A former senior Taliban official told CBS News that while the move was welcome, "Russia and China can't financially support us the way the Americans did."

Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan on Thursday, according to local media, with the Taliban flag being raised at the Afghan embassy in Moscow.

Russia has formally recognized the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, becoming the first country to do so since the group seized control of Kabul in August 2021. The announcement was made Thursday during a meeting in Kabul between Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Russian Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov.