Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Ronald Neumann .

Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Ronald Neumann says he can envision Washington reopening its embassy in Kabul under Taliban rule, but argues that such a move should come only in exchange for concrete policy changes by the Taliban.

Neumann, who served as US ambassador to Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007, made the remarks in an interview with i24NEWS, saying there are practical reasons for Washington to engage with the Taliban despite deep disagreements over their policies.

"Yes, I can imagine that," Neumann said when asked whether the US flag could again fly over the embassy in Kabul.

He said, however, that the Taliban would need to make policy changes, particularly because their treatment of women could generate strong political opposition to reopening the embassy in the United States.

"I think the Taliban would have to make some policy changes, mostly because the domestic American political backlash to just ignoring what they are doing to women, particularly, I think that would be very strong," he said.

The United States closed its embassy in Kabul and suspended operations there during the withdrawal of US forces and the collapse of the former Afghan government in August 2021. Washington has not formally recognized the Taliban rule.

Neumann said the Taliban had sought to maintain political relations with Washington even during negotiations in Doha before their return to power.

"The Taliban made clear even during the negotiations in Doha that they wanted a political relationship to remain," he said. "They wanted the military to go."

He said Washington is already engaging pragmatically with the Taliban in areas where their interests overlap, including efforts to secure the release of Americans detained in Afghanistan and counterterrorism.

"The United States is already dealing with the Taliban pragmatically," Neumann said. "In certain areas there have been missions to Kabul, particularly concerning the release of American hostages that are held in Afghanistan, and also counterterrorism."

But he said the Taliban`s policies, particularly their treatment of women and girls, remain a major obstacle to closer relations.

Neumann said the Taliban have not moderated their approach since returning to power and that their policies toward women have instead become more restrictive. He described their interpretation of Islam as an "almost medieval view" that is not shared by most Muslim countries.

He also argued that completely disengaging from Afghanistan could carry risks for the United States.

"We`ve stayed out of Afghanistan several times in the past," Neumann said. "Whenever we turn our back on Afghanistan, we end up getting bitten in some sensitive place."

His remarks come as some regional powers have expanded their engagement with the Taliban. Russia has formally recognized their rule, while China and several of Afghanistan`s neighbors have developed political and economic relations with Kabul.

Neumann said Afghanistan`s mineral resources could potentially provide another incentive for future US engagement but cautioned that significant investment remains years away.

Developing Afghanistan`s mineral resources would require sustained security, investment and greater rule of law to give companies confidence that their investments would be protected, he said.

"None of that exists now," Neumann said. "It could in theory all be created; until it is created, I don`t think this is a serious idea."

Reflecting on the previous two decades of US involvement in Afghanistan, Neumann said Washington initially provided too little economic assistance and later poured billions of dollars into the country faster than Afghan institutions could effectively absorb it.

He recalled requesting $600 million in additional economic assistance while serving as ambassador but receiving $43 million because US resources were heavily focused on Iraq.

Later, he said, Washington spent billions in an effort to achieve rapid stabilization, but much of the money was concentrated in limited areas.

"The Afghan political system could not absorb that money," Neumann said. "When it can`t absorb it, it bleeds it off in corruption."

Neumann said any future US rapprochement with the Taliban should proceed gradually, with each concession by Washington tied to a concrete action by the Taliban.

"You should only trade real actions for real actions," he said.

If reopening the US Embassy is something the Taliban want and Washington determines that doing so is also in the US interest, Neumann said the United States should seek a specific concession in return rather than rely on promises of future changes.

He said there is little trust between the two sides and warned that reopening the embassy without securing anything in return could signal that the Taliban do not need to change their positions.

"If you do things like opening an embassy without getting anything in return, you simply leave the message that the Afghans don`t have to move," Neumann said. "They just stay put, and the United States will bow and change its position."

The US Embassy in Kabul has remained closed since August 2021, with US diplomatic activities related to Afghanistan conducted from outside the country.