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Moscow expects UNAMA mission in Afghanistan to continue under certain conditions: Kabulov
Russia expects the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to continue operating in the country, although its mandate may be extended under certain conditions, according to Zamir Kabulov, the Russian president’s special representative for Afghanistan.
Speaking to Russian newspaper Izvestia, Kabulov said Moscow believes the UN mission’s mandate will be renewed despite growing questions surrounding its activities and effectiveness.
“Yes, of course, the mandate will be extended, but with certain conditions, because there are questions regarding the mission’s activities. We hope all of this will be taken into account,” Kabulov said.
The future of UNAMA has drawn increased attention after the UN Security Council in March extended the mission’s mandate for only three months — until June 17, 2026 — instead of the usual annual renewal, after Washington called for a review of assistance and engagement in the IEA-ruled country.
UNAMA remains the United Nations’ main political and humanitarian mission in Afghanistan. It coordinates international humanitarian assistance, engages with Afghan authorities and regional actors, and monitors issues related to human rights and governance.
The discussion over the mission’s future comes as Afghanistan continues to face a worsening humanitarian crisis. According to the United Nations, millions of Afghans are suffering from food insecurity, unemployment, and declining access to healthcare and basic services.
International aid to Afghanistan has also sharply declined in recent years. UN agencies have repeatedly warned of funding shortages affecting humanitarian operations across the country, while broader geopolitical tensions and regional instability have further complicated aid delivery.
Russia has increasingly expanded contacts with the IEA and has advocated for continued international engagement with Afghanistan to prevent further instability and security threats in the region.
Moscow argues that maintaining working channels with Afghanistan’s current authorities is necessary for addressing humanitarian challenges and countering extremist groups such as Daesh, which Russia considers a major regional security threat.
Kabulov said that Moscow has already received approval from Russian leadership to provide additional humanitarian assistance during the second half of the year if Afghanistan’s government submits an official request.
Russia has already sent nearly 4,000 tons of wheat flour to Afghanistan this year and donated more than 5,200 tons through the UN World Food Programme over the past two years. Kabul has also reportedly asked Moscow to increase wheat exports following recent tensions surrounding Iran.
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Four members of one family killed in Helmand in Pakistan airstrike
The family, originally from Ghazni province, reportedly operated a small restaurant in the area.
Four members of a family were killed and seven others wounded in an airstrike in Safar area of Garmser district in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, according to local reports.
The family, originally from Ghazni province, reportedly operated a small restaurant in the area.
The bodies of those killed and the wounded were transported by helicopter to Ghazni province for burial and medical treatment, according to the reports.
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UNAMA acting chief visits Islam Qala border to assess support for returnees
UN launched a $529 million response plan aimed at assisting around 2.7 million Afghans expected to return from Iran and Pakistan between April and December 2026.
Georgette Gagnon, UNAMA’s acting head, visited western Afghanistan, including the Islam Qala border crossing, to see firsthand UN efforts to support millions of Afghans returning from neighboring Iran and Pakistan.
Earlier this year, the UN launched a $529 million response plan aimed at assisting around 2.7 million Afghans expected to return from Iran and Pakistan between April and December 2026.
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Trump: Unlike Afghanistan, US took all equipment from Iraq
Trump said the withdrawal from Iraq marked the end of what he described as a costly military involvement, adding that he had set a clear mission and instructed commanders to complete it without allowing the US presence to become permanent.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday compared the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq with the 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying military equipment had been left behind in Afghanistan, while US forces leaving Iraq took their equipment with them.
Speaking at a White House event, Trump referred to the final departure of US-led coalition forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq, which marked the end of the US military mission against Daesh in Iraq.
“I said, take a little longer. Take everyone. We left all of the equipment, if you remember, in Afghanistan. Everything was left behind,” Trump said.
“I said, ‘I want every screw taken. If there’s a screw lying on the ground, take it. If we have a canvas tent, take it.’ We took everything,” he added.
He also mentioned the August 2021 attack at Kabul airport that killed 13 US soldiers.
Trump said he had become acquainted with the families of the US service members killed in the attack and also highlighted those who were seriously wounded.
“What happened to those—to their children should never have been allowed to happen,” he said, adding that 48 wounded service members were severely injured and “never get mentioned.”
Trump said the withdrawal from Iraq marked the end of what he described as a costly military involvement, adding that he had set a clear mission and instructed commanders to complete it without allowing the US presence to become permanent.
The US military announced on Wednesday that its forces and equipment had completed an orderly departure from Erbil Air Base, formally ending Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq. The US-led mission began in 2014 to fight Daesh after the group seized large areas of Iraq and Syria. The US is continuing its counter-Daesh mission in Syria from a headquarters in Jordan.
Trump said the US had entered Iraq to fight the Islamic State and that the group no longer controlled a territorial “caliphate.”
“We came to fight a caliphate, and there is no longer a caliphate, so we are going home indeed,” he said.
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