ANALYSIS
Can Russia help ease tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan?
Russia has close ties with the Taliban and is courting Islamabad, but analysts say its leverage remains uncertain.
![Afghanistan's Taliban government has identified hundreds of new sites to mine gemstones [Mohsin Khan Momand/Al Jazeera]](https://aljazeeranews-mggx1uo47w.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/d6a0ec66-65c7-4f86-808f-c19ba8e681c7-1790670626.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
![A member of Taliban security forces uses a metal detector amid the rubble of a house that was damaged in what the Taliban said was a Pakistani airstrike in Gurbuz district of Khost province, Afghanistan, September 24, 2026 [Reuters]](https://aljazeeranews-mggx1uo47w.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-09-24T092006Z_1498853770_RC2KPNA6I1N1_RTRMADP_3_AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN-1790305246.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
- list 1 of 10Published on 17 Sep 2026
It’s a wrap!
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Published On 17 Sep 2026
