European leaders, staggered by Afghanistan’s collapse, are wary of China and Russia’s plans
- Beijing and Moscow will ‘have the embassy presence, and this is going to change the geopolitical balance of power’, Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat, says
- In Britain, members of the ruling Conservative Party take the lead in criticising Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government
After a week in which they were roundly criticised by their own legislatures for the spiralling crisis in Afghanistan, top officials in Europe and Britain had few answers about the potential power vacuum in Central Asia following Nato’s rapid exit but said they were concerned about the intentions of China and Russia in the region.
The humanitarian crisis had been the priority, these leaders said, even as their rhetoric suggested they were also determined to avoid another influx of migrants to Europe. But geopolitical questions loomed large.
A weary-looking Josep Borrell, the European Union’s high representative and its top diplomat, told the European Parliament this week that the Afghanistan crisis was the “most important geopolitical event since the Crimea annexation”.
“China has recognised the Taliban, Russia will do it too. They’re going to have the embassy presence, and this is going to change the geopolitical balance of power,” Borrell said.
“We need to engage actively with our regional and international stakeholders that have a stake in the future of Afghanistan, and we are aware that Turkey, China, Russia will have a new opportunity to increase the influence there.”