US Allies United in Voice Urging Extension of Afghanistan Withdrawal Deadline

"US Withdrawal Deadline Makes Evacuation of Nationals Impossible"
Strong Pressure Expected at G7 Summit... Controversy Also in the US

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] It is reported that U.S. allies such as the United Kingdom, France, and Germany are collectively pressuring the U.S. government to extend the withdrawal deadline from Afghanistan. The allied countries, which have joined the U.S. in evacuation operations at Kabul airport, argue that it is impossible to evacuate their nationals within the withdrawal deadline, which is just a week away, and are calling for an extension of the deadline.

According to AFP on the 23rd (local time), Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, said at a press conference during his visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), "We are concerned about the August 31 deadline set by the U.S.," emphasizing, "More time is needed to complete the evacuation operation. It is absolutely impossible to evacuate our nationals and Afghans who helped France within the withdrawal deadline."

Heiko Maas, German Foreign Minister, also stated at a press conference on the same day, "The German government is making efforts through various channels to allow those in need of protection to be evacuated from Afghanistan even after the U.S.-set evacuation deadline of the 31st," adding, "We plan to continue talks with the Taliban, even after the U.S. military withdrawal."

In the UK, it is reported that Prime Minister Boris Johnson personally spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden regarding the withdrawal issue. According to the BBC, Johnson discussed the Afghanistan situation with President Biden and coordinated on the issue of Afghanistan to be discussed at the upcoming G7 virtual summit scheduled for the 24th. The BBC reported that Johnson expressed the necessity of extending the Afghanistan withdrawal deadline during the call.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government is still reported to have not made a decision on extending the withdrawal deadline. On the same day, John Kirby, U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson, said at a press briefing, "There is pressure from allies such as the UK, France, and Germany to extend the withdrawal deadline, but the U.S. military will focus on completing the withdrawal by the deadline as much as possible," adding, "If an extension is necessary, further consultations will take place, but we currently do not believe it is the time for that."

President Biden has hinted at the possibility of postponing the Afghanistan evacuation deadline to next month, but specific plans are still under discussion. According to the U.S. political media outlet The Hill, President Biden previously responded at a White House press conference the day before, when asked how he would respond if foreign leaders requested an extension of the evacuation deadline, "We will look into what we can do."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.