Afghanistan: Academic from Huddersfield University speaks out ahead of G7
Peter Woodcock says refugees will be made to feel welcome in West Yorkshire
The seven G7 countries are meeting virtually this morning, as criticism mounts of America's decision to pull it's troops out of Afghanistan.
It's likely that Britain will ask the American president to reconsider leaving Afghanistan by August 31st, as British troops needs American forces there to be able to keep Kabul airport under allied control.
Dr Peter Woodcock is a politics lecturer at Huddersfield University. He's told Greatest Hits Radio Britain has a clear aim: "The first thing that Britain will want to achieve will be to try and persuade Joe Biden to leave his troops at Kabul airport for longer.
"This will give more time for the evacuation process. People who have worked for the allied forces or people fleeing the Taliban, that gives them a chance to get out.
"It doesn't seem likely that that's something that will interest Joe Biden or the Americans. They want to get out of Afghanistan."
He says America's priority is to bring it's soldiers home and stay out of the conflict. Peter Woodcock believes any special relationship between the UK and America is over, if it ever existed before.
But the world affairs expert does believe that Afghan refugees who arrive in Yorkshire will be made welcome: "You'll find there is an Afghan community in West Yorkshire and that will act as an informal network of people to meet one another.
"People from West Yorkshire are a friendly bunch. You get very few more neighbourly people than the people of West Yorkshire. I'm sure we'll make excellent hosts."