Germany is prepared to talk to the Taliban to “safeguard” the gains of the past 20 years, but will not offer the militants any unconditional agreements, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said.

Addressing the German parliament on Wednesday, she said the government would continue evacuations for military and development staff who worked with Germany “for as long as necessary”, while also supporting UN bodies in providing humanitarian aid to people in Afghanistan and those who have fled to neighbouring countries.

She said that German forces had evacuated more than 4,600 people so far - the largest foreign airlift in the country's history - and said Germany would work "in the remaining days to continue to help those who helped us, to offer protection".

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden said there would be no extension to the 31 August deadline for the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. France has already indicated it will end its evacuations from Thursday.

"This new reality is a bitter reality but we must engage with it,” Mrs Merkel said of the Taliban takeover and the increased risk of terrorism.

"What we absolutely underestimated was how breathtakingly fast the Afghan troops would give up against the Taliban, or that such resistance would not even be attempted," she said.