Europe urges unity on Taliban but is quiet on failed mission

European countries have looked on with dismay as two decades of a U

LONDON -- Like much of the world, European countries have looked on with dismay as two decades of a U.S-led Western campaign in Afghanistan collapsed within hours. Britain and other European nations say they will not recognize any government formed by the Taliban and want the West to work together on a common stance. But U.K. and European leaders have so far not spoken forcefully on Afghanistan, and their hands are tied in many ways: They have little leverage over the Taliban, and they are deeply reluctant to publicly criticize the withdrawal decision by the United States, their powerful NATO ally, or comment on their own role in the failed intervention. NATO countries were left with little choice but to pull out the roughly 7,000 non-American forces in Afghanistan after President Joe Biden announced in April that he was ending the U.S. involvement in the war by September, 20 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.