EU calls for Afghan ceasefire as Esper makes surprise visit to Kabul
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European Union officials on Sunday called for a ceasefire in Afghanistan, saying the breakdown in U.S.-Taliban talks presented an opportunity to push for a truce, as the U.S. defense secretary made an unexpected visit to Kabul.

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U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper arrives in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo: AP)

U.S. President Donald Trump last month declared talks with the insurgents "dead," citing a Taliban attack that killed a U.S. soldier.

Negotiations had been in the final stages for a deal that would have seen Washington pull troops from Afghanistan after 18 years – longest war in the American history – in return for various Taliban guarantees.

"The aim is to still get a peace agreement at some point, a political agreement. That is the best way forward," Esper told reporters traveling with him to Afghanistan. He is due to meet President Ashraf Ghani and U.S. troops while in Afghanistan.

"I hope we can move forward and come up with a political agreement that meets our ends and meets the goals we want to achieve," Esper said, adding that talks were in the State Department's domain.

He added that the United States could go down to about 8,600 troops, from the current 14,000, without affecting counter-terrorism operations, if needed.

A Taliban delegation met U.S. special representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad for more than an hour in Pakistan this month, though officials said it did not represent a resumption of formal negotiations.

Some U.S. officials believed Khalilzad would resign after Trump ended talks with the Taliban.

One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that after Trump's sudden announcement that the United States would withdraw all its troops from northern Syria last week, there was more of a realization that Trump was serious about withdrawing from Afghanistan as well.

This marks Esper's first overseas visit as defense secretary.