Blinken also made clear in the letter that Biden’s government continues to consider a ‘complete withdrawal’ of the approximately 2,500 US forces in the country by the May 1 deadline negotiated by the Trump administration.
The Department of State declined to comment on the TOLONews report.
“After May 1, we have not taken any decisions on our position of power in Afghanistan,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. “All options remain on the table.”
Afghanistan presents one of the new government’s toughest foreign policy decisions. The American public is tired of a war of almost twenty years, but its withdrawal can be seen as giving the Taliban too much leverage and casting a shadow over the sacrifices made by American and coalition troops and Afghan citizens.
Blinken urged Ghani to accept the proposal quickly and stressed his concern that the security situation in the country could deteriorate rapidly as the weather in Afghanistan warms up.
“Even with the continuation of financial assistance from the United States to your troops after a US military withdrawal, I am concerned that the security situation will worsen and that the Taliban may achieve rapid territorial gains,” Blinken wrote in the letter.