The negotiations between the US and the Taliban have ended after 16 days without a peace deal specifying a timeline for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan. However, US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad stated that “[t]he conditions for peace have improved. It’s clear all sides want to end the war.” The Taliban also spoke of progress, but warned that it had not agreed on a ceasefire or to future negotiations with the Afghan government.

Fighting between the Taliban and Afghanistan’s army has continued during the talks, and the Taliban recently launched new attacks on military targets in the country as a way of increasing its leverage in the negotiations.

Read more: U.S., Taliban talks end for now with no Afghan peace deal