Over Taliban talk ,US Defense Secretary meets President Ghani

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper met Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul on Saturday in a bid to bring talks with the Taliban back on track after President Donald Trump abruptly broke off negotiations last month seeking to end the United States’ longest war.

Esper’s trip to Kabul comes amid questions about the United States’ commitments to allies after a sudden withdrawal of U.S. troops from northeastern Syria and Trump’s long-time desire to get out of foreign engagements.

Trump halted talks with the Taliban, aimed at striking a deal for U.S. and other foreign troops to withdraw in exchange for Taliban security guarantees, after it carried out a bomb attack in Kabul last month that killed 12 people, including a U.S. soldier.

Meanwhile, European Union has called for Afghan ceasefire and said the breakdown in US-Taliban talks presented an opportunity to push for a truce.