Former US President and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was triggered by the perceived incompetence of US leadership following the chaotic withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. Trump made these remarks during a televised debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, organized by ABC News in Philadelphia.
According to Trump, the Afghanistan withdrawal represented “the most shameful moment in US history” and emboldened Russia to launch its military offensive against Ukraine. He argued that Russian leaders saw the “ineptitude” of both Harris and President Joe Biden, leading them to believe they could act without significant resistance. Trump also criticized the Biden administration for not upholding the agreements he had negotiated during his time in office. He asserted that he would have handled the withdrawal more efficiently, avoiding casualties and the loss of $85 billion in advanced military equipment left behind in Afghanistan.
In defense, Harris supported Biden's decision to end the US presence in Afghanistan, highlighting the financial burden lifted from American taxpayers, who were spending $300 million a day on the war. She also pointed out that no US soldiers are now engaged in combat zones. Additionally, Harris accused Trump of striking a “weak deal” with the Taliban regarding the terms of the troop withdrawal.
President Biden had announced on April 14, 2021, that the US would conclude its nearly 20-year military operation in Afghanistan, which began in October 2001. At its height, between 2010 and 2013, more than 150,000 Western troops were deployed in the country. US forces began their withdrawal in May 2021, but as they left, the Taliban (banned in Russia) launched a large-scale offensive. By September 2021, US troops had fully exited, and the Taliban seized Kabul on August 15, 2021, after the Afghan president fled the country.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS