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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says the US-led military alliance would support the Afghan government in the face of the Taliban offensive, warning the militants against taking the country by force.
NATO Allies met in the North Atlantic Council on Friday after three major cities in western and southern Afghanistan were confirmed to have fallen to the Taliban.
Following a meeting, Stoltenberg said in a statement that “NATO will maintain our diplomatic presence in Kabul.”
“The security of our personnel is paramount. NATO will maintain our diplomatic presence in Kabul, and continue to adjust as necessary,’ he said.
Stoltenberg said the Taliban “need to understand that they will not be recognized by the international community if they take the country by force.”
“We remain committed to supporting a political solution to the conflict,” he added.
The militants seized Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand Province, on Friday morning.
They also captured Herat, a cultural hub in the west, and Kandahar, the country’s second-largest city.
Germany reducing embassy staff
Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters on Friday that Berlin was slashing staff levels at its embassy in Kabul to an “absolute minimum.”
He said, “We will send a crisis support team to Kabul to help us boost security precautions” during the withdrawal. But, Mass said, the embassy would “remain able to function.”
The foreign minister said he had spoken overnight about the steps with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “We have been preparing for weeks for this situation we are now confronted with,” he said.
Denmark, Norway shut embassies in Kabul
Denmark, however, said it will temporarily shut its embassy and evacuate all staff from Kabul. “The government has decided to evacuate all employees of the embassy,” said Danish foreign minister Jeppe Kofod.
At the same time, we have decided to temporarily close our embassy in Kabul,” he said. Kofod called on Danish citizens in Afghanistan to leave immediately.
Norway also said it will temporarily close its embassy in Kabul. Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide said at a news conference that evacuation will also be available “to locally employed Afghans with immediate family in Norway who wish it”.
Finland embassy remains open
Finland, however, said its embassy would remain open for now, in Kabul.
Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said parliament ruled on Friday the country could “take in up to 130 Afghans who have worked in the service of Finland, the EU and NATO along with their families” because of “the quickly weakening security situation.”
They were following the United States and Britain, who said on Thursday that they were deploying thousands of troops to evacuate their citizens from Kabul.
The speed of the Afghan cities’ collapse, combined with days of clashes in Kabul and the militants’ race to take the capital, have forced thousands of people to flee Kabul.
A senior US military official warned earlier this week that Kabul could fall to the Taliban in a matter of weeks.
