Russia and Taliban Sign Military Cooperation Agreement

Russia and Afghanistan's Taliban government signed a military cooperation agreement on May 27. The deal was signed by Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia's Security Council, and the Taliban's defense minister, Mohammad Yaqub, during a security forum outside Moscow. Russian media reported the signing. Neither side has released the text of the agreement or provided details on its scope.

Experts said any cooperation is likely to center on training, maintenance, intelligence coordination, and security issues rather than large-scale weapons transfers. Both sides share concerns about Islamic State Khorasan, which has emerged as a security threat across Afghanistan and the broader region.

Military-technical cooperation agreements can cover a wide range of activities. Without the released text, it remains unclear whether the deal marks a substantive shift or serves mainly as a political gesture.