AVA - No evidence Russia turning to IEA for arms

It has no evidence to support reports claiming that Moscow has asked the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to provide them with arms left behind by foreign forces in the country.The White House said.

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA)_Monitoring, John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications for the US National Security Council told VOA that he can’t confirm the reports but “if it’s true, it certainly would fly in the face of what the IslamicEmirate(IEA) say their goals are,” he added, pointing to the IEA’s desire to be recognized internationally as the legitimate government in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon said in a report last year that the US left behind more than $7 billion worth of American military equipment.

This includes aircraft, vehicles, munitions, guns, communication equipment and other gear.

“We don’t have any indication of exactly where all those systems are, how they’re being used,” Kirby said. “Certainly, we don’t have any indications that the Islamic Emirate is willing to export them.”

IEA denies that it is providing Russia with weapons.

“This report is a lie,” Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesman for the IEA’s foreign ministry, told VOA.

This comes after Russia recently turned to other nations, including Iran and North Korea, to help provide it with military hardware – almost a year into its invasion of Ukraine.