'Not An Enemy' Any More: Why Russia Is Courting The Taliban

Central Asia expert Arkady Dubnov said Moscow would now look to strengthen its military presence in the region.

While many countries are scrambling to empty their embassies and remove their staff from Afghanistan, Russia is staying put -- it has long prepared for the arrival of the Taliban in Kabul. Despite the hardline Islamist group tracing its origins back to the war against the Soviets in the 1980s, Russia's view on the group now is pragmatic. Analysts say the Kremlin wants to protect its interests in Central Asia, where it has several military bases, and is keen to avoid instability and potential terrorism spreading through a region on its doorstep. A Russian foreign ministry statement Monday said the situation in Kabul "is stabilising" and claimed that the Taliban had started to "restore public order".