Putin: No rush in officially recognizing Taliban’s rule

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin says there must be no rush in officially recognizing the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan, but has stressed the need to engage in talks with them. During a video call Friday with leaders of other ex-Soviet nations, Putin said the new Afghan government formed by the Taliban “regrettably doesn’t reflect the entire spectrum of Afghan society,” and noted that “we shouldn’t hurry with the official recognition of the Taliban.” At the same time, he emphasized that “we understand that we need to interact with them.” He mentioned Moscow’s intention to host another round of talks between Afghan parties next week.