"Since the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan we have had to watch the Taliban, with breathtaking speed, province for province, town for town, reconquer the entire country. This is an absolutely bitter development: Bitter, dramatic and awful, especially for the people in Afghanistan," said Merkel. Johnson has also come under fire from members of his own Parliament, who are angry at the decision by Biden and Johnson to remove troops. Merkel and Johnson are the only two confirmed world leaders Biden has talked to since the fall of Kabul. Biden has since warned the Taliban that any threat to the U.S. mission will be met with a swift response.

Source: Fox News August 18, 2021 18:27 UTC