European leaders were unable to convince U.S. president Joe Biden to extend the withdrawal deadline for U.S. troops beyond 31 August at a virtual meeting of G7 leaders, representing the world’s richest countries, on Tuesday, EUobserver reports.
Both Biden and the Taliban, which took over Afghanistan in recent weeks after 20 years of U.S. and NATO engagement, rejected the extension of the deadline needed for evacuation of Afghan staff, their families, and vulnerable groups.