European Union officials on Sunday called for a ceasefire in Afghanistan, saying the breakdown in U.S.-Taliban talks presented an opportunity to push for a truce, as the U.S. defense secretary made an unexpected visit to Kabul.

U.S. President Donald Trump last month declared talks with the insurgents "dead," citing a Taliban attack that killed a U.S. soldier.

Trump says Afghanistan peace talks with Taliban 'dead'

Timeline of U.S.-Taliban talks

Negotiations had been in the final stages for a deal that would have seen Washington pull troops from Afghanistan after 18 years – longest war in the American history – in return for various Taliban guarantees.

Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani separately met with visiting U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper in Kabul on Sunday, said Arg, the country's presidential palace on Monday. 

"We (Afghanistan) want U.S. support for Afghanistan and for expanding relations between the two countries in various areas, especially in the security sector," the presidential palace quoted Ghani as saying in a statement. 

The two sides also discussed the peace process with the Taliban. 

Ghani and Esper discussed a range of topics including the security situation in Afghanistan and the region, the fight against administrative corruption, war on terrorism, and peace with the Taliban in Arg on Sunday night, according to the statement. 

Esper emphasized the effectiveness of the United States' support to Afghan security forces, the statement said. 

Esper and Pelosi arrived in Kabul on Sunday for unannounced visits to the country. This marks Esper's first overseas visit as defense secretary.

A Taliban delegation met U.S. special representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad for more than an hour in Pakistan this month, though officials said it did not represent a resumption of formal negotiations.

Some U.S. officials believed Khalilzad would resign after Trump ended talks with the Taliban.

One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that after Trump's sudden announcement that the United States would withdraw all its troops from northern Syria last week, there was more of a realization that Trump was serious about withdrawing from Afghanistan as well.

(With input from agencies)