Citing four senior NATO officials, Reuters reported Sunday that the military alliance plans “no full withdrawal” from Afghanistan “by April-end.”
Under the deal signed last year between the Taliban and the administration of former US President Donald Trump in the Qatari capital, Doha, all foreign troops are expected to leave Afghan soil by May in exchange for the Taliban’s halting of their attacks on international forces.
Trump reduced the number of US troops in Afghanistan from approximately 13,500 to 2,500 before leaving office in mid-January.
But the NATO says that “with the new US administration, there will be tweaks in the policy, the sense of hasty withdrawal which was prevalent will be addressed and we could see a much more calculated exit strategy,” according to the sources.
One of the officials also alleged that “conditions have not been met” by the Taliban.
The officials said plans on what will happen after April were now being considered and likely to be a top issue at a NATO meeting later this month.
The report follows the latest accusation by the Pentagon on Friday that the Taliban have not met their commitments.