Saturday, March 29, 2025
Summary:
Russian President Vladimir Putin, before departing India after a two-day visit, delivered an indirect but clear message to Pakistan by openly praising the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan for its actions against terrorism. He stated that the Taliban has taken strong measures to curb terrorism and drug production, which is why Russia decided to formally recognise the Afghan government.
Date: December 06, 2025
Time: 05:51 AM IST
Russian President Vladimir Putin has returned home after completing a two-day official visit to India, during which India and Russia signed several important agreements. The two countries reaffirmed their shared commitment to jointly tackle terrorism, economic challenges, and global security issues. However, as Putin concluded his visit, his remarks on Afghanistan were widely seen as a pointed message to Pakistan, which has repeatedly accused Kabul of supporting terrorism.
Speaking about the situation in Afghanistan, Putin said the Taliban government is actively fighting terrorism and has also made notable progress in eliminating opium production. He emphasized that these steps were the primary reasons behind Russia’s decision to officially recognise the Taliban-led government — making Russia the first country to grant such recognition.
Pakistan has consistently claimed that terrorist activities targeting its territory originate from Afghan soil. In recent months, tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated sharply, with both sides exchanging allegations. Against this backdrop, Putin’s comments were interpreted as a strong diplomatic signal.
According to an India Today report, Putin acknowledged that every country faces internal challenges, and Afghanistan is no exception. He pointed out that the country has suffered decades of civil war, but said that the Taliban now exercises full control over the territory — a political reality that, according to him, the international community must accept. He stressed that the Afghan government has taken “significant steps” to combat terrorism.
Putin further stated that the Taliban administration has imposed a ban on opium cultivation and is confronting the drug menace with determination. “There are many other areas where the Taliban government is doing quite effective work,” the Russian president said, reinforcing Moscow’s stance on engagement with Kabul.
During his visit, President Putin also inaugurated Russia’s official state television network, RT India. Addressing the audience at the launch event, he highlighted the transformation of India’s economy and its growing capabilities as a global partner. Despite these changes, he said, one thing has remained constant: the mutual desire of India and Russia to strengthen friendship and cooperation.
Putin described RT as a transparent source of information aimed at meeting the needs of its audience. He clarified that the channel’s objective is not to promote Russian values, culture, or Moscow’s stance on domestic and foreign affairs, but rather to provide what he termed “truthful information” about Russia and global events.
Referring to comments by RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan regarding bans on the channel in some countries, Putin said such actions were not driven by technical or regulatory reasons but by fear of uncomfortable truths coming to light.
“Russia Today strives to provide its audience with honest information about events taking place in our country and around the world, and that is what makes RT unique,” he said.
Adding a lighter note to his address, Putin recalled Russia’s long-standing cultural connection with India through legendary actor Raj Kapoor. He nostalgically referred to a song written by Russian singer Vladimir Vysotsky about Raj Kapoor, joking about how times have changed.
“Much time has passed since the days of Raj Kapoor. India has changed a lot,” Putin said with a smile, drawing warm reactions from the audience.
