Trump hinted that US troops could return to Afghanistan because of China

(Patria) - President Donald Trump hinted that he is working on re-establishing the US presence at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, four years after America's chaotic withdrawal from the country left the base in the hands of the Taliban, AP reported.

Trump made this idea during a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, concluding a state visit to the United Kingdom, and linked it to the need for the US to confront China.

"We are trying to get it back," Trump said about the base in a casual response to a question about ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

While Trump described his call for the US military to re-establish a position in Afghanistan as "breaking news," the Republican president has previously floated the idea. The White House did not immediately respond to AP's questions about whether it or the Pentagon had made any plans to return to the sprawling air base, which was crucial for America's longest war.

Withdrawal During his first term, Trump set conditions for the US withdrawal by negotiating with the Taliban. The twenty-year conflict ended in a disturbing manner under President Joe Biden - the US-backed Afghan government collapsed, a bombing killed thirteen US soldiers and 170 others, and thousands of Afghans flocked to Kabul airport seeking an exit before the last US plane took off over the Hindu Kush.

The Afghanistan debacle was a major blow just eight months into Biden's democratic presidency, from which he struggled to recover.

Biden's Republican critics, including Trump, seized on it for criticism. Those criticisms continue to this day, including last week, when Trump claimed that the move emboldened Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine in February 2022.

"He would never have done what he did, except he had no respect for the leadership of the United States," Trump said, speaking of Putin.

"They just went through a complete disaster in Afghanistan for no reason whatsoever. We were going to leave Afghanistan, but we were going to leave it with strength and dignity. We were going to keep Bagram Air Base - one of the largest air bases in the world. We gave it to them for nothing."

It is unclear whether the United States is conducting new direct or indirect talks with the Taliban government about returning to the country. But Trump hinted that the Taliban, who have been struggling with an economic crisis, international legitimacy, internal divisions, and rival militant groups since returning to power in 2021, might be willing to allow the US military to return.

"We are trying to get it back because they need things from us," Trump said about the Taliban.

China's Proximity

Trump reiterated his view that US presence at Bagram is valuable due to its proximity to China, the United States' most significant economic and military competitor.

"But one of the reasons we want that base is, as you know, it's an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons," he said.

"So, a lot is going on."

Although the United States and the Taliban do not have formal diplomatic relations, the parties have held talks on hostages. An American who was kidnapped more than two years ago while traveling through Afghanistan as a tourist was released by the Taliban in March.

Last week, the Taliban said they had reached an agreement with US envoys on a prisoner exchange as part of efforts to normalize relations between the United States and Afghanistan.

The Taliban did not provide details about the prisoner exchange, and the White House did not comment on the meeting in Kabul or the results described in the Taliban's statement.

The Taliban released photos from the talks, showing their Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, with Trump's Special Envoy for Hostage Response, Adam Boehler.