Publication

This edition considers the impact of the US withdrawal from, and the Taliban’s return to power in, Afghanistan. Firstly, Richard Weitz outlines that although the Russian government’s concern about the Taliban’s support of terrorism has declined, it retains doubts about whether extreme groups can be constrained. Secondly, Stephen Aris argues that the value of the politico-​security support that Moscow offers to the incumbent regimes in Central Asia has risen due to recent developments in Afghanistan. Thirdly, Vassily Klimentov posits that the danger of militant Islamism spreading to Central Asia from Afghanistan remains limited, because radical armed groups have been weakened.