Secretary of State of the United States Anthony Blinken and Minister of Defense Lloyd Austin held telephone conversations with the President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani. This is reported on the website of the State Department.
During the conversation, Bernken and Austin stressed that the US authorities still intend to maintain strong diplomatic relations and continue to take care of the security of Afghanistan. The US Secretary of State also noted that Washington stands for the political decision of the conflict. American politicians added that the United States will speed up the pace of special immigration visas programs.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden called on the power of Afghanistan to fight the Taliban on their own. At the same time, he noted that the American side will continue to fulfill its obligations, “providing direct support from the air.”
August 12 became known that the Taliban militants (a terrorist organization prohibited in Russia) seized Kandahar, which is considered the second largest city in Afghanistan. They also took control of herata, the third largest city in the country. The US authorities temporarily direct part of the troops in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, to help the evacuation of the American Embassy.