Judge the Taliban on actions not words, says UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday the Taliban should be judged on their actions, warning countries against "prematurely or bilaterally" recognising the Islamist hardliners.

"We will judge this regime based on the choices it makes and by its actions rather than by its words, on its attitudes to terrorism, to crime and narcotics, as well as humanitarian access and the rights of girls to receive an education," he told parliament.

US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed Afghanistan on Tuesday and announced a virtual summit of the G7 leaders on the crisis, the White House said.

"They agreed to hold a virtual G7 leaders' meeting next week to discuss a common strategy and approach," the White House said in a statement.

This was the first phone call between Biden and a foreign leader since the startling weekend takeover by the Taliban of Kabul, prompting a panicky operation to withdraw final US and allied personnel from the city's airport.

The sudden Taliban victory has sparked fears of a large-scale humanitarian crisis both in Afghanistan and possibly involving waves of refugees seeking asylum abroad, including in western Europe.