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India steps up diplomatic relations with the Taliban as rival Pakistan loses influence in Afghanistan

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India steps up diplomatic relations with the Taliban as rival Pakistan loses influence in Afghanistan

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India’s foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, met acting Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai last week, making a strong leap forward in bilateral relations. 

While India has been gradually increasing its engagement with the Taliban, this latest meeting represents the highest-level talks since the Islamic group’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. Notably, this was the second meeting between officials from New Delhi and Kabul in just two months, indicating both countries’ readiness to step up diplomatic engagement.

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“We shouldn’t overstate the impact of Pakistan’s tensions with the Taliban on India’s stepped up engagement with the Taliban. New Delhi had already taken some small steps toward Taliban engagement soon after the Taliban’s return to power, before tensions crept into the Taliban’s relations with Pakistan,” Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, tells Fox News Digital.

TALIBAN GOVERNMENT TO CEASE OPERATIONS AT AFGHAN EMBASSY IN INDIA’S CAPITAL

Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, addresses the media at the Parliament House in New Delhi on Dec. 7, 2022. (Prakash Singh/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

During the discussions, Misri emphasized the “historic friendship” and “strong people-to-people contacts” between the two nations. Meanwhile, the Afghan foreign minister described India as “an important and economically significant country in the region.” 

According to a statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the talks focused on strengthening bilateral relations, addressing security concerns, engaging in development projects and enhancing humanitarian assistance.

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India is among several countries actively facilitating trade, aid and medical support to Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. The country, which hosts thousands of Afghan refugees, also pledged to provide “material support” for their rehabilitation back in Afghanistan.

“New Delhi’s outreach to the Taliban is driven by the view that closer engagement can help India better pursue its security and strategic interests in Afghanistan – and these include strengthening trade and connectivity links and ensuring India isn’t threatened by terrorists on Afghan soil,” Kugelman explained.

BIDEN ADMIN’S AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL FAILURES DETAILED IN REPORT

The discussions also touched on enhancing trade via the Chabahar Port in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province. India has been developing the Chabahar Port to enable goods to bypass ports in its rival, Pakistan. This strategic port, which lies just across the border from Pakistan, could provide landlocked Afghanistan with an alternative route to receive and send goods, circumventing Pakistan.

Afghan refugees living in Pakistan rally against India in Lahore, Pakistan, Feb. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

Afghan refugees living in Pakistan rally against India in Lahore, Pakistan, Feb. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

The meeting between India and the Taliban could unsettle Pakistan, which shares borders with both countries. India and Pakistan are long-standing rivals, having fought three wars over Kashmir since both countries gained independence in 1947. This meeting also takes place amid deteriorating relations between the Taliban regime and Pakistan, once considered friendly neighbors, as cross-border violence escalates.

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PAKISTANI AIRSTRIKES TARGET TALIBAN IN AFGHANISTAN FOLLOWING SUICIDE BOMBING

The talks occurred just days after India “unequivocally” condemned Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan in late December. These rare airstrikes resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians, including women and children. Pakistani officials claimed the strikes targeted militants of the Pakistani Taliban. Islamabad frequently accuses the Pakistani Taliban of using Afghan territory to launch attacks in Pakistan, a charge Kabul denies.

People gather at the border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, in Chaman, Pakistan, Aug. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Jafar Khan)

People gather at the border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, in Chaman, Pakistan, Aug. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Jafar Khan)

The diplomatic engagement also follows the Taliban’s appointment of an acting consul in the Afghan consulate in Bombay in November, the same month India’s joint secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs visited Kabul. Although no foreign government, including India, has officially recognized the Taliban administration since it swept to power in 2021, India reopened its embassy in Kabul less than a year after the Taliban’s return to power. 

“Islamabad has already seen its relations with its former Taliban asset take a major tumble,” Kugelman, said. “Now it must grapple with the fact that its rival India may fill the vacuum left by Pakistan’s distancing from the Taliban. No matter how you slice it, this is bad news for Pakistan all around.”

BIDEN SAYS HE’S LEAVING TRUMP ‘STRONG HAND TO PLAY,’ DEFENDS HIS RECORD ON AFGHANISTAN

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Several factors, in addition to deteriorating Pakistani relations, may have led India to strengthen its relationship with Afghanistan. The weakening of Iran, due to conflicts in the Middle East and internal issues, has diminished its influence over the Taliban. At the same time, Russia, one of India’s closest allies, is moving toward recognizing the Taliban government in Afghanistan, even calling the group a partner in combating terrorism. Moscow perceives a significant security threat from Islamist militant groups across countries from Afghanistan to the Middle East, especially after losing Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

Afghan civilians wait to board US military plane

Hundreds of people gather near a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane at a perimeter at the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 17, 2021. (AP)

China is also enhancing its connections with the Taliban, causing India to be wary of Beijing’s increasing influence. Additionally, India’s approach may be influenced by President-elect Trump’s imminent return to the White House. The Trump administration initially brokered the U.S.-Afghanistan withdrawal deal. Trump’s re-election could now introduce new dynamics to the region, prompting India to safeguard its long-term interests.

In contrast, the United States has severed diplomatic ties with Kabul since its chaotic withdrawal from war-torn Afghanistan. Washington maintains a policy of sanctions and isolation toward Taliban leaders. But now, nations in the region are evaluating the implications of a new Trump administration for the Taliban.

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EU Commission promises 'firm, immediate' reaction to new US tariffs

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EU Commission promises 'firm, immediate' reaction to new US tariffs

Defending a rules-based trading system based on low tariffs, the EU executive said reciprocal tariffs were unjustified and that it will react swiftly.

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The European Commission will react “firmly and immediately” to reciprocal tariffs announced on Thursday by US president Donald Trump, saying it was “a step in the wrong direction”, and an open global system “benefits all partners”, in a statement issued by the executive on Friday.

“The EU maintains some of the lowest tariffs in the world and sees no justification for increased US tariffs on its exports. Tariffs are taxes,” a Commission statement read, adding: “The EU will react firmly and immediately against unjustified barriers to free and fair trade, including when tariffs are used to challenge legal and non-discriminatory policies.”

Since Monday and the announcement of 25% US tariffs on steel and aluminium, the EU has been preparing for a trade war with its long-standing ally, whose new Trump administration is delivering a U-turn on trade policy.

On Thursday, Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on US trade partners on the basis of “country-by-country” examinations, which should be realised in a matter of weeks. US tariffs on aluminium and steel will take effect on 12 March.

In 2018, the Trump administration slapped tariffs on aluminium and steel, with the EU retaliating on a range of American products. These sanctions were lifted under the Biden administration, but only temporarily, and may be reactivated by the EU.

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The Commission is currently considering its response.

The EU has a new arsenal of trade defences that can be activated if pressure is brought to bear on its policies, under an “anti-coercion” instrument. It includes restrictions on the right to participate in public procurement tender procedure, restriction on licences, or for instance restrictions on trade in services and trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights.

“World trade has flourished under predictable, transparent rules and low tariffs. For decades, the EU has worked with trading partners like the US to reduce tariffs and other trade barriers worldwide,” the Commission said in the statement, “reinforcing this openness through binding commitments in the rules-based trading system—commitments that the US is now undermining.”

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Russia claims Trump, Putin talk brought world from 'brink of Apocalypse,' EU warns of 'dirty tricks'

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Russia claims Trump, Putin talk brought world from 'brink of Apocalypse,' EU warns of 'dirty tricks'

Russia’s deputy chairman of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, on Thursday claimed that the recent discussion held between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin brought the world back from the “brink of the Apocalypse.”

“It just so happened at some point that the U.S. appointed itself the country-in-chief on our planet with the exclusive right to wage a hybrid war against our people, to mete out justice and grant pardons. It was a grave mistake, which nearly wiped humanity off the face of the earth,” he said, without mentioning that the West united behind Ukraine against Russia after Moscow launched the biggest invasion of a European nation since World War II.

“This is a lesson that must be learned by the arrogant American elites and the so-called deep state,” he continued. “The quicker our adversaries realize this, the better.

“If they don’t… the Doomsday Clock will keep on ticking towards midnight,” he added, threatening nuclear escalation. 

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters from the White House after he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending the war with Ukraine on Feb. 12, 2025. (AP/Alex Brandon)

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UKRAINE ADVOCATES TEAR INTO HEGSETH FOR GIVING RUSSIA ‘CONCESSIONS’ AT START OF PEACE TALKS: ‘BIGGEST GIFT’

Trump once again prompted geopolitical shock waves following his Wednesday call with Putin when he said in a Truth Social post that peace talks will start “immediately” – comments that came just hours after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said it was unrealistic that Ukraine would be allowed to join the NATO alliance. 

European leaders were quick to react with concern to comments from both Washington and Moscow, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who told Fox News Digital, “It’s not wise to surrender Russia’s key demands before the negotiations even start.”

“Any peace agreement requires the full involvement of both the Europeans and the Ukrainians to succeed,” she continued. “Quick fixes are just dirty deals.

“Putin only responds to strength. Ukraine is resisting Russia’s invasion, and they have our full support. A bad deal for Ukraine is a bad deal for America and will embolden China,” Kallas said. 

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Kallas’ comments came after she met with NATO defense ministers, who similarly came out in support of Ukraine and issued warnings to Washington. 

Lithuania Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said NATO leaders are facing “difficult discussions” with “two obvious choices.”

“Whether we decide to fall under the illusion that Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin are going to find a solution for all of us – and that would be a deadly trap,” she said. “Or we will, as Europe, embrace our own economic, financial and military capacity. And we will be the ones who will be deciding what will happen in Europe and in Ukraine with the United States.”

North South Summit

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece attend a press conference in Saariselka, Finnish Lapland, Dec. 22, 2024. (Lehtikuva/Antti Aimo-Koivisto via Reuters)

In addition, Estonia Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur warned, “We have to understand that there will be no peace without Ukraine. 

“It cannot be so that someone will come and say when to talk. It has to be Ukraine,” he added. 

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Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Thursday said Putin would be “pleased” to welcome international leaders, including Trump, to Moscow in May.

European leaders reacted with apparent concern to Trump’s and the Kremlin’s comments and said there can be no peace agreement without direct EU and Ukrainian involvement.

SOME CRITICS WORRIED TRUMP WOULD HAVE UKRAINE GIVE UP TOO MUCH FOR PEACE AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA

Similarly, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, “There can’t be any negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine being at the heart of it.”

Seven European leaders from the U.K., France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain and the EU released a joint statement on Wednesday and insisted that they should be part of any negotiations on Ukraine’s future. 

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“Our shared objectives should be to put Ukraine in a position of strength,” the statement said. “Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations.”

Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press conference

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed he spoke with President Trump on Feb. 13, 2025, about ending the war with Russia. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this week said he would be willing to exchange the land Ukraine has seized in Russia for the land occupied by Moscow’s troops in its eastern regions. 

The Ukrainian president said he also spoke with Trump following his call with Putin on Wednesday about a “lasting, reliable peace.”

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