EU threatens Taliban with ‘isolation’ if it seizes power in Afghanistan

The European High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell attends a video conference with Europeans Foreign Ministers in Brussels, Belgium in this file photo taken on April 22, 2020, during a strict lockdown in the country. FILE PHOTO / AFP

BRUSSELS, Belgium — The European Union on Thursday warned the Taliban that it would face being cut off by the international community if it seized power through violence, as the insurgents sweep across Afghanistan.

“If power is taken by force and an Islamic Emirate re-established, the Taliban would face non-recognition, isolation, lack of international support and the prospect of continued conflict and protracted instability in Afghanistan,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.

The Pentagon earlier said that it was deploying around 3,000 troops to Afghanistan immediately to evacuate US embassy employees securely as the threat grows from the Taliban insurgency.

The UK government followed suit saying it was sending 600 troops to Afghanistan to help British embassy staff leave the country, after the United States announced a similar deployment as the Taliban makes rapid gains.

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