The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Russia called on Western countries
to release Afghanistan’s frozen central bank assets, accusing the United States
and its allies of politicizing humanitarian assistance and worsening the
country’s humanitarian crisis.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said
the assets belong to the Afghan people and should be returned without delay.
“Once again, we demand that the so-called champions of
democracy return the assets belonging to the Afghan people and stop artificially
politicizing the issue of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan,” Zakharova
said.
She accused what Moscow describes as the “collective West”
of using humanitarian aid as a political tool and criticized Western sanctions
imposed on Afghanistan following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Zakharova said the United States and its allies were
attempting to impose Western-style democratic models on Afghanistan through
what she described as ultimatum-based demands while maintaining a sanctions
policy that disproportionately harms ordinary Afghans.
According to Zakharova, the measures have had the greatest
impact on the country’s most vulnerable groups, including children, newborns
and infants.
The United States and other Western governments froze billions
of dollars in Afghan central bank assets after the Taliban seized power in
August 2021. Western officials have said the restrictions are intended to
prevent the Taliban from accessing state funds while continuing to provide
humanitarian assistance through international organizations.
