Five years after the fall of Kabul: why Brussels and The Hague are cautiously reopening contacts with the Taliban in Afghanistan

Five years after the fall of Kabul and the chaotic withdrawal of Western forces from Afghanistan, an uncomfortable question is returning to European politics: was the Taliban supposed to remain isolated forever? If European governments insist they will never recognise the regime, why are they once again sitting around the table with Taliban representatives? And what does that say about the promises made during two decades of Western intervention, particularly on women's rights and democracy? As migration pressures rise and European governments look for ways to return rejected Afghan asylum seekers, the answer is becoming increasingly clear. Across Europe, including in the Netherlands, a cautious and highly controversial form of engagement with the Taliban is re-emerging.