Afghanistan Doubles Fuel Imports from Russia

The Taliban government in Afghanistan has doubled its purchases of Russian liquefied petroleum gas from January to November, according to sector data, as Russia redirects supplies away from Europe amid the political fallout from the conflict in Ukraine. While Russia has not officially recognized the Taliban as a legitimate authority in Afghanistan, it was among the first countries to make contacts and strike trade deals with them after they returned to power in 2021. Last year, Afghanistan and Russia signed an agreement for the supply of gasoline, diesel, gas, and wheat after Moscow offered the Taliban government a discount on the average global prices of goods. This was the first known major international economic deal made by the Taliban since their return to power. According to sector data, Russian liquefied petroleum gas supplies to Afghanistan via rail from January to November exceeded 176,000 tons, more than double the shipments recorded during the same period in 2022. Additionally, total Russian liquefied petroleum gas exports to Central Asia doubled in the first 11 months of the year to 390,100 tons. Western sanctions have not affected Russian liquefied petroleum gas exports, unlike oil exports, as Moscow has redirected its supplies away from Europe to regions including Central Asia.