Germany decided to increase the stay of its military troops in Afghanistan beyond an April 30 deadline that the US last year agreed with the Taliban for the withdrawal of US forces after nearly two decades of war.
Lawmakers ratified a new decree which allows the German military to keep up to 1,300 troops in Afghanistan as part of a NATO mission until 31st January 2022. The current parliamentary mandate for the German military expires at the end of March.
The new US administration is still reviewing the 2020 agreement with the Taliban so it is not yet clear whether or for how long NATO troops will stay in Afghanistan. The German government has warned that a premature withdrawal of NATO troops could put those peace talks in danger. They also added that NATO troops would need to prepare for Taliban violence if they stay beyond the end of April.
