When American President Donald Trump was elected in 2016, he was an unfamiliar figure in Afghanistan. People were anxious about this new personality and wondered whether he would understand the intricacies and challenges that they faced, particularly the multitude of issues related to terrorism.
At the time, Afghanistan was also witnessing neighboring countries — China, Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan — entertain warmer ties with the Taliban. This made it difficult for the democratic leadership in Kabul, surrounded by authoritarian states, to navigate the huge challenges it faced.
Now that Trump is president again, hopefully, he will recognize the failure of the peace talks with the Taliban that resulted in their return to power in 2021 and acknowledge the lack of sincerity on the part of Pakistan and other regional actors. The new administration is already getting tough by cutting financial aid to the Taliban and pushing for the return of American weapons and ammunition.
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