President Biden and the leaders of G7 concluded a virtual, emergency meeting on Afghanistan. According to The Pavlovic Today’s source familiar with the conversation that took place, Biden did not accept Boris Johnson’s plea to extend the evacuation deadline beyond August 31. Biden has left open, though, to plan for contingency if the military needs to stay a bit longer, providing that the Taliban refuses to facilitate evacuation efforts.
After the meeting, PM Boris Johnson looked disappointed that he did not get an extension from the American president. Johnson called on the Taliban to guarantee the “safe passage” for those who want to come out of Afghanistan beyond August 31. Asked if he communicated his frustration to President Biden, Johnson said that an “immediate phase of evacuation has been considered a success,” but he refused to answer the question.
Von der Leyen said at the EU news briefing immediately after the G7 meeting that “it is our moral duty to help Afghan people.”
The White House tweeted an image of President Biden talking at the G7.
Who attended the G7 emergency meeting?
- Prime Minister Boris Johnson, United Kingdom
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada
- President Emmanuel Macron, France
- Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany
- Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Italy
- Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide, Japan
- President Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission
- President Charles Michel, European Council
- Secretary-General António Guterres, United Nations
- Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, NATO
President Biden is expected to address the public in the coming hours. You can watch his remarks below.
