President Joe Biden ignored requests from NATO ally and United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson to speak about the Aghanistan crisis for more than 24 hours this week.
While Biden was lounging at Camp David on Monday after his administration botched the U.S. military withdrawal in Afghanistan, Johnson reportedly “had been attempting to get Mr. Biden on the phone to discuss Kabul falling from Monday morning.” It wasn’t until 10 p.m. on Tuesday that the men finally talked.
"Biden ignored Boris Johnson’s attempts to speak on the phone for 36+ hours." https://t.co/AWPue3j2la
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) August 19, 2021
During their conversation, the White House said Biden and Johnson “discussed the need for continued close coordination among allies and democratic partners on Afghanistan policy going forward” but reports indicate that the Biden administration left the UK and other members of NATO in the dark about the U.S.’s withdrawal plans. This lack of shared information sparked backlash against Biden and Johnson from members of the UK Parliament.
As of Tuesday morning, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that he had spoken to several “foreign counterparts,” but Biden had yet to speak to any other world leaders about the Taliban and unfolding overseas chaos.
“He has not yet spoken with any other world leaders,” Sullivan said in a press briefing Tuesday. “Myself, Secretary Blinken, several other senior members of the team have been engaged on a regular basis with foreign counterparts, and we intend to do so in the coming days,” Sullivan added.
Sullivan said the main issue is “operational.”
“It’s about how we coordinate with them to help them get their people out. And we are operating through logistical channels and policy channels to try to make that happen,” he said.
