Ahmad Massoud, the leader of Afghanistan’s National Resistance Front, in a joint article with Aurélien Pradié, a member of the French Parliament, has called on the European Union to refrain from normalizing relations with the Taliban and from cooperating with the group in efforts to return Afghan refugees. The authors warned that any political engagement with the Taliban could grant legitimacy to the group and send a troubling message to other extremist movements.
The article was published on Monday in the French newspaper Le Monde. In it, Ahmad Massoud and Aurélien Pradié criticized the European Union’s recent approach toward the Taliban, emphasizing that Afghan refugees do not pose a threat to Europe but have fled a government that, in their view, rules Afghanistan through repression and widespread restrictions.
Referring to recent meetings between European Union officials and Taliban representatives in Brussels including discussions on the return of Afghan refugees, the provision of consular services, and the expansion of the Taliban’s diplomatic presence in Europe the authors warned that such developments could lead to the normalization of relations with the Taliban. They also stressed that Europe should not become a tool for pursuing or pressuring opponents of the Taliban.
The article states that although these contacts are described as “technical discussions,” they could, in practice, create conditions for the gradual normalization of political relations with the Taliban. The authors argue that major political shifts often begin with small and incremental concessions, and that repeating such a process can gradually make what was once considered unacceptable appear normal.
Ahmad Massoud and Aurélien Pradié further wrote that their appeal is not a call for European military intervention in Afghanistan, but rather a request for the European Union to refrain from legitimizing the Taliban. In their view, supporting freedom, pluralism, and the right of nations to determine their own future should remain central priorities of European policy.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
