Amid the continued instability in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden talked with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday. They also agreed to meet virtually next week to explore a common strategy and approach.
National security advisor Jake Sullivan said at a news conference earlier Tuesday that Biden had not talked with any foreign leaders, but that he, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and other officials were in contact with their counterparts.
Joe Biden, Boris Johnson to build strategy and approach
In the same conference, White House press secretary Jen Psaki stated that if the president sees a "benefit in picking up the phone and contacting a global leader, he would do so," NBC News reported.
Sullivan said the US was not yet ready to announce whether it recognized the Taliban's government, describing the situation in Afghanistan as "chaotic" and saying that it'll be up to the Taliban to demonstrate to the rest of the world who they are and how they plan to proceed. Following President Ashraf Ghani's departure from Afghanistan, the Taliban seized control of Kabul on Sunday, putting an end to a 20-year US effort to rebuild the Afghan government and military.
As the two leaders talked for the first time since the Taliban seized control, Boris Johnson implored Joe Biden not to forfeit the "gains earned in Afghanistan" over the last 20 years. Biden commented, arguing that the US was not involved in "nation-building" as he justified his chaotic departure from Afghanistan.
As Taliban terrorists took control of Kabul in recent days, the US president has not talked to any international leaders, adding to growing dissatisfaction among his transatlantic allies over his handling of the issue. The low level of communication from the White House has caused worries in the UK and Europe, with some even saying that it has reverted to Donald Trump's "America First" approach.
Following the call, Downing Street announced that Biden will participate in a virtual conference of G7 leaders in the coming days to address the consequences of the US military withdrawal.
The US president cited the need for close coordination with allies on Afghanistan policy going forward, a clear indicator of European and Nato partners' criticism that the disastrous pullout had raised questions about NATO's deterrence capabilities as well as Europe's security reliance on Washington.
Biden's defense management sparked outrage
A senior Biden administration source pushed back, citing a "number" of phone contacts between US Secretary of State Tony Blinken and his European counterparts. While Downing Street has refrained from criticizing Biden, numerous sources have said that the tone of Biden's Monday address, in which he supported the withdrawal, surprised many.
Separately, Gavin Barwell, a former minister and chief of staff to Theresa May, said Biden's address had demonstrated the need for European countries to "wake up and smell the coffee." Merkel and her cabinet have avoided public criticism of the US, but there is deep dissatisfaction in Berlin behind the scenes, as per The Daily Telegraph.
Following the disaster, Norbert Röttgen, the head of the German parliament's foreign affairs committee, stated that Germany's foreign policy must be fundamentally reoriented. The president of the United States' uncompromising defense of his management of the pullout has sparked outrage both at home and abroad.
According to the former US ambassador to the United Nations, Joe Biden has made the world "less safe" and shattered everything achieved in Afghanistan over the previous 20 years. In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Nikki Haley lashed out at President Biden for withdrawing the US out of Afghanistan, starting a "tragic" chain of events that she feels has destroyed all the US has worked for in the previous two decades.
Per Express.co, she accused the President of humiliating America and mocked the idea that there were no other alternatives. According to the former UN ambassador, the pullout could not have gone any worse, and Biden had failed horribly as the nation descended into anarchy under Taliban authority. Her harsh remarks came after Joe Biden said at a news conference on Monday evening that the Afghan government and authorities were to blame for the country's downfall.
Related Article: Joe Biden Washes US Hands Off, Blames Afghan Leaders for Taliban Take Over
