US stands firm on flying troops out by end of August

Boris Johnson and other G7 leaders have failed to persuade the US to keep troops in Afghanistan to continue evacuation efforts past the end of the month.

The prime minister was expected to press US President Joe Biden to keep his forces on the ground past August 31, as they are providing security at Kabul airport to allow people to flee the country.

But following an emergency meeting of G7 leaders, chaired by the PM yesterday afternoon, Mr Biden said the deadline remained in place.

And Mr Johnson said: “We will go right up until the last minute that we can but you’ve heard what the president of the United States has said, you’ve heard what the Taliban have said.”

He added: “We’re confident we can get thousands more out, but the situation at the airport is not getting any better.”

He said leaders had agreed the “number one condition” up to and after August 31 was that the Taliban must grant “safe passage for those who want to come out”.

Mr Johnson said there were “harrowing scenes” at Kabul airport for those attempting to flee Afghanistan.

And he said G7 leaders – who were joined in yesterday’s meeting by the secretaries general of the United Nations and Nato – had agreed on a “road map” for engaging with the Taliban.

He said: “The number one condition we’re setting as G7 is that they have got to guarantee, right the way through, through August 31 and beyond, safe passage for those who want to come out.

“Some will say that they don’t accept that and some, I hope, will see the sense of that, because the G7 has very considerable leverage – economic, diplomatic and political.”

The SNP said the failure to extend the deadline was “deeply regrettable” and called for Parliament to be brought back from its summer break to monitor the situation.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said: “The UK Parliament must be recalled immediately so that UK Government ministers can provide daily updates and MPs can properly scrutinise plans for the evacuation, refugee resettlement, and efforts to tackle humanitarian and security concerns.

“It would be unacceptable for the prime minister to avoid scrutiny by keeping Parliament in recess for another fortnight.”

The Taliban earlier said it would not accept foreign troops remaining in Afghanistan past the end of the month.

During a press conference in Kabul, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said: “August 31 is the time given and after that it’s something that is against the agreement.

“All people should be removed prior to that date.

“After that we do not allow them, it will not be allowed in our country, we will take a different stance.”

RACE AGAINST TIME: American service personnel provide assistance during the evacuation at Kabul airport.