U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to cut $2.5 billion in annual aid to Afghanistan unless the Taliban returns military equipment left behind during the U.S. withdrawal. The demand raises tensions as humanitarian groups warn of disruptions to aid efforts in the region.
US President Donald Trump has tied Washington’s ongoing financial assistance to Afghanistan to the recovery of military equipment left behind in the country following the US withdrawal.
Speaking on the matter, President Trump highlighted that the US provides $2.5 billion annually in aid to Afghanistan and warned that this assistance would be halted unless the weapons and military gear abandoned during the withdrawal are returned to the United States.
Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, the United States has remained the largest provider of humanitarian aid to the country. According to a Voice of America report, the US has contributed approximately $3 billion in aid by early 2025. This assistance, channeled through the United Nations and various non-governmental organizations, is intended to support the Afghan population.
However, since taking office in January 2025, President Trump’s administration has suspended all foreign aid for 90 days, significantly disrupting aid distribution in Afghanistan. This move has raised immediate concerns among humanitarian groups operating in the region.
President Trump has repeatedly expressed concerns about the military equipment left behind after the US withdrawal, which has since fallen into the hands of the Taliban. This time, he has explicitly linked the continuation of U.S. aid to the return of this equipment.
A 2022 report from the US Department of Defense revealed that military equipment worth $7 billion was abandoned during the withdrawal. Most of this equipment had been provided to the NATO-backed Afghan army but was swiftly seized by the Taliban as they took control of the country. The abandoned assets included 78 aircraft, 40,000 military vehicles, and over 300,000 weapons.
In the final weeks of the chaotic withdrawal after 20 years of war, U.S. forces attempted to dismantle or destroy as much of their equipment as possible—ranging from aircraft to computer systems. However, much of the machinery remained intact and fell into Taliban hands.
According to Jason Campbell, a senior researcher at the RAND Corporation, much of the abandoned equipment has deteriorated or been dismantled over the past four years. Campbell noted that the Taliban views this equipment as state assets rather than negotiable spoils.
The interim Afghan government has yet to respond to President Trump’s latest remarks. However, its spokesperson has previously dismissed Trump’s demands for the return of military equipment, calling them unrealistic.
Musician D4vd has been charged with first-degree murder over the death of a teenage girl whose dismembered remains were found inside a car lin...
Iran accuses the United States of breaching a ceasefire after a commercial ship was seized in the Gulf of Oman, vowing retaliation, as Israel warns...
Hungarian election winner Péter ...
President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan met a senior NATO envoy in Yerevan to discuss expanding cooperation the presidential off...
Residents displaced by Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades have begun returning to their damaged homes, hoping to recover belongings that s...
The Trump Organization, a real estate conglomerate owned by U.S. President Donald Trump and managed by his sons, has announced plans to build Georgia’s tallest building in the capital, Tbilisi. The project will mark the first Trump-branded development in the region.
Iran’s top negotiator has said recent talks with the United States have shown progress, but that major differences remain over nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz, as diplomatic efforts continue alongside escalating regional instability.
Construction of U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project will be allowed to continue after an appeals court granted an administrative stay, temporarily blocking a lower court order that had halted parts of the work.
The U.S. Navy has forcibly intercepted and boarded the Iranian cargo ship TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to breach the ongoing naval blockade. President Trump confirmed that the vessel was neutralised and seized by Marines following a direct strike on its engine room.
Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots have demonstrated improvements in speed, balance and autonomous navigation after completing a half-marathon in Beijing on Sunday (19 April), in a showcase of the country’s fast-developing robotics sector.
The U.S. Navy has forcibly intercepted and boarded the Iranian cargo ship TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to breach the ongoing naval blockade. President Trump confirmed that the vessel was neutralised and seized by Marines following a direct strike on its engine room.
Iran accuses the United States of breaching a ceasefire after a commercial ship was seized in the Gulf of Oman, vowing retaliation, as Israel warns south Lebanon residents to avoid restricted areas.
Progessive Bulgaria, led by pro-Russian Eurosceptic Rumen Radev is on track to form Bulgaria’s next government, after official results showed a runaway victory for the coalition in the Balkan nation's parliamentary elections on Monday (20 April).
Secretly filmed footage from two UK laboratories has reignited debate over animal testing in drug development, after a former worker alleged that monkeys, dogs and other animals endured prolonged distress during safety trials for new medicines.
President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan met a senior NATO envoy in Yerevan to discuss expanding cooperation the presidential office said.
Kyrgyzstan plans to expand its nationwide video surveillance system, with up to 20,000 cameras set to be installed, President Sadyr Zhaparov has announced.
Turkish authorities are mulling new measures to protect children from dangerous online content after the country was shaken last week by two separate school shootings.
Five Central Asian states are launching a $30 million programme to tackle water scarcity and land degradation, as climate pressures and rising demand sharpen risks across the region.
Georgia has been named among a growing number of states accused of targeting critics beyond their borders, according to a new report by Freedom House. The finding raises questions about the country’s recent political trajectory and international standing.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment