Germany's Merkel

Germany's Merkel is weighing in on the Afghanistan issues:

  • developments in Afghanistan are bitter for Afghans, but also for Germany and allies who fought there against terrorism
  • I am thinking of the pain of families of soldiers who lost their lives fighting there, now everything seems so hopeless
  • will coordinate with France's Macron on evacuation plans
  • We must help neighboring states in which refugees will arrive
  • That means Pakistan in particular.
  • over 20 years we did not achieve our aims in Afghanistan, we must set ourselves smaller goals in the future

Meanwhile the UN Security Council is out saying:

  • calls for immediate cessation of all hostilities in Afghanistan
  • calls for establishment, through negotiations of a new united, inclusive, representative Afghan government, including women
  • calls for an end to all human rights abuses and violations in Afghanistan
  • calls on all parties in Afghanistan to allow immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian access