International

Boris Johnson says ‘working with Taliban’ will happen if necessary

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he will work with the Taliban if necessary to come to a resolution on Afghanistan.

“What I want to assure people is that our political and diplomatic efforts to find a solution for Afghanistan, working with the Taliban, of course if necessary, will go on,” Johnson told reporters on Friday, Reuters reported.

His comment about working with the Taliban comes after Johnson said Sunday the Taliban should not be recognized as the government of Afghanistan after the group told control of Kabul, according to Reuters.

“We don’t want anybody bilaterally recognising the Taliban,” Johnson said. “We want a united position amongst all the like-minded as far as we can get one so that we do whatever we can to prevent Afghanistan lapsing back into being a breeding ground for terror.”

Johnson touted on Friday the “slightly better” situation at Kabul airport of getting individuals out of the country.

In public remarks on Friday, Biden addressed concerns about the Afghanistan situation saying the evacuation proceedings are “dangerous.”

“Make no mistake, this evacuation mission is dangerous. It involves risks to our armed forces and it’s being conducted under difficult circumstances,” Biden said. “I cannot promise what the final outcome will be or … that it will be without risk of loss. But as commander in chief, I can assure you that I will mobilize every resource necessary.”

The Taliban quickly took over the country after the U.S. began withdrawing troops from the region last week.

The group has also surrounded Kabul airport, blocking the path for U.S. citizens and Afghan allies to leave the country.