Putin’s Russian roulette in Afghanistan | The Strategist

"However, Islamabad should be wary of Moscow’s military support for the Taliban. In the long-term, a political victory for the Taliban in Afghanistan wouldn’t be good news for Pakistan. A Taliban-dominated government in Kabul would give the Pakistan Taliban (the TTP as it’s called)—a close military and political ally of the Afghan Taliban—a real psychological and military fillip in their fight against Islamabad. Importantly, a Taliban-dominated Afghanistan would give the TTP a safe springboard from which it could launch attacks back into Pakistan.

Similarly, is it really in Moscow’s interest to eventually see the Taliban back in power in Kabul? The return of the Taliban would signal to Moscow’s restive extremists in the Caucasus—Russia’s soft underbelly—that jihad against the established order pays off. In sum, by trying to get even with the West in the short-term, Putin’s playing a very dangerous game, one that may well come back to haunt him in the long-term."