The European Union is under fire after hosting an unprecedented and secretive meeting with a five-member Taliban delegation in Brussels this week, led by spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi. At least 15 EU member states participated in talks focused on diplomatic services and deporting Afghan criminals back to Afghanistan. The Belgian government granted one-day visas for the Taliban officials after security assessments found no threat, but the venue was withheld for security reasons. This marks the first time the EU has engaged the Taliban on its soil since the group seized power in August 2021.