Photo: Gage Skidmore

Trump Vows to Reclaim U.S. Military Equipment from Taliban

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday vowed to recover U.S. military equipment left in Afghanistan that is now under Taliban control.

Speaking at a rally on the eve of his inauguration, Trump criticized the Biden administration for what he described as a mishandling of the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“They handed over our military equipment to the enemy,” he stated.

Trump said that the U.S. provides billions in aid to Afghanistan annually, suggesting that this leverage be used to secure the return of American assets.

“If we’re going to pay billions of dollars a year, tell them [the Taliban] we’re not going to give them the money unless they give back our military equipment,” he said.

Reports indicate that approximately $7 billion worth of U.S. military equipment, including vehicles, aircraft, and weaponry, was left behind during the chaotic withdrawal. Much of this has since been displayed by the Taliban, including in a military parade commemorating the third anniversary of their return to power.

Trump, returning to office as the 47th President of the United States, has previously argued that any equipment left behind should have been either retrieved or destroyed to prevent its misuse.