Three Russian security visits to three regional capitals last week deserve attention, particularly from Pakistan. On October 14, Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev held crucial talks with Pakistan's civilian and military leadership in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The same day, Sergei Naryshkin, director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, was in Kabul for talks with Taliban intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq. In New Delhi, Aleksandr Venediktov, deputy secretary of Russia's Security Council, co-chaired security talks with Indian Deputy National Security Adviser Pavan Kapoor.

The timing is difficult to ignore. Russia is a major power with deep historical connections across the region. India remains its longstanding strategic partner. Pakistan was on the opposite side during the Cold War, while Afghanistan carries its own complicated history for Moscow. What makes the latest diplomatic activity significant is that it comes as Indo-Pak tensions remain high and relations between Islamabad and Kabul have........

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