G7 & Allies Agree To Stick With US’ Plan To Finish Evacuation On August 31

New Delhi: The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, declared on Tuesday that he will be sticking to the August 31st, 2021 evacuation deadline. This comes despite several G7 leaders counting on an extension. 

Addressing the press, G7 leaders, EU, NATO, United Nations have agreed to stand united towards the approach to the Taliban. Biden said they’ll judge the Taliban by their actions & stay in close coordination on any steps to take moving forward in response to Taliban behaviour.

ALSO READ: Taliban Refuse To Extend Evacuation Deadline, Biden Decides To Stick With Aug 31 Pullout From Kabul

The US has expressed confidence the airlift can get all Americans out by August 31. It was a deadline Biden had set long before the Taliban completed their takeover, though there are thousands of other foreign nationals in Afghanistan who are struggling to get out.

Biden said that the evacuation is depended on the cooperation of the Taliban. 

“We’re currently on a pace to finish (evacuation) by Aug 31. The sooner we finish the better. But completion by Aug 31 depends on the Taliban continuing to cooperate & allow access to the airport to those who’re transporting out & no disruptions to our operation,” he said.

Britain and other allies, many of whose troops followed American forces into Afghanistan nearly 20 years ago had urged Biden to keep American forces at the Kabul airport longer. No country would be able to evacuate all their citizens and at-risk Afghan allies by the August 31 deadline, allied officials had said according to AP.

Boris Johnson acknowledged he was unable to sway Biden to extend the U.S. military presence in Tuesday’s talks.

“Every day we’re on the ground is another day that we know ISIS-K is seeking to target the airport and attack both us and allied forces and innocent civilians,” Biden was quoted by AP News. 

He said the Taliban are cooperating and security is holding despite a number of violent incidents.

“But it’s a tenuous situation,” he said, adding, “We run a serious risk of it breaking down as time goes on.”

While the G7 leaders have come in a partial unity there was visible disappointment that Biden could not be persuaded to extend the US operation at the Kabul airport to ensure that thousands of Americans, Europeans, other third-country nationals, and all at-risk Afghans can be evacuated beyond August 31.