Taliban Take Control Of Kabul, British PM: US Decision To Withdraw Troops Joins In Hastening

JAKARTA - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said no party should recognize the Taliban as the Afghan government, and said the withdrawal of US troops contributed to the fall of Kabul.

The Taliban managed to enter Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan and occupied the presidential palace, sending President Ashraf Ghani out of the country by helicopter on Sunday.

"We don't want anyone bilaterally recognizing the Taliban," PM Johnson said in the interview, urging the West to cooperate in Afghanistan through mechanisms such as the United Nations and NATO.

"We want a united position among all like-minded people, as far as we can get, so that we do whatever we can to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a breeding ground for terror again," he continued, citing a new government in Afghanistan.

Like the United States to the European Union, Britain has also taken steps to evacuate embassy staff and citizens from Afghanistan, by sending 600 troops for this purpose.

"The (UK) ambassador is working round the clock, has been at the airport to help process applications," Johnson said.

Asked if he thought Afghanistan fell to the Taliban sooner than expected, PM Johnson replied:

"I think it's fair to say that the US decision to withdraw troops helped accelerate things."

To note, last week US intelligence said the Taliban could besiege Kabul within 30 days, and seize the Afghan capital within the next 90 days. In fact, the Taliban were able to do this much more quickly.

Separately, Russia said earlier on Sunday that it had not yet recognized the Taliban insurgents as Afghanistan's new legitimate authority, state news agency RIA reported.