MOSCOW -- On the morning of Aug. 16, a contingent of Taliban fighters and two armored vehicles equipped with machine guns surrounded the Russian Embassy in Kabul. Their mission: to protect the Russian diplomatic personnel inside.
Russia has not rushed to formally recognize Taliban rule in Afghanistan, but President Vladimir Putin has called for gradually welcoming the group into "the civilized family of nations." © Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP, Reuters and Getty Images
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