India, Russia, China Back Afghanistan Against Trump’s Play for Bagram Air Base: Why US Wants it Back & What’s the Opposition About?

Few weeks after US President Donald Trump expressed his intention to take over Afghanistan’s Bagram air base, India has joined the Taliban, Pakistan, China and Russia to oppose Trump’s move. This comes just few days before the scheduled visit of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi later this week.

Releasing a joint statement, the participants of Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan said on Tuesday, “They (the participants) called unacceptable the attempts by countries to deploy their military infrastructure in Afghanistan and neighboring states, since this does not serve the interests of regional peace and stability.”

The seventh session of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan was held in Moscow and saw the presence of special representatives and senior officials from Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. A delegation from Belarus also attended the meeting as guests.

“For the first time, the Afghan delegation headed by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi participated in the meeting as a member,” the statement read.

Why Trump Wants Bagram Back?

Five years after Trump had signed a deal with the Taliban that led to the US withdrawal from Kabul, he has now demanded that the Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban hand over their Bagram air base to Washington.

While addressing a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, Trump expressed that he wants to bring Afghanistan’s Bagram airbase back under the US control. This base was once the centre of US and NATO operations in Afghanistan and is currently under Taliban control.

He said, “We’re trying to get it back. One of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons. So a lot of things are happening, but I am very disappointed in the fact that that one’s not settled.”

The US President further called the facility “vital” to US national security because of its proximity to western China, where Beijing’s nuclear weapons programmes are based. Earlier, he had called the Biden administration’s pullout from Afghanistan reckless and also claimed that billions of dollars of equipment were abandoned at Bagram. In February this year, he also mentioned that Biden had “given up the base unnecessarily,” insisting there had been a plan to keep a limited US presence there. “This was an incredible strategic asset. We never should have left it,” he said.

Why is Bagram Important?

The strategic air base, Bagram is located about 40 kilometres north of Kabul in Parwan province at an elevation of 1,492 metres. Back in 1950s,it was built by the Soviet Union and since after became one of the most strategically important US facilities in Central and South Asia. The two runways there—11,819 feet and 9,687 feet long—are capable of handling the largest transport and combat aircraft.

While under US control, the air base functioned like a small city, hosting tens of thousands of troops, a 50-bed hospital, Western food outlets and a massive detention centre that held high-value Taliban and al Qaeda prisoners.

According to analysts, quoted by Moneycontrol, its location is close to Iran, Central Asia and China’s Xinjiang province thereby making it ideal for surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Additionally, the Pentagon has reported that China is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, with about 600 operational warheads in 2024 and an expected 1,000 by 2030. Key Chinese facilities, including the Lop Nur test site and new missile silo fields, are in Xinjiang.

How US Withdrew Forces from Bagram

The hub of US operations for nearly two decades after 9/11, Bagram had also hosted the headquarters of the US Air Force’s 455th Air Expeditionary Wing and rotating coalition units. However, the February 2020 Doha Agreement, signed during Trump’s first term, committed the US to withdraw all troops.

On July, 2021 the US forces left Bagram in a night-time operation without informing Afghan allies, thereby cutting the base’s power before departing. Following that, the Afghan army took control but faced immediate looting. By August 15, the Taliban swept into Kabul, freed thousands of prisoners from Bagram’s detention centre and seized the base itself.

Taliban’s Complete Resistance Against US Comeback

The Taliban government has outrightlly rejected the return of US forces to Bagram. Writing a post on X, Taliban Foreign Ministry official Zakir Jalaly said, “Afghanistan and the US need to interact with each other and can have economic and political relations based on mutual respect and common interests. The Afghans have not accepted a military presence in history, and this possibility was completely rejected during the Doha talks and agreement, but the door is open for further interaction.”

Even though, the Taliban has shown some eagerness to engage on humanitarian and political issues, it has drawn a clear red line on foreign troops. Additionally, the group is seeking international recognition and economic relief but continues to battle threats from ISIS, al Qaeda remnants and internal factions.

In addition to that, the US President has hinted that negotiations could still be possible. While suggesting aid or diplomatic concessions to be used as leverage, Trump said, “We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us.”