MOSCOW, December 2. /TASS/. The Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) that has seized power in Afghanistan is unlikely to be recognized soon, including by Russia, Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Moscow Said Tayeb Jawad said in an interview with TASS on Thursday.

"Look, they [the Taliban] have not been able to gain recognition by anyone, they have made many promises to their friends, to the international community, to Afghans. They have not delivered their promises, and it does not look like they gonna be recognized soon at least by the countries in the region, including Russia," the ambassador said.

Meanwhile, the ambassador stressed that the takeover by the Taliban came as a surprise both for the former Afghan administration and the international community. "I think the takeover of Taliban was surprising to a lot of people both in Afghanistan but also outside. We did not expect the fall of Kabul so quickly," Jawad said.

After the Biden administration had announced the end of Washington’s 20-year-long military operation in Afghanistan and the launch of its troop pullout, the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) embarked on an offensive against Afghan government forces.

On August 15, Taliban fighters swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance, and gained full control over the Afghan capital within a few hours. Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said he had stepped down to prevent any bloodshed and subsequently fled the country. On September 6, the Taliban declared a complete victory in Afghanistan and on September 7 formed an interim government which hasn’t yet been officially recognized by any country.