Moscow’s Afghan outreach

RUSSIA’S growing engagement with Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers is reshaping the regional diplomatic landscape. For Pakistan, which has historically maintained close links with Afghan political and religious networks, the development presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The question is not whether Moscow will replace Islamabad as Kabul’s principal interlocutor, but whether Russia’s expanding diplomatic, security and economic engagement will give the Taliban greater room to manoeuvre in their dealings with Pakistan. Russia’s approach towards the Taliban has been gradually shaping up. In…