Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Warns West Against Blocking Afghanistan’s Gold Reserves

Russian presidential envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov. Russian Foreign Ministry / TASS

Russia has urged Western countries not to freeze Afghanistan's gold and foreign exchange reserves abroad following the Taliban’s takeover of the country.

In an interview with the state-run Rossiya 24 broadcaster, Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s presidential envoy to Afghanistan, warned that such a move ultimately harms ordinary Afghans.

"If our Western colleagues really care about the fate of the Afghan people, then there is no need to create additional problems for them in the form of freezing the gold and foreign exchange reserves of the Afghan state," Kabulov said

Shortly after the Taliban’s shock takeover of Kabul, the Biden administration froze about $9.5 billion of the Afghan government’s reserves in U.S. banks, including $1.3 billion worth of gold reserves in New York. The International Monetary Fund has also blocked Afghanistan from accessing the lender’s resources. 

In the same interview, Kabulov said that Moscow is actively forging ties with the Taliban as the country considers it important to maintain good relations with any government in power in Afghanistan.

“We have had long-standing relations with [the Taliban], we will continue to forge these ties,” Kabulov said.

Russia has not yet recognized the authority of the Islamist militant group, which is officially considered to be a terrorist organization by Russia and banned within its borders. However, Russia’s leadership has repeatedly said it was open to working with the Taliban, describing its members as “reasonable people.” 

At the same time, top Russian officials including President Vladimir Putin have raised concerns that the instability in Afghanistan might spill over to neighboring countries in Central Asia, a region of strategic importance to Russia.  

On Monday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said around 500 Russian motorized infantry troops carried out drills in the mountains of Tajikistan which neighbors Afghanistan.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more