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KABUL – Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President, has claimed that Western-made weapons supplied to Ukraine have found their way to the Middle East and been sold to the Taliban through illegal markets. Putin asserted that these weapons, once destined for Ukraine, are now accessible to various actors.
During a meeting with members of Russia’s Civic Chamber in Moscow on Friday, President Putin criticized Western nations for providing military support to Ukraine and expressed concern over the illegal sale of these weapons.
In response to these allegations, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, categorically denied Putin’s claims, stating, “We reject this claim; it is not true. Weapons are not brought to Afghanistan, nor are they sent from Afghanistan to any other country. Weapons and equipment that have come into the possession of the Islamic Emirate after our victory are all secure.”
Since Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine in February of the previous year, Western countries have been sending substantial quantities of weaponry, valued in the tens of billions of dollars, to aid Ukraine in its conflict against Russian forces.
While Ukraine maintains tight control over the weapons it receives, some Western security officials have previously raised concerns about these arms ending up on illegal markets.
The United States has urged Ukraine to take more stringent measures to combat corruption within the country.
In the past year, Jürgen Stock, the head of Interpol, cautioned that advanced weaponry sent to Ukraine could potentially fall into the hands of organized crime groups.
A report released in March, focusing on the war in Ukraine and the illicit arms trade, was published by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime. The report indicated that, as of yet, a significant quantity of weapons has not left Ukraine.
However, the report also warned that if these threats are not addressed, Ukraine’s battlefields could potentially become a new source of weaponry for a wide range of actors, from insurgents in Africa to criminals on the streets of Europe.
According to a report from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, eight major Western donors, led by the United States, have pledged to provide Ukraine with at least 84 billion euros in military aid.
Nevertheless, some experts suggest that an investigation should be conducted regarding President Putin’s allegations.
