U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday said he does not regret his decision to pull U.S. forces out of Afghanistan amid reports of rising civilian casualties as the Taliban make gains in the country.
"We spent over $1 trillion over 20 years. We trained and equipped with modern equipment over 300,000 Afghan forces," Biden said at a news conference. "And Afghan leaders have to come together. We lost thousands, we lost to death and injury, thousands of American personnel. They’ve got to fight for themselves, fight for their nation."
Biden vowed the U.S. would keep its commitments to provide air support, resupply Afghan forces with food and equipment, and pay their salaries. "But they’ve got to want to fight," Biden added.
"I think they're beginning to realize they’ve got to come together politically at the top," the president said. "But we’re going to continue to keep our commitment. But I do not regret my decision."
Over the weekend, the Taliban seized a string of provincial capitals, including the strategically and economically important city of Kunduz. The battlefield gains come as the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is largely done, with an official end date set by Biden of Aug. 31.
