Afghanistan

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will propose a new presidential election within six months, under a peace plan he will put forward as a counter-offer to a U.S. proposal that he rejects … Ghani will unveil his proposal at an international gathering in Turkey next month, signalling his refusal to accept Washington’s plan for his elected government to be replaced by an interim administration.

The Taliban warned Washington Friday against defying a May 1 deadline for the withdrawal of American and NATO troops from Afghanistan, promising a reaction, which could mean increased attacks by the insurgent group. Biden told ABC in an interview Wednesday that the May 1 deadline "could happen, but it is tough," adding that if the deadline is extended it won't be by "a lot longer."

The United Nations Secretary-General on Wednesday announced the appointment of seasoned mediator Jean Arnault as his new Personal Envoy on Afghanistan and Regional Issues, reflecting the Organization’s continued commitment to the peaceful resolution to the decades-long conflict in the country. 

US President Joe Biden has warned it will be "tough" to meet a May 1 deadline to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan, as agreed with the Taliban, ahead of a key summit hosted by Russia on Thursday to revive the Afghan peace process.

The new proposal by the United States for ending the war in Afghanistan outlines an ambitious process of international, regional, and national diplomacy. … Missing from the new plan, however, is a formula for establishing interim security arrangements during the transition period.

 Abdullah Abdullah, head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, joined by political leaders and peace negotiators left Kabul on Wednesday to Russia for Moscow conference on Afghan peace, his office confirmed. “We acknowledge the pivotal role of Afghanistan’s neighbors, and Russia in establishing a lasting peace in the country,” Abdullah's office said.

Russia has sent invitations to leading Afghan politicians, the Taliban, and envoys of the United States, China, and Pakistan to participate in a three day conference starting March 18 on how to facilitate the peace process in Afghanistan.’

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has made a blunt new push for a UN-led peace effort in Afghanistan. In a letter to the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Mr Blinken called for a 90-day reduction in violence and a transitional government formed from both sides. Mr Blinken also said no decision had been made about whether to stick to a planned US troop withdrawal by 1 May.

The US special envoy to Afghanistan touched down in Kabul on Monday for meetings with Afghan leaders, in a bid to revive a flagging peace process as violence soars in the war-weary country and a deadline for US troop withdrawal draws closer.

The Taliban demanded Sunday that the United States and its foreign military allies leave Afghanistan by May 1, in line with a peace agreement the insurgent group signed with Washington a year ago, warning any attempt to change the path “is already doomed to failure.”