Five Years On, West Struggles to Retain Leverage Over Taliban-Run Afghanistan

Five years have passed since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, raising serious questions about Western influence over the country. The international community has largely failed to compel the Taliban to moderate its governance or improve human rights conditions. Western nations, which once held economic and diplomatic leverage, have seen their bargaining power significantly diminish over time. The Taliban has consolidated its rule without meaningfully yielding to foreign pressure, leaving policymakers debating what tools, if any, remain available to the West.