Mr. Karzai was asked several times whether he really wanted the teams to be wound up so quickly. “Yes,” he said.

The German foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, speaking on the same panel with Mr. Karzai, said the international community was right to ask questions about whether international money was reaching the intended recipients.

“We can only justify our engagement, which costs our German taxpayers and other taxpayers of the alliance enormous amounts of money, if we know and can be assured that this is something that is really for the people,” Mr. Westerwelle said.

Admiral Stavridis, who oversees the operations of the 143,000-strong NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, was quick to counter Mr. Karzai’s claims, saying the reconstruction teams posed no challenge to the central government. He said there was no doubt that they would be phased out as the United States looks to begin withdrawing its 98,000 troops this summer, and as the Afghan Army and security forces take control throughout the country.

“We are in a dialogue of transition,” Admiral Stavridis said.

Mr. Karzai said he would announce next month — to coincide with the Persian New Year — when Afghan forces would be ready to take control of the entire country.