Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said Moscow was building "pragmatic" and "full-fledged" relations with the Afghan Taliban, "ranging from political and security contacts to trade, economic, and cultural and humanitarian cooperation," The Moscow Times reported on May 14. Shoigu reportedly also encouraged regional countries to take similar steps to expand engagement with Kabul, including via the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

While Russia was the first country to recognize the Afghan Taliban government, reports from international media and local sources suggest Russian-Afghan ties have remained limited and predominantly centered around Russia's security concerns, especially after Afghanistan-linked militants carried out the deadly March 2024 Crocus City Hall attack in Moscow. The limited expansion of its ties with Afghanistan almost certainly stems in part from Russia's prioritization of its war in Ukraine and ties with more strategically significant countries, as well as concerns about Afghanistan-linked security threats to any expansion of Russian activity or ties with Afghanistan.