Afghanistan news – live: Biden not ruling out sending more troops to Kabul, as airport death toll hits 20
Follow the latest updates as thousands attempt to flee country
Joe Biden asks his defence chiefs “every single day” whether they need more troops or other resources to ensure safe evacuations of Americans and non-US citizens from Kabul airport, his national security chief said today.
Jake Sullivan told NBC’s Chuck Todd on Meet the Press that “so far” that the US president’s top generals have not indicated a need for more forces beyond the 6,000 deployed to assist with evacuations and securing the perimeter at Hamid Karzai International Airport.
He left open the possibility that such an assessment could change.
Mr Sullivan’s comments came as a Nato official confirmed that at least 20 people had been killed near Kabul airport following chaotic scenes as large crowds gathered to escape from the country.
Meanwhile, a senior Tory MP has warned that the crisis in Afghanistan showed that there had been a “demise” in the so-called special relationship between the UK and US.
Tobias Ellwood, the chair of the Commons Defence Committee, said on Sunday that the UK had “not been included in the conversations” around the withdrawal of US troops – which has led to the takeover of the country by the Taliban.
Abandonment of Afghanistan ‘dangerous and unnecessary’, says Tony Blair in first comments since Taliban seized country
CNN correspondent gives Afghan woman her scarf as blanket before flying out of Kabul
Taliban fighters show off US military uniforms, weapons in propaganda videos and on Afghan streets
Johnson says G7 leaders will meet on Tuesday for ‘urgent talks’ on Afghanistan
Boris Johnson has said that G7 leaders will meet on Tuesday for “urgent talks” on the crisis in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover of the country.
Earlier this week, the prime minister spoke to Joe Biden about the situation in the country and agreed to hold a virtual meeting of world leaders to discuss a common strategy for the crisis.
“It is vital that the international community works together to ensure safe evacuations, prevent a humanitarian crisis and support the Afghan people to secure the gains of the last 20 years,” Mr Johnson said on Sunday.
Our political correspondent, Ashley Cowburn, has more details below on Tobias Ellwood’s warning over the so-called special relationship between the UK and US:
Afghanistan crisis shows there has been ‘demise in UK-US relationship’
Ukrainian military plane evacuates 83 people out of Kabul, official says
A Ukrainian military plane has evacuated 83 more people out of Kabul today, according to the country’s foreign minister.
Dmytro Kuleba tweeted that the plane carried 31 Ukrainians back to Kyiv, as well as Afghan women and children, human rights activists, and journalists working with Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.
“They're safe in Kyiv,” Mr Kuleba said in the tweet. “We don't abandon our people and help others.”
He added that Ukrainian authorities were working on “further evacuations” - last week, a Ukrainian plane evacuated some 80 people out of Kabul.
ICYMI: Raab advised by No 10 to ‘return from holiday two days before he arrived back’
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab was advised by No 10 officials to return from his holiday two days before he flew back to the UK as the situation in Afghanistan deteriorated, according to a report.
A government official told The Sunday Times that Mr Raab was “told to come back” on Friday 13 August - the day that the prime minister held a first emergency Cobra meeting on the crisis in Afghanistan.
Our political correspondent, Ashley Cowburn, has the full story below:
Raab advised by No 10 to ‘return from holiday two days before he arrived back’
Putin criticises plans to let Afghan refugees stay in Central Asia
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has criticised Western nations for seeking to temporarily let Afghan refugees stay in Central Asian countries, claiming that the move could create security concerns.
Speaking at a meeting with top officials in the Kremlin, Mr Putin noted that there were no visa restrictions between Russia and its Central Asian allies.
He warned that his government did not want to see “militants appearing [in Russia] again under the guise of refugees.”
“We don't want to repeat, even in part, something what we had in the 90s and in the mid-2000s, when there were hostilities in the North Caucasus,” Mr Putin said.
Hundreds of refugees have headed to the Central Asian nations of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, which share a border with Afghanistan.
US defence secretary says officials will work to get all Americans out of Afghanistan
US defence secretary Lloyd Austin has said officials are working to make sure that all Americans who want to leave Afghanistan are able to, following the Taliban’s takeover of the country.
Mr Austin told ABC’s This Week that he would make a recommendation on whether more time is needed for evacuations as the deadline for the mission approaches at the end of August.
“We're gonna try our very best to get everybody, every American citizen who wants to get out, out,” he said in the interview.
“And we've got - we continue to look at different ways to - in creative ways - to reach out and contact American citizens and help them get into the airfield.”
He later added that this included non-Americans who qualify for evacuation, including Afghans who have applied for Special Immigrant Visas.
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation says it will work for Afghanistan peace
The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has said that it will seek to help achieve peace in Afghanistan and to facilitate evacuation operations from the country.
The Saudi Arabia-based organisation held a special meeting on Sunday to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
At the meeting, OIC secretary-general Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeen called on the Taliban to respect international humanitarian law and the right to life and security.
The organisation also urged “the future Afghan leadership” and the international community to make sure that Afghanistan is not used as a platform or safe haven for terrorists.
“Terrorist organisations are not allowed to have a foothold [in Afghanistan],” a statement from the group said.
ICYMI: Earlier today, Labour’s shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds wrote for The Independent about how the UK’s refugee scheme for people attempting to flee Afghanistan needs to go further.
You can find his piece in full below:
White House confirms Biden will meet with G7 on Tuesday
US president Joe Biden will meet virtually with G7 leaders on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing situation in Afghanistan and plans for humanitarian assistance for Afghan refugees, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki has confirmed.
Mr Biden is also scheduled to deliver remarks on Afghanistan at the White House later on Sunday.
Pentagon commandeers commercial jets for Afghanistan rescue
The Pentagon is set to use 18 US commercial aircraft to relocate Afghan evacuees after they have left the country, according to reports.
Officials say that the planes will not fly into Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, but will instead move passengers on from way stations once they have departed Afghanistan.
Our reporter, Helen Elfer, has the full story below:
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