European Union Hosts Taliban Officials for Limited Talks for First Time

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