Russian Diplomat Says US and Europe Will Not Release Afghanistan's Frozen Assets

Russian diplomat Zamir Kabulov stated that the United States and Europe are refusing to discuss or release Afghanistan's frozen assets and that no change is expected soon.

Kabulov said Russia and the Taliban have called for the release of the reserves, which were frozen after the Taliban takeover in 2021. Reports place the total value at between seven and nine billion dollars, with the majority held in the United States.

One account indicated that the United States transferred 3.5 billion dollars to a Swiss-based Afghan Fund intended to support economic stability without allowing Taliban access, while another 3.5 billion dollars remains subject to claims by families of September 11 victims.

The Afghan Fund is administered by the United States, Switzerland, and former Afghan officials Anwar-ul-Haq Ahadi and Shah Mohammad Mohammadi. The second report noted that the United States and Europe cite the lack of formal recognition for the Taliban administration and concerns over human rights, particularly restrictions on women and girls, as reasons for maintaining the freeze.

Russia has previously raised the issue in meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Moscow Format. The same report stated that Russia has provided four million dollars in humanitarian aid through the United Nations World Food Program.