At \u201cMoscow Format\u201d, 10 nations seem to take aim at Trump\u2019s plan for base, endorsing Taliban\u2019s position
\n moscow
\nAfghanistan\u2019s regional neighbours appeared to unite against US President Donald Trump\u2019s stated aim of taking over the Bagram military base near Kabul, according to a statement released after they met in Moscow.
\nThe \u201cMoscow Format\u201d meeting on Afghanistan \u2014 the seventh such event hosted by Russia but attended for the first time by the Taliban administration\u2019s foreign minister \u2014 included India and Pakistan.
\nThe 10 nations also included Russia, China and Iran, as well as Central Asian countries.
\nIn a joint statement released by Russia\u2019s foreign ministry late on Tuesday, the 10 countries did not name the United States or Bagram itself, but seemed to take aim at Trump\u2019s plan for the base, endorsing the Taliban\u2019s position on the issue.
\n\u201cThey (the countries meeting) called unacceptable the attempts by countries to deploy their military infrastructure in Afghanistan and neighboring states, since this does not serve the interests of regional peace and stability,\u201d the joint statement read.
\nTaliban opposition to foreign forces
\nAt a press conference on Tuesday in Moscow at the conclusion of the event, the Taliban\u2019s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi reiterated his position.
\n\u201cAfghanistan is a free and independent country, and throughout history, it has never accepted the military presence of foreigners. Our decision and policy will remain the same to keep Afghanistan free and independent,\u201d he said.
\nThe US Department of State did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Taliban\u2019s first administration was ousted in 2001 by a US-led invasion of the country, triggering an insurgency by the group.
\nBagram, just outside the capital Kabul, became the biggest and best-known US base in Afghanistan before the chaotic US withdrawal from the country in 2021 as the Taliban retook control.
\nLast month, Trump threatened \u201cbad things\u201d would happen to Afghanistan if it did not give back Bagram, and cited what he called its strategic location near China.
\nCurrent and former US officials have cast doubt on Trump\u2019s goal, saying that re-occupying Bagram might end up looking like a re-invasion, requiring more than 10,000 troops as well as deployment of advanced air defences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At \u201cMoscow Format\u201d, 10 nations seem to take aim at Trump\u2019s plan for base, endorsing Taliban\u2019s position moscow Afghanistan\u2019s regional neighbours appeared to unite against US President Donald Trump\u2019s stated aim of taking over the Bagram military base near Kabul, according to a statement released after they met in Moscow. The \u201cMoscow Format\u201d meeting on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":507559,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-507542","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n