Five years after the Taliban swept to power, does the West have any influence?

The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. As of 2026, the Taliban government has not been recognized by the United Nations, and most Western nations have not established formal diplomatic relations with it. The U.S. and European countries maintain frozen Afghan central bank assets and have conditioned any financial aid or recognition on Taliban actions regarding human rights and counterterrorism commitments.

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