EU urges US to secure Kabul airport 'as long as necessary'

EU leaders urged US President Joe Biden at Tuesday's G7 videoconference to continue to secure Kabul airport until operations to evacuate vulnerable Afghans are complete. 

The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, said European leaders had urged their "American friends" to "secure the airport as long as necessary to complete the operations and ensure a fair and equitable access to the airport for all nationals entitled to evacuation".

The United States has an agreement with the Taliban, which overthrew Afghanistan's former Western-backed government, to withdraw US forces by August 31, including from Kabul airport.

But Washington's European allies fear this will not give them enough time to evacuate Afghans who worked for international missions or militaries and who are now at risk of Taliban reprisal.

Last week, several NATO member states urged the United States to push back its departure, and on Tuesday, European leaders pressed the case during calls with Biden and the G7 powers.

"Several leaders during the G7 meeting expressed concerns about this timing, August 31, and we have also had the opportunity to express our opinion on that," Michel said.

In addition to the European leaders who were on the call, Michel said that he and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen had spoken with other EU heads of government.

"They told us that for them it is very important to try to extend this time," he said.

Michel refused to tell journalists how Biden had responded.