FxWirePro: Daily Commodity Tracker - 21st March, 2022 
Both President Donald Trump and his Secretary of State indicated that the United States is ready to provide political legitimacy to Taliban, which the country has been fighting for almost 17 years in Afghanistan. During a speech on Afghanistan strategy, President Trump said, “Someday, after an effective military effort, perhaps it will be possible to have a political settlement that includes elements of the Taliban in Afghanistan. But nobody knows if or when that will ever happen.” While it might be an encouraging news for the Taliban insurgents and militants in Afghanistan, the United States has not provided further details like what the pre-conditions would be for such talks and currently not be ruling out military actions against Taliban militants while it trains Afghan government troops.
In recent months, there have been major setbacks in Afghanistan for the U.S. government and the Afghan governments as Taliban insurgents take back control of regions and key provinces which it had lost earlier. There was immense pressure on the Trump administration to layout US strategies in Afghanistan. Here is the full statement from the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Afghanistan strategy.
“This evening, President Trump announced the new integrated strategy for the U.S. approach to South Asia that will require diplomatically engaging Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India to create the conditions for stability in the region.
This new strategy signals clear support for the Afghan people and government. We will continue to support the Afghan government and security forces in their fight against terrorists and prevent the reestablishment of safe havens in the country.
Our new strategy breaks from previous approaches that set artificial calendar-based deadlines. We are making clear to the Taliban that they will not win on the battlefield. The Taliban has a path to peace and political legitimacy through a negotiated political settlement to end the war.
We stand ready to support peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban without preconditions. We look to the international community, particularly Afghanistan’s neighbors, to join us in supporting an Afghan peace process.
Pakistan has suffered greatly from terrorism and can be an important partner in our shared goals of peace and stability in the region. We look to Pakistan to take decisive action against militant groups based in Pakistan that are a threat to the region. It is vital to U.S. interests that Afghanistan and Pakistan prevent terrorist sanctuaries.
India will be an important partner in the effort to ensure peace and stability in the region, and we welcome its role in supporting Afghanistan’s political and economic modernization.”
