Delegates from Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban government gathered in Moscow on Monday for the eighth round of regional consultations, where Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised Kabul’s governance while regional tensions flared between Afghan officials and Pakistan over cross-border militancy.
The eighth meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan brought together representatives from China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan alongside the Afghan delegation, which was led by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Belarus and Egypt were invited as guests.
Welcoming Muttaqi to the Russian capital, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov congratulated the delegation on the fifth anniversary of Afghanistan’s liberation from the NATO contingent
. Lavrov asserted that the powerful military machine of the United States and their NATO allies was broken by the fighting spirit and resilience of the Afghans
, adding that his government considers any deployment of NATO military infrastructure in Afghanistan or neighboring countries to be categorically unacceptable
due to its history of destabilization. In July 2025, Russia became the first country to recognize the Taliban’s administration.
Pakistan Confronts Kabul Over Cross-Border Militancy and TTP Sanctuaries
While Moscow sought to use the platform to bolster its regional influence, the talks laid bare sharp divisions between Islamabad and Kabul. Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, told the assembly that terrorism remained at the core of Afghanistan’s problems, pointing directly to a nexus between the Taliban regime and terrorist groups operating on Afghan soil.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration to dismantle sanctuaries utilized by the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). A recent UN Security Council-mandated monitoring report covering December 16, 2025, to June 9, 2026, noted that continued Afghan Taliban support for the TTP had increased attack lethality while highlighting growing ties among the TTP, Al Qaeda, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
The diplomatic exchange follows a series of border escalations, including Pakistani airstrikes on September 21 in the border region following major attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and an earlier operation launched on February 26 named Operation Ghazab lil Haq.
Taliban Rejects Pakistan Attacks While Russia Praises Kabul
In all the attacks or bombing that Pakistan has carried out, there has been no evidence to date that anyone who was dangerous to them (Pakistan) or anyone else has been killed by them.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, Taliban Foreign Minister
Despite the cross-border friction, Lavrov praised the administration in Kabul for governing successfully and commended its ongoing efforts in combating drug trafficking and suppressing extremist factions such as the Islamic State group. Russian officials emphasized that Moscow’s counterterrorism cooperation with Afghanistan is closely tied to bilateral military-technical collaboration.
Russian Mediation Offers Amid Persistent Regional Tensions
Amid the open disagreement between Islamabad and Kabul, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, told reporters that Moscow stands ready to help end this conflict using all possible means, acting independently or alongside regional partners should both parties request intervention. While the Moscow Format serves as a diplomatic channel for regional stakeholders, the Taliban administration remains largely isolated internationally due to ongoing restrictions on women.