Leaders of the U.K., Germany and other Western nations bemoaned the stunning fall of Afghanistan, while foes such as China and Iran criticized the \u2026<\/b>
\nLeaders of the U.K., Germany and other Western nations bemoaned the stunning fall of Afghanistan, while foes such as China and Iran criticized the role the U.S. played in the war-torn Middle Eastern nation. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that there were many lessons to be learned from the \u201cswift and sudden\u201d collapse of Afghanistan. Led by the U.S., thousands of NATO service members have fought in Afghanistan since 2001. \u201cWe were always aware of the risks that Taliban could regain control. That was stated clearly when we made the decision to end our military presence,\u201d Stoltenberg told reporters during a press briefing. \u201cBut it was a surprise, the speed of the collapse, and how swiftly that happened.\u201d Prior to the briefing, NATO convened an emergency meeting with leaders of several of its 30 member states to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. On Sunday, the Taliban invaded and captured Kabul, Afghanistan\u2019s capital, the culmination of the group\u2019s multi-week effort to take control of the country. The complete fall of the government, which the U.S. helped put in place in 2002, came mere months after President Joe Biden announced his administration\u2019s plans to pull all of the remaining American troops out of the country by Sept.11,2021. Janez Jansa, the prime minister of NATO member Slovenia, characterized the rapid collapse of Afghanistan as the \u201cgreatest defeat for NATO in history\u201d on Monday, according to the Associated Press. Jansa noted the massive handover of NATO weaponry, equipment and vehicles to the Taliban. \u201cThe situation remains very difficult and it\u2019s clear that there is going to be\u2026 a new government in Kabul or a new political dispensation, however you want to put it,\u201d U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a video statement Sunday. \u201cI think it\u2019s very important that the West collectively should work together to get over to that new government, be it by the Taliban or anybody else, that nobody wants Afghanistan once again to be a breeding ground for terror.\u201d Johnson held calls with Stoltenberg, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel over the last few days. The leaders all agreed the West had a role to play in preventing a \u201chumanitarian crisis\u201d and facilitating the evacuation of thousands of foreign nationals from Afghanistan. \u201cAfghanistan must not become the haven for terrorists that it once was,\u201d Macron told the French public on Monday, Reuters reported. \u201cIt is a challenge for peace and international stability, against a common enemy.\u201d He added that France would welcome its fair share of Afghan refugees fleeing out of concern for their safety. (RELATED: A \u2018Mistake That Will Haunt Us For Decades\u2019: McCarthy Calls For Biden Admin To Be Investigated Amid Afghanistan Collapse) \u201cSince 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,\u201d Merkel said Monday in a national address of her own, according to Reuters. \u201cThis is an absolutely bitter development: Bitter, dramatic and awful, especially for the people in Afghanistan.\u201d \u201cWe need to make sure that the many people who have big worries and concerns, even though they have not worked with German institutions, have a secure stay in countries neighboring Afghanistan,\u201d she continued. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau echoed the British, French and German leaders and committed to welcoming thousands of refugees, CTV News reported. Trudeau described the situation as \u201cextremely dire,\u201d saying Canada has already accepted 500 refugees and plans to accept hundreds more. \u201cWe take very seriously the situation,\u201d Trudeau said. (RELATED: US Troops Secure Kabul Airport, Begin Military Evac Flights For US Citizens) Biden hasn\u2019t discussed Afghanistan with any world leaders yet, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday. \u201cTo be honest, people have been shocked by the chaotic scenes at the Kabul airport on television and the internet since yesterday, especially the video clips capturing some unfortunately falling to their deaths after clinging to the landing gear of a U.S. aircraft to evacuate,\u201d Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters Tuesday. \u201cThe U.S. launched the Afghan War in the name of counterterrorism,\u201d she continued. \u201cBut has the U.S. won? For 20 years, the number of terrorist organizations in Afghanistan grew to more than 20 from a single digit.\u201d China would respect the Taliban\u2019s authority and Afghanistan\u2019s sovereignty, Hua Chunying said. (RELATED: CNN Reporter Says Taliban Members Who Chant \u2018Death To America\u2019 Seem \u2018Friendly At The Same Time\u2019) An editorial published in the Chinese state-controlled media outlet Global Times said the fall of the Afghan government represented a \u201ccomplete failure\u201d by the U.S. A separate article suggested the U.S. would abandon other global allies like Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory. \u201cThe Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the reign of the will of the wronged people of Afghanistan has always created security and stability,\u201d Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told Al Jazeera on Monday. \u201cWhile consciously monitoring developments in the country, Iran is committed to neighborly relations.\u201d He also said the Taliban\u2019s victory may \u201crevive life, security and lasting peace.\u201d (RELATED: \u2018Such A Profound Bold-Faced Lie\u2019: Former CIA Analyst Let\u2019s Biden Have It, Goes After Brian Williams For Praising President) Russia, which recently hosted Taliban officials for a peace conference, has stopped short of officially recognizing the Taliban government, according to Agence France-Presse. However, senior Russian officials said that the Taliban has been cooperative in recent talks. \u201cThey are currently engaged in restoring order in the city and have succeeded in this,\u201d Russian ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov said Tuesday, AFP reported. \u201cThey behave in a responsible, civilized manner.\u201d China, Iran and Russia said they would keep their Kabul embassies open, according to Reuters and France 24.<\/p>\n