KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban have rejected calls from U.S. officials to return military equipment left behind during the 2021 withdrawal, saying the assets now belong to Afghanistan.
Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry, told CBS News that the remaining U.S. military hardware is “Afghan property” and would not be returned. His comments came amid renewed scrutiny in Washington over the fate of the estimated $80 billion worth of U.S. equipment left in the country.
In the interview, Balkhi also rejected a reported proposal by President Donald Trump to consider unfreezing Afghanistan’s central bank assets in exchange for returning U.S. equipment. He criticized the asset freeze as unjust and counterproductive.
“The military equipment belongs to Afghanistan,” Balkhi said. “We are not considering returning it under any condition.”
Balkhi emphasized that the Taliban remain open to economic engagement and diplomatic dialogue with the United States. “We seek to open a new chapter with everyone, including the United States,” he said. “Our doors are open for business.”
President Trump has repeatedly criticized the Biden administration for what he calls a “catastrophic” withdrawal, claiming that the U.S. handed over billions in advanced weaponry to the Taliban. During a recent press conference at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Vice President J.D. Vance called the Taliban “one of the worst terrorist organizations in the world” and blamed the withdrawal for endangering global security.
While Trump has floated the idea of reclaiming U.S. equipment or even returning to the Bagram Air Base, analysts view such rhetoric as largely symbolic, intended to signal a tougher stance on Afghanistan rather than a concrete policy shift.
The Taliban, for their part, have expressed interest in normalizing relations with Washington, particularly in the economic domain — but officials have offered no indication that they would comply with U.S. demands regarding military assets.
