Russia, China and other non-Western powers are making diplomatic overtures to Afghanistan's Taliban-led government as the U.S. continues to stonewall the hardline Islamist group a year after it forcefully seized control of the country.
In the lead-up to the one-year anniversary of the Taliban retaking Afghanistan, Russia and China have publicly displayed their willingness to work with Kabul on its myriad challenges. The U.S. has meanwhile remained committed to its strategy of isolating the Taliban.
President Joe Biden in August 2021 completed a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan as part of a deal negotiated by former President Donald Trump. The forces had been stationed in the country for nearly two decades to prevent a resurgence of the Taliban, who had been toppled by a U.S.-led coalition following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The U.S. has refused to recognize the Taliban government since, amid reports of human rights violations, particularly concerning the freedom and mobility of women. The Biden administration has also refused to unfreeze $3.5 billion of frozen Afghan funds held in the U.S., enraging the Taliban.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Newsweek in an email that "some level of discussion with the Taliban is needed on related practical matters." However, the spokesperson added that the normalization of relations with Kabul saw a setback when the Taliban reversed previous assurances that they would allow girls and women to attend school, work, travel and make other decisions about their lives.
"The Taliban must also first earn legitimacy at home among the Afghan people, which includes respecting the human rights of all Afghans, including women, girls, journalists, and members of minority groups; building an inclusive system that gives the people a voice in their political future; and building an independent and sustainable economy," the spokesperson said.
While no country has formally recognized the Taliban's rule, countries including Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan have kept their embassies open in Kabul.
In April, Russia accepted their ambassadors, according to state-run RIA Novosti.
Russia's U.S. embassy issued a statement last week to its Telegram channel calling on the Biden administration to release the funds it said were needed to address Afghanistan's ongoing humanitarian crisis.
"The population of Afghanistan is experiencing an unprecedented social and economic crisis," the statement said. "Washington's actions are exacerbating the suffering of innocent Afghans and provoking the largest humanitarian catastrophe in the Asian country."
Days later, Russia's state-run TASS news agency reported that Nooruddin Azizi, Afghanistan's interim commerce minister, would travel to Moscow for meetings with Russian government officials and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Beijing has pressed the Taliban to break with Islamist separatist groups that have been operating along China's northwest border with Afghanistan, while also seeking better cooperation between the two countries.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Monday blasted U.S. involvement in Afghanistan during a press briefing.
"A country's path to democracy can only be explored by that country's own population independently in light of their national conditions," he said. "The path to democracy varies from country to country, and will not work if it is imposed from the outside. Forcing the U.S.-style democracy on a country has invariably led to dysfunction and failure of its implementation."
Yue Xiaoyong, a special Chinese envoy for Afghan affairs, last week tweeted glowingly about a meeting with Taliban official Abdul Salam Hanafi, saying they were working on trade that would involve China importing more Afghan pine nuts, saffron, figs and apricots.
Abdul Qahar Balkhi, Taliban foreign ministry spokesman, also described the meeting as productive in a tweet, with Afghanistan's foreign minister thanking China for assistance with a recent earthquake.
The U.S. has continued to maintain a cold shoulder toward the Taliban, abruptly canceling a meeting this spring, according to Reuters. Relations between the two took another blow when Biden announced last month he had ordered a strike killing Ayman al-Zawahiri, leader of the Al-Qaeda terrorist network, despite promises by the Taliban that they would not harbor extremists.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Newsweek in an email that the Taliban "grossly violated" previous agreements by hosting and sheltering al-Zawahiri.
"We are working with our allies and partners to press the Taliban to follow through on their public commitments made to the Afghan people, as well as the international community, before we can proceed with moving toward any kind of significant normalization," the spokesperson said. "We expect the Taliban to follow-through with their commitments on counterterrorism."
Update 08/16/22, 5:04 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and background.
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