Russia hosted Taliban leaders for talks on regional security as it seeks to forge ties with Afghanistan’s new rulers in the region. Since US forces pulled out of Kabul in August 2021, Russia and China have taken advantage of the vacuum, holding talks with the Taliban despite deep ideological and historical rifts. “For our part, we will continue to develop multifaceted contacts with Afghanistan,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a written greeting to participants of the talks, held in the city of Kazan on Friday.
