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."

July 4 (UPI) -- Russia has become the first country to formally recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

Russia has become the first nation to recognize the Taliban government of Afghanistan since it took power in 2021, announcing on Thursday it has accepted an ambassador from the Islamist group.

Russia cannot afford to lose the war in Ukraine, China has warned. Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, said Beijing does not want to see a Russian loss because of fears the United States would then shift its focus on to China.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly told the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas on July 3 that the country cannot afford for Russia to lose the war in Ukraine amid fears the U.S. would shift focus towards Beijing,