Shock and awe: World expresses concern as Taliban enter Kabul

Taliban stunned several global leaders as they easily took over the capital city of Kabul on Sunday after conquering Mazar-e-sharif and Jalalabad overnight on Saturday. 

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After Taliban militants entered Kabul on Sunday, President Ashraf Ghani left the country saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed. It brought the group close to taking over the country two decades after they were overthrown by a US-led invasion.  

Many countries have spoken against the Taliban's takeover and are now sending military flights to rescue nationals from Afghanistan. 

US President Joe Biden released a statement before the Taliban entered the city of Kabul. It read: "One more year, or five more years, of US military presence would not have made a difference if the Afghan military cannot or will not hold its own country."

"And an endless American presence in the middle of another country’s civil conflict was not acceptable to me."

After the Taliban entered the capital city, the Biden administration was stunned at the pace of the group's advance. While referring to the Afghan military, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, "We've seen that that force has been unable to defend the country, and that has happened more quickly than we anticipated."  

European Union Commission's Vice President Margaritis Schina expressed his concerns on Afghanistan, saying: "The clock has run out on how long we can wait to adopt the complete overhaul of Europe’s migration and asylum rules we need."

India has decided not to shut its embassy in Kabul and as per sources close to PTI, the government has kept a fleet of C-17 Globemaster military transport aircraft on standby to undertake evacuation missions. 

"The government is closely monitoring fast-paced developments in Afghanistan. We will not put the lives of our staff at the Indian Embassy in Kabul at any risk," said a source told PTI.

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British PM Boris Johnson vowed to never turn his back on Afghanistan.

"What we must do now is not turn our backs on Afghanistan," he stressed, adding that Britain could be "extremely proud" of its role in the country, especially in advancing girls' education, gains that are now imperilled by the Taliban advance.

We must not abandon Afghanistan, he stressed, adding that Britain can take great pride in its role in the country, particularly in the advancement of girls' education, gains now threatened by the Taliban's advance.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres expressed his concern "about the future of women and girls, whose hard-won rights must be protected" in a statement. The UNSC is set to meet on Monday and will discuss the situation in Afghanistan.