Trump ties U.S. aid to Afghanistan to military gear return

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.

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