The Asian Axis' counterattack against trans-regional allies began.
Author: Abdul Naser Noorzad, security and geopolitics researcher, exclusively for Sangar.
Zamir Kabulov, the special representative of the Russian president for Afghanistan affairs, said in a meeting with Amir Khan Motagi, the foreign minister of the Taliban, that "some countries" are trying to interfere in these processes by creating new mechanisms, fearing the expansion of cooperation between the countries of the region and the Taliban, although the format of bilateral meetings is available to resolve conflicts with Kabul.
A few things are clear in this regard:
First - Russia's position against the terrorist threats caused by the existence of their safe havens in Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban, whose number reaches more than twenty groups, is a fixed position, far-sighted and based on facts. Kabulov's statements can have tactical aspects to prevent further crisis in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Based on the main lines of Russia's foreign and security policy doctrine, which came into effect in 2023, Kabulov's attempt is to prevent a ring of tensions in the Central Asian region, which may be affected by the crisis in Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban, by its insecurity radius;
Second - Russia is trying to force the Taliban to form an inclusive government through diplomacy and consultation with regional partners to represent all the people and the Taliban's opponents are no exception. If this is done, there is no need for extra-regional intervention in the situation of Afghanistan, and this means the defeat of terrorist agendas against the interests of Russia;
Third - If the Taliban do not take into account the warnings of Russia and the Asian axis and continue stubbornly and unanimously to their autocratic rule in Afghanistan, the appropriate options for integration with the region in order to to calm Afghanistan, would be Taliban oppositions which is on the agenda of the Asian axis and choose, the alternative of the Taliban, that is, the opponents of this group and they will be the representative of the region, and this means the end of the Taliban project. The Taliban have now gradually understood this issue and are trying to do things before an unavoidable crisis occurs. But we must keep in mind that in such cases, this group cannot move together and in the same direction. Because different countries are playing the Taliban card, not all of them want stability and peace in Afghanistan and the region. Different countries use tools like the Taliban for their security, political and economic interests. This puts the Taliban in a difficult position;
The Russians know that the US and its allies have a different view of the Taliban in pursuit of the military and security-destroying agendas that this group was supposed to implement in collusion with other terrorist groups, and they try to use pressure tools first and then with providing alternatives to the Taliban to change the situation in their favor. It is for this reason that Robert Wood, who spoke at the special meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Afghanistan on Wednesday, December 20, explicitly asked the Security Council to put pressure on the Taliban because of the group's "destructive change of direction" as he pointed out: "The members of the Security Council must work together to put pressure on the Taliban to change its destructive path. The Taliban must comply with the demands of the Afghan people, end human rights violations, allow aid to those in need, and start dialogue."
What is clear is that the US can no longer adjust its political and security agendas in Afghanistan with a unilateral approach. Because both the reaction of the region to the presence and direct intervention of the United States is strong and the widespread crises in the field of the international system do not allow the United States to do such a thing. The Russians have understood this issue and are trying to resolve the Afghanistan problem before any security measures that lead to more tension in the region, with diplomatic, political tools and meaningful political intervention, and not allow it. The US will take control of the situation again and the crisis of security threats on the interests of Central Asia, Russia and China will increase. The region has become very sensitive to the situation in Afghanistan and wants to take the initiative so that the security agenda against its interests does not have a chance to be implemented. The Russians have jointly taken this position in a political and security alliance with China and Iran. While India and Pakistan have advanced two separate positions and are looking for their own interests.
