Earlier, the Taliban*, which currently controls the entirety of Kabul with the exception of its international airport, which is held by NATO forces, said that it will not be negotiating to shift the current 31 August deadline for the evacuation of those foreign nationals and Afghans who want to leave the country.
The G7 decided that Kabul Airport must be held for as long as necessary to complete the evacuation, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has stated in the wake of the G7 summit on the situation in Afghanistan. In line with this statement, the EU Commission chief called on the Taliban* to provide unimpeded access to the airport for those who want out of the country.
Her statements on evacuation were partially echoed by President of the European Council Charles Michel, who said that the EU is concerned about the ability of European nationals and other people to reach Kabul Airport. The road to the latter was blocked by the Taliban earlier in the day, with the group saying only foreigners will be allowed to pass. Michel said that the EU had urged the US and other partners to “secure the airport as long as necessary” to complete the evacuation efforts.
At the same time, the G7 countries failed to agree on a final date for ending the evacuation of foreign and Afghan nationals from Afghanistan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said after the virtual summit ended. She did not clarify whether…
