President Biden this week will meet virtually with the leaders of other Group of Seven nations to discuss the chaotic evacuation efforts in Afghanistan, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday.
“The leaders will discuss continuing our close coordination on Afghanistan policy and evacuating our citizens, the brave Afghans who stood with us over the last two decades, and other vulnerable Afghans,” Ms. Psaki said
The virtual meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, comes as international criticism over Mr. Biden’s bungled withdrawal from the country mounts. Thousands of people remain stranded at the Kabul airport as long lines, bureaucratic confusion and Taliban checkpoints have hampered rescue efforts.
British lawmakers slammed the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan during a session in the House of Commons last week, using words such as “shameful,” “ghastly” and “catastrophic.”
French President Emmanuel Macron told Biden during a phone call that it was a “moral responsibility” for the U.S. to evacuate the Afghanistan civilians, according to French newspapers.
The meeting will build upon Mr. Biden’s calls last week with other G-7 leaders, including U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and Mr. Marcon, Ms. Psaki said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday pressed the G-7 nations for more humanitarian aid to help resettle Afghan refugees. She vowed to raise the issue at the next G-7 meeting.
Bloomberg News reported that Mr. Biden assured G-7 leaders in June that the U.S. could maintain the stability of the Afghan government after pulling our military out of the nation. Mr. Biden was so forceful, that the British thought the U.S. would provide security for its embassy to stay in Kabul after the exit.
That turned out to be untrue as the Afghan government collapsed within days after the U.S. withdrawal as Taliban militants overran the country.
Despite the mounting international criticism, Mr. Biden told reporters Friday that U.S. allies are not questioning its credibility.
“I have seen no question of our credibility from our allies around the world,” he said.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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