Afghanistan Peace Talks: Trump Says He Had 'Very Good' Talk With Taliban Leader

President Trump said Tuesday he had a “very good” telephone conversation with a top leader of the Taliban about the peace agreement signed during the weekend even as glitches with the accord surfaced.

As he left the White House, Trump told reporters he had a “very good talk” with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s top political leader.

The peace agreement was signed in Qatar, opening the way for the U.S. to begin bringing troops home after nearly two decades of war, which began in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington after the U.S. accused the Taliban of harboring al-Qaida. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, however, balked at releasing Taliban prisoners before his government starts direct negotiations with the insurgents.

“We’ve agreed there’s no violence. We don’t want violence. We’ll see what happens. They’re dealing with Afghanistan. But we’ll see what happens,” the president said.

The Taliban issued a statement saying Trump praised the Afghans as a “tough people” fighting for their homeland. The group said it sees “positive bilateral relations” with the U.S. in the future.

Baradar helped negotiate the Qatar agreement, which culminated after a decade of talks. The Afghan government did not participate.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee plans to hold hearings on the accord but has yet to schedule any sessions. Congress, however, does not have to approve the document since it’s not a treaty.

Trump said Saturday he planned to meet with top Taliban leaders but warned U.S. troops would go back if the peace agreement fails to hold.

The agreement calls for the number of U.S. troops to be reduced from 13,000 to 8,600 within 135 days and for all U.S. forces to withdraw within 14 months. In exchange, the Taliban agreed to cut ties with terrorist groups.

Anas Haqqani, a senior member of the Haqqani network, a key Taliban fighting force, said he considered the agreement an admission by the U.S. that it had failed in its mission. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” no one is under the illusion that the road to peace “will be straightforward.”

Pakistan on Tuesday called on Kabul to adhere to the agreement and release some 5,000 Taliban prisoners as a gesture of goodwill in exchange for the release of some 1,000 prisoners held by the Taliban. Ghani balked at the prisoner swap, and, in response, the Taliban resumed hostilities in the northeast.

"The issue of prisoners is a domestic decision for Afghanistan to take, there have to be talks and trust. It’s not an easy decision to make without a clear analysis of the situation," Javid Faisal, Afghan National Security Council spokesman, told Al Jazeera. "Pakistan making a comment on this is a clear interference in our sovereignty.”