The Taliban in Afghanistan have started a diplomatic push to break out of their isolation, as major regional and international powers show growing willingness to engage more closely with the repressive regime, despite its systematic human rights abuses.
Five years after the Taliban regained power, more and more countries are renewing ties or stepping up diplomatic contacts with the hardline Islamist group, which took control of Kabul in 2021 following two decades of brutal insurgent warfare.
Campaigners worry that these individual contacts by different countries could weaken the push for “coherent, consistent” demands that any diplomatic concessions be tied to real improvements in human rights.
The United Nations has described a recent “cascade of [Taliban] edicts and laws” that have banned women from universities and most jobs, denied teenage girls an education, and imposed strict dress codes. Minorities have faced persecution, while activists and journalists are repressed. Afghanistan has become a “graveyard for human rights,” the UN said in March.
India, Qatar, China, Iran, and several Central Asian states have all recently welcomed Taliban officials or opened new communication channels. Russia, which formally recognized the Taliban government in Kabul just over a year ago, signed a military cooperation agreement last month. In June, the European Union held talks with Taliban officials in Brussels about returning failed asylum-seekers to Afghanistan. Individual European countries have also deepened their own contacts with Kabul.
“There is no doubt there has been an evolution. The Islamic emirate is now in a confident position. They have realized they are indispensable for regional countries right now and even with Europe and the US they have identified how to engage,” said Shivam Shekhawat, at the Observer Research Foundation in Delhi.
“The Taliban see any kind of contact as a diplomatic win and they have been able to capitalize on that as a sign granting legitimacy to the regime.”
A strict policy of isolation imposed after the Taliban seized power in 2021, which avoided formal or “de facto” recognition, is now breaking down. Some Western commentators have suggested more countries should recognize the regime. Others want intensified “back channel” engagement.
“We are not against any engagement … There is a need for engagement even if just for aid agencies to mitigate the ongoing humanitarian crisis, but we are worried about the end goal of these contacts and the discussions that are taking place,” said Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch.
“There should be a consistent and coherent message from the international community to the Taliban that they will not have any friends if they do not show real progress in terms of the women’s rights and human rights situation … and that is not happening.”
The new contacts stem from a mix of regional security concerns, pressure in the West to reduce illegal immigration, and a general recognition that the Taliban are unlikely to be forced from power anytime soon.
The European Commission downplayed its discussions in Brussels with a Taliban delegation, the first such formal encounter since 2021, as merely “technical” and focused on returns, but a Taliban spokesperson claimed it was a historic visit that was a step towards regularizing consular relations with EU countries.
The meeting prompted outrage.
“You cannot condemn Taliban abuses in one breath and then announce talks on immigration in the next … The Taliban are telling their constituency back home that they are now accepted by the international community,” said Abbasi.This year, officials from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan have all visited Kabul or other Afghan cities, looking to secure trade routes and pipeline deals that would give their landlocked countries access to seaports or other nations beyond.
India has also moved to strengthen ties that turned cold after Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021, partly to take advantage of new friction between the movement and its longtime backers, Pakistan. Last year, New Delhi secured a sanctions waiver so that Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister and a veteran figure who has been central to the movement for decades, could travel there. In June, India’s UN envoy suggested it was time to rethink sanctions—such as travel bans, asset freezes, and arms embargoes—that target dozens of Taliban members. “The political reality of Afghanistan has changed in the last five years, and the current UN sanctions regime must take that into account,” said Harish Parvathaneni.
Afghan authorities have also used diplomacy by hosting foreign envoys in Kabul, including representatives from China, Japan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. Last year, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, made the first visit by an Iranian foreign minister to Kabul in nearly a decade. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan “seeks relations with all countries,” said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, though “the countries of the region and our neighboring states have particular importance, because our economic ties and interests are closely linked.”
Anna Borshchevskaya, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute who focuses on Russia’s policy toward the Middle East, said Moscow has several reasons for recognizing the Taliban regime and seeking closer ties. “One likely objective is simply having allies… Afghanistan is also very significant for Russia geographically, and Russia just wants influence in that part of the world. There was an opening, and they were able to take it,” she said. “It’s a very cold, cynical calculation. It’s part of a very simple zero-sum view that for Russia to win, the US has to lose. From the Kremlin’s perspective, this is a global battle, and whether you’re looking at Europe or Afghanistan or anywhere else, it’s one geopolitical chessboard.”
Britain has said it follows a policy of “limited and pragmatic” engagement with Taliban officials, mainly through the UK Mission to Afghanistan based at the British embassy in Qatar. Other Western countries have also held quiet meetings with the Taliban in Qatar. In Germany and at least four other Western European capitals, key consulates are now run by the Taliban, not by representatives of the former Afghan government.
Taliban officials have also pushed for cross-border infrastructure projects to boost the country’s fragile economy and diplomatic standing. Natural resources are another draw for foreign powers. Kabul has expanded its mining sector, attracting companies from neighboring China and elsewhere. China, which is concerned about Islamic militancy on and around its southwestern borders, has welcomed Taliban officials in recent years and hosted talks when Afghanistan and Pakistan went to war earlier this year.
The Taliban are divided, with deep disagreements over issues like the ban on women’s education, but the most conservative factions still dominate. Recent laws have further tightened repression, labeling many religious minorities—including Shia Muslims—as heretics and imposing harsh punishments to silence dissent. Other new laws recognize only “excessive” beating as domestic violence against women and make it easier for young girls to be married.without their consent. Analysts do not think the Taliban are likely to soften their stance anytime soon, pointing to the continued influence of Hibatullah Akhundzada, their reclusive and authoritarian clerical leader. Ramin Mansoori, a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh and the Carnegie Endowment who studies Afghan politics, said the Taliban’s main focus is on their domestic agenda.
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Afghanistan’s foreign minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, faced criticism for barring female journalists from his press conference during a visit to India. Photograph: Elke Scholiers/Getty Images
“They are not going to make any major compromises. Most of them lack an international outlook,” Mansoori said.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of frequently asked questions about the growing international engagement with the Taliban written in a natural and clear tone
General Background Questions
1 What does international engagement with the Taliban actually mean
It means that foreign governments and international organizations are holding official meetings talks or diplomatic dialogues with the Taliban government It can also include providing aid funding projects or signing trade deals with them
2 Why are countries talking to the Taliban if they dont officially recognize them
Most countries dont formally recognize the Taliban as Afghanistans legitimate government However they still talk to them out of pragmatic necessity They need to deal with the Taliban to manage border security prevent terrorist groups from using Afghan soil deliver humanitarian aid to starving civilians and handle the issue of Afghan refugees
3 Who are the main countries currently engaging with the Taliban
China Russia and Pakistan have been the most active in economic and security talks The United States and European nations have also had direct meetings but mainly focused on counterterrorism and humanitarian access rather than political legitimacy
4 Is engagement the same as legitimizing the Taliban
No Engagement is a tool not an endorsement Countries argue that cutting off all contact would be a bigger mistake leaving Afghanistan isolated and potentially making the country a haven for global terrorists They stress that talking to the Taliban doesnt mean they approve of their human rights record or governance
Concerns Risks
5 What is the biggest concern about this growing engagement
The biggest fear is that engagement will be seen as rewarding the Taliban Critics worry that by giving them legitimacy and aid the international community is silently accepting their oppressive policiesespecially the ban on girls education and womens right to workand abandoning the Afghan people
6 Could this engagement lead to Afghanistan becoming a terrorist safe haven again
This is a major worry While the Taliban have broken ties with AlQaeda security experts are concerned that other groups like ISISK are still active Theres a risk that if the Taliban get international support without making security guarantees they might not have the incentive to crack down on militant factions
7 How does this affect the human rights situation in Afghanistan
Many human rights groups believe that engagement without strict conditions emboldens the
