Germany: tie Afghanistan troop pullout to talks’ progress

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s foreign minister says the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan should be tied to progress in stuttering peace negotiations between the Kabul government and the Taliban, rather than sticking “slavishly” to an end-of-April deadline. Germany is the second-biggest contributor to NATO’s Resolute Support training and assistance mission in Afghanistan, after the United States. President Joe Biden’s new administration has said it plans to review the peace agreement signed last February between the U.S. and the Taliban. The Pentagon has said the Taliban’s refusal to meet commitments to reduce violence in Afghanistan is raising questions about whether all U.S. troops will be able to leave by May as required under the peace deal.