Overview
- Russia hosted the eighth Moscow Format consultations that brought a Taliban delegation together with officials from Pakistan, India, China, Iran and Central Asian states, but Afghan and Pakistani delegations failed to agree a joint final statement, the talks' hosts said on Monday.
- Moscow publicly praised the Taliban during the meeting, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov congratulating Taliban FM Amir Khan Muttaqi and linking cooperation to counter‑ISIS-K efforts and curbing drug trafficking.
- Russia has moved toward closer security ties with Kabul, including a reported May military-technical agreement between Russian officials and the Taliban’s defence minister, though the full text of that deal has not been published.
- Pakistan was formally represented by Special Representative Mohammad Sadiq and its ambassador to Kabul, but there was no confirmed Sadiq–Muttaqi bilateral meeting and Islamabad renewed accusations that militants use Afghan soil, citing recent cross-border strikes that the UN says have killed civilians.
- An unverified report that the Taliban is buying arms and drones via Belarus with alleged Indian funds remains unconfirmed, and regional states are hedging their positions as the dispute raises risks of further violence and diplomatic strain.