European Union Hosts Taliban Officials for Limited Talks for First Time

Human rights groups and European politicians charge that this legitimizes the Islamist regime running Afghanistan.

European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels on July 16, 2025. Yves Herman/Reuters

The European Union for the first time hosted Afghanistan’s Taliban government in Brussels, a move that human rights activists and European politicians say legitimizes the Islamist regime.

A spokesman for the European Commission—the EU’s executive branch—said in a June 23 statement that the limited, technical-level talks with Afghanistan’s “de facto authorities” were necessary for deporting Afghan nationals who are dangerous or have committed crimes.