The Afghanistan crisis will dominate discussions at Tuesday’s virtual G7 meeting, hosted by the UK, as the rush continues to try to complete evacuations from Afghanistan.
European leaders are expected to press US President Joe Biden to extend his self-imposed August 31 deadline for the total withdrawal of American troops.
The Taliban said on Monday that such a move would be a “violation”.
A British government minister has said it is unlikely that all those eligible for evacuation from Kabul will be brought out in time.
Key developments:
- The UK, France and Germany have all said evacuation operations should continue beyond August 31. President Biden has said the military is discussing the possibility; a decision is expected on Tuesday.
- Britain says it has evacuated 8,600 UK citizens and Afghans from Kabul in recent days, 2,000 of them in the last 24 hours.
- Boris Johnson also expected to call on G7 leaders to reinforce their support for Afghan refugees and humanitarian aid, as well as develop a long-term strategy for the country.
Latest updates:
Tuesday’s G7 summit will bring together the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, the UK, the US, Canada and Japan, and will take place by video link in the afternoon. The heads of NATO and the UN have also been invited.
Boris Johnson spoke by phone to Joe Biden on Monday ahead of the meeting. A statement from Downing Street said the two leaders had pledged to work together to ensure that those with the right to leave Afghanistan would be able to do so.
