The G7 leaders, the European Union (EU), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the United Nations (UN) have all decided to stand united in their approach to Taliban, according to US President Joe Biden. “We’ll judge them (Taliban) by their actions and we’ll stay in close coordination on any steps that we take moving forward in response to Taliban behaviour,” Biden said in a statement at the White House, adding that the global leaders have collectively decided to support refugees and evacuees currently fleeing Afghanistan.
Notably, the United States is evacuating thousands of people from Afghanistan every day via Kabul airport flights. Debates over whether the August 31 deadline for completing the evacuation should be extended have raged in the United States, with allies urging Biden to reconsider his decision.
Biden, on the other hand, reaffirmed on Tuesday his commitment to completing the US withdrawal from Afghanistan by August 31, as planned. He did warn, however, that the deadline is contingent on Taliban “cooperation.”
“We are currently on a pace to finish (the evacuation) by August 31, the sooner we finish the better,” said the US president. “But completion by August 31 depends on the Taliban continuing to cooperate and allowing access of the airport to those who are transporting out and no disruptions to our operation.”
Biden’s latest remarks follow a meeting with other world leaders to discuss the evacuation efforts. The US president warned that the situation in Afghanistan could worsen if the US stayed longer, and that “contingency plans” are in place in the event that more time is required. He also stated that the US will be “a leader in these efforts” and that international partners will be expected to “do the same.”
According to Biden, the US has evacuated or assisted in the evacuation of around 70,700 people from Afghanistan since the Taliban seized control of the war-torn country. Nearly 75,900 people have been evacuated since the end of July, he said, adding that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been in charge of the operation.
