8am: Russians believe that the Taliban group is a more reliable ally than the West in the fight against ISIS. This perception stems from decades of geopolitical competition between Russia and Western countries and a longstanding game initiated by America, using Islamist hardline groups to undermine its global rivals, especially the former Soviet Union. The continuation of this rivalry, even after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, has led to such distrust between the two sides that now Russians consider the Taliban a more trustworthy partner than the West in the “war on terror” and, therefore, seek to engage more with this group. Click here to read more (external link).