G7 leaders plan to pledge unity on Taliban recognition, sanctions
Leaders of the G7 advanced economies are expected to pledge unity on whether or not to officially recognize or sanction the Taliban when they meet virtually to discuss Afghanistan on Tuesday, according to two diplomatic sources.US allies are still smarting from Washington's delays in outreach after Kabul fell on Aug. 15, and foreign diplomats in Washington said cooperation will be a key theme of the call. "The G7 leaders will agree to coordinate on if or when to recognize the Taliban," said one European diplomat. "And they will commit to continue to work closely together."
The Taliban's lightning-fast takeover of the country this month, after US troops started to withdraw and President Ashraf Ghani fled, left foreign governments scrambling and sparked a panicked mass exodus from the country.Leaders of the United States, Britain, Italy, France, Germany, Canada, and Japan may use the possibility of unified official recognition, or renewed sanctions to push the Taliban to comply with pledges to respect women's rights and international relations.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will stress a unified approach during the G7 talks, which will also include NATO Secretary General Jen Stoltenberg and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, said Karen Pierce, Britain's envoy to the United States."We want to start the process of developing a clear plan, so that we can all deal with the new Afghan regime in a unified and concerted way," Pierce told Reuters. "We will judge the new regime by actions, not words."
