London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 30, 2025

Britain willing to ‘come to terms’ with Taliban and work with enemy for sake of peace if it ‘behaves’, UK defence secretary says

Britain willing to ‘come to terms’ with Taliban and work with enemy for sake of peace if it ‘behaves’, UK defence secretary says

Despite fighting the group for two decades, Britain will engage with the Taliban should it come into power in Afghanistan, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said, “provided it adheres to certain international norms”.
In Washington for a visit with his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, Wallace said the lessons of the past 20 years “will not have been lost on the Taliban”, and acknowledged that the UK would likely have to work with the group.

Last week, the Taliban claimed to control 85% of the country’s territory. However, the Afghan leadership has dismissed this assertion as part of a propaganda campaign.

“Whatever the government of the day is, provided it adheres to certain international norms, the UK government will engage with it,” Wallace told The Telegraph. He warned that the “relationship” would be reviewed “if they behave in a way that is seriously against human rights”.

Last week, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised that Britain would remain committed to Afghanistan despite the end of its military campaign in the country.

While recognising that the prospect of the UK working with the Taliban would be controversial, given the deaths of 457 British military personnel during the conflict, Wallace said “all peace processes require you to come to terms with the enemy”.

Claiming that the Taliban “desperately want” international recognition, Wallace said they cannot “unlock financing and support [for] nation-building” with a “terrorist balaclava on”.

“You have to be a partner for peace, otherwise you risk isolation. Isolation led them to where they were last time,” he said, adding, “The poverty of their own people is an important issue to be dealt with, and you cannot deal with that on your own in isolation.”

Wallace also called on both the Taliban and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to “show leadership” and work together to bring stability to the country after two decades of conflict.

Senior Afghan leadership representatives are scheduled to fly to Doha this week for talks with the Taliban, which has reclaimed several key areas in the country as the departure of American forces continues. The US withdrawal is expected to conclude on August 31.

“But in the end, if there is a government, and it is a government of both [existing groups and the Taliban], and we have committed to a diplomatic relationship, then that’s exactly what it will be,” Wallace said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
×