Trump demands Taliban return $7B in U.S. military gear

A report issued in 2022 by the U.S. Department of Defense indicated that upon withdrawing from Afghanistan, American troops left behind military equipment valued at approximately $7 billion.

The equipment list included aircraft, air-to-ground missiles, military vehicles, and communication devices. Some of this equipment was "demilitarized" (intentionally damaged), but a significant portion remains fully operational and under Taliban control.

"If we are to pay billions of dollars annually, tell them that we will not give them that money until they return our military equipment," said Donald Trump at a rally in Washington on the eve of his presidential inauguration.

The Defence Express portal highlights The Military Balance 2021 report, which indicates that in Afghanistan there were about 200 M113 tracked armored personnel carriers, 200 MaxxPro armored vehicles, about 600 MSFV armored vehicles, and several dozen M114 howitzers with a caliber of 6 inches.

At the same time, according to analysts from Oryx, since November 2022, the Taliban have managed to return several flying units to service. They have identified 10 MD 530F light attack helicopters, six UH-60 Black Hawk multi-role helicopters, and four C-208 airplanes.

In mid-2022, reports emerged about Mi-17 helicopters that took part in battles in Afghanistan and are now serving in Ukraine. Their transfer to Ukraine, which is repelling Russian aggression, was possible because, at the time of the American troops' evacuation, several Mi-17 helicopters (originally purchased for Afghanistan) were outside the country.

Despite the withdrawal of troops, the United States remains Afghanistan's largest donor, contributing billions of dollars for humanitarian aid.