RASC News Agency: Michael McCaul, former Chair of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, has issued a scathing condemnation of Russia’s official recognition of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), McCaul described the move as a calculated maneuver by what he called a “dirty alliance” an emerging coalition of authoritarian regimes intent on legitimizing anti-democratic forces around the globe. “This is a transparent attempt by a corrupt alliance to legitimize its authoritarian proxies,” McCaul wrote. “Together with leaders of the free world, I unequivocally condemn this reckless act, which places a stamp of approval on the Taliban’s violent and repressive regime.”
According to McCaul, the Taliban since its return to power in August 2021 has plunged Afghanistan into a humanitarian abyss. The regime has systematically dismantled the rights of women and girls, enforced medieval punishments such as public floggings and executions, stifled dissent through surveillance and torture, and manipulated hostages, including American citizens, as bargaining tools in international negotiations. Despite these atrocities, Russia has become the first permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to officially acknowledge the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government. Earlier this month, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the formal recognition of the Taliban as the “official authority” in Afghanistan a move that isolates Russia diplomatically while emboldening one of the most violent and ideologically regressive regimes in the modern world.
This development comes as the Taliban remains listed as a terrorist organization by the vast majority of the international community including by Islamic-majority nations who refuse to condone the group’s misogynistic and authoritarian policies. Human rights organizations have warned that the Taliban’s rule represents a grave violation of international law, democratic principles, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Political observers interpret Moscow’s decision as a cynical attempt to extend its influence in Central and South Asia, capitalizing on the power vacuum left by the U.S. withdrawal. Analysts suggest that Russia is seeking to cement its geopolitical relevance by backing the Taliban as a tool against rival jihadist groups such as ISIS-Khorasan even if it means aligning itself with a pariah regime that thrives on fear, coercion, and systemic repression.
Critics argue that this move reflects the moral collapse of global diplomacy, where strategic interests now eclipse basic human dignity. For the Taliban, this recognition represents a symbolic victory that could embolden its brutal grip on power. For Afghanistani citizens especially women, minorities, and civil society leaders it may further signal the world’s abandonment. Meanwhile, the Taliban leadership has not responded with reform or inclusion. Instead, it has doubled down on its draconian rule banning education for girls beyond grade six, barring women from public spaces and employment, and continuing the systematic silencing of journalists and dissidents.
In aligning itself with such a regime, Russia may be declaring not just a shift in policy, but a new ideological partnership one rooted not in diplomacy or peace, but in authoritarian solidarity.
