Josep Borrel told the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera that the Afghan crisis is a game-changer for international relations.
Josep Borrel, Vice President of the European Commission and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, admits that the Afghan crisis fails Western countries and will be a game-changer in international relations.
The Interview
Many days after the Taliban took control over Afghanistan capital Kabul, Josep Borrel said in an interview held by the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera that It had been a catastrophe for the citizens of Afghanistan.
The afghan crisis has been a failure of the western countries and will be a game-changer in international relations.
One the question of ‘Is it the end of the war?’ Josep Borrel said it is the end of the western military on Afghan lands but is unsure if the Afghani citizens will start fighting.
He claims that Afghanistan is still not entirely under control by the Taliban in a place like Panjshir valley, and not everyone is in favour of the Taliban.
But for other countries, it is not the end as they will continue to support the Afghan people.
When asked about the European Council evacuating people, Josep Borrel said that they do not have an accurate number of people that should have been taken out of Kabul and says that he is not vivid if anyone has the exact figure.
He says that the evacuation was a success as many people flew from the Kabul airport in a concise duration of time.
But it is still a problem compared to the tens and thousands of Afghan people left behind in Kabul.
Article 5 of the NATO Treaty got invoked for the first time in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack in the United States Of America.
Since then, the European nations have engaged in the Afghan war.
He said that from the beginning, European members of NATO sent their troops, both men and women and also spent a significant amount of money.
However, the Europeans did not have a straightforward approach to Afghanistan. Their first objective was to fight Al Qaeda, which got accomplished.
After that, they had a second objective which was to try to bring modernity to the country. During 20 years in Afghanistan, they admitted 3 million girls to schools, but it was not enough as they did not have much time.
He says the Europeans have undoubtedly participated in this crisis, and it cannot be called an American war.
The European Council is preparing to stop many Afghan people from migrating into Europe, as they fear the 2015 migration crisis will repeat where one million people came to Europe.
