‘We will leave – the question is when’: Biden says 1 May withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan now unlikely

Experts warn against a hasty withdrawal over fears of violence and government collapse in the country

Joe Biden said it was unlikely that US troops would pull out of Afghanistan by the 1 May deadline established by Donald Trump.

Despite the delay, Mr Biden – speaking at his first press conference – said he "can't picture" US troops being in Afghanistan next year.

The White House is apparently considering a six-month extension to the withdrawal deadline.

"We are not staying for a long time. We will leave," Mr Biden said.. "The question is when we leave."

During the press conference, he said that "it's going to be hard to meet the 1 May deadline just in terms of tactical reasons."

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Mr Biden has previously stated his support for removing troops from the country, but reportedly is concerned with a Taliban takeover once the US military is no longer present.

The president's comments come in the wake of an unscheduled trip to the country by defence secretary Lloyd Austin.

Mr Austin met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as well as Army General Scott Miller, who is the top US commander in Afghanistan.

Mr Austin said he went to Afghanistan to "listen and learn."

There are about 2,500 US troops still stationed in Afghanistan.

Last year, Mr Trump negotiated a troop withdrawal with the Taliban and set a 1 May deadline.

Following the withdrawal, the Talbian is supposed to enter into peace talks with the Afghan government to ensure that terror organisations, like Al Qaeda, do not re-establish a presence in the country.

Experts have warned that a US exit from the region without a peace plan in place first could lead to a rash of violence and the potential collapse of the Afghan government.

Documents leaked earlier this month to the Afghan news outlet TOLOnews suggested that Secretary of State Antony Blinken proposed a temporary power-sharing agreement between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

The plan was described as a "transitional peace government" that would remain in place until a new constitution is written and new elections are held.