Moscow, Taliban forge military alliance in power grab after US Afghanistan exit: reports

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to discuss China and Russia’s growing weakness, Putin’s failed Beijing pipeline push and why the U.S. should stop aiding China’s AI rise. Russia and the Taliban government in Afghanistan have signed a military cooperation pact, cementing an alliance that further solidifies Moscow’s influence in Central Asia, according to reports. The deal, finalized Wednesday at an international security forum in Russia, followed a meeting between Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu and Afghan Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob. The Taliban Defense Ministry announced on X that Yaqoob had traveled to Russia to attend the conference. Yaqoob is the Taliban’s former military chief and the son of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar. AL QAEDA REMAINS MOST DANGEROUS TERRORIST GROUP 24 YEA