Taliban seek 'lion's share of power' in deadlocked peace talks -U.S. envoy

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks about refugee programs for Afghans who aided the U.S. during a briefing at the State Department in Washington, DC, U.S. August 2, 2021. Brendan Smialowski/Pool via REUTERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Taliban and the Kabul government are far apart in U.S.-backed talks on bringing peace to Afghanistan, with the insurgents demanding "the lion's share of power" in any new government, the special U.S. envoy said on Tuesday.

Afghan-born veteran U.S. diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad's bleak assessment of the peace process coincides with the Taliban advancing on provincial capitals that have uprooted thousands of civilians as the U.S. troop pullout nears completion after 20 years of war.