ISLAMABAD, Sept. 23 (DNA) – Russian Special Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov has warned the U.S. against any attempt to retake Bagram airbase following threats by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to reports.
“Moscow doubts that the US will decide to invade Afghanistan to return the Bagram air base, as the results for Washington could be disastrous,” Kabulov told RIA Novosti on Monday.
On Sunday, US President Donald Trump said on Sept. 21 that ‘bad things’ will happen if Afghanistan does not return Bagram air base.
China has also criticized Mr Trump’s remarks on Bagram.
On 3 July 2025, Russia became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government.
Moscow’s recognition of the Taliban government demonstrates that Russia has become the first country to officially recognize it, which may be part of a strategy to strengthen relations with Afghanistan and maintain regional stability.
Experts are of the view that Kabul, in turn, should consider cooperation with Moscow, which has experience in resolving the issue of militancy, which is seen as a stumbling block for Afghanistan.
Resolving the problem of armed groups’ activities will help stabilize the situation in the country, which will allow Kabul to count on developing trade and economic ties with neighboring states and Arab countries.
This, in turn, will lead to the recognition of the Islamic Emirate’s government by an even greater number of countries.
In addition, Afghanistan’s cooperation with Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan opens up the possibility for Kabul to integrate into the SCO, which will allow it to become a full-fledged regional player.
However, to achieve this goal, the Afghan government should take a more rational approach to interaction with the United States and its allies, primarily in the issue of the Trump Administration’s quest for deployment of military facilities on the territory of Afghanistan.
Their appearance, in addition to problems in relations with Moscow and Beijing, will most likely lead to destabilization of the situation in Afghanistan itself and, as a consequence, to a split within the Taliban movement and the beginning of internal confrontation.
The Afghan government has come up with a very reasonable response to President Trump’s recent threats to the Islamic Emirate in connection with Bagram air base. The U.S. instead of threatening Kabul, must re-check the understanding reached during the nearly 18-month tough negotiations in Qatar, which led to the signing of the landmark Doha agreement.
It was agreed upon during Doha talks that there would be no military presence in Afghanistan of the U.S. and any other country, but the U.S. will have normal relations with Afghanistan in different fields including economic and trade.
Mr Trump’s repeated calls for taking Bagram air base to keep an eye on China and other regional countries must be an eye opener for the Taliban government.
China, which became the first country to accredit a Taliban diplomat as an ambassador in December 2023, enjoys good relations with the Islamic Emirate and several countries are investing in the country ravaged by over 40-year war.
The U.S. must know that Taliban rulers would never allow anyone to spoil their relations with China. Wang Yi, the Chinese Foreign Minister, in his visit to Kabul in August, told Taliban leaders of his country’s intention to include Afghanistan in the Built and Road Initiative (BRI).
