OREANDA-NEWS  The United States should recognize that the war in Afghanistan ended in their defeat, the Russian Embassy in the United States said to mark the first anniversary of the withdrawal of American troops from the Islamic country.The Embassy emphasized that the US military campaign in Afghanistan "turned into a tragedy for ordinary Afghans".According to the embassy, after a year of US troops' withdrawal, a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Afghanistan.The Russian Embassy in the United States noted that all funds of the Central Bank of Afghanistan that have been frozen by the US should be returned.The Biden administration decided in April to terminate the US presence in Afghanistan after a 20-year occupation at a cost of $2 trillion and the death of more than 2,300 American soldiers.

The American president vowed to complete the withdrawal by the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which led to the infamous US-led War on Terror and invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.The United States withdrew from Afghanistan in the specified time-frame, but did so haphazardly, causing chaos at the Kabul airport, with Afghans desperately attempting to make it out of the country, and 13 American soldiers killed in a bombing perpetrated by a local branch of the Daesh* terror group.As a result, the western coalition left the country by the end of the summer - the last American soldier leaving Afghan territory on 31 August.The Biden administration left behind thousands of US citizens and permanent residents, as well as military equipment worth $85Bln., according to reports.As the Taliban** entered Kabul, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani resigned and fled the country. The Taliban filled the void by creating its own government.

The Biden administration seemed amazed at how quickly the Afghan government fell and was overtaken by the Taliban, having previously assured the public that such swift developments were highly unlikely.The US faced widespread criticism over its execution of the Afghanistan withdrawal.*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia** An organization is under UN sanctions over terrorist activities