Biden: U.S.’ recognition of Taliban ‘a long way off'

The U.S. is not going to recognize the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) as the new leadership of Afghanistan in the near future, US President Joe Biden stated on Monday after returning to the White House after spending the weekend in Wilmington, Delaware.

On the White House lawn, journalists asked the president as to whether the U.S. was going to recognize the power of the Taliban in Afghanistan. "No. That’s a long way off. That’s a long way off," he responded

Last week, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated that the U.S. administration was "in no rush" to recognize the Taliban as the new leaders of Afghanistan.

After the Biden administration had announced the end of Washington’s 20-year-long military operation in Afghanistan and the launch of its troop pullout, the Taliban embarked on an offensive against Afghan government forces.