists.
Despite these concerns, Russia has expanded ties with the Taliban and officially removed it from its terrorist list after over 20 years. The country has also invited Taliban representatives to key economic and security events, including the ongoing 13th Moscow International Security Meeting.
The Taliban denies the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and insists the country poses no threat to others. They argue that neighboring states should focus on their own security issues rather than blaming Afghanistan.
