NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned that the hasty withdrawal of US and coalition troops from Afghanistan could come at a heavy price.
The NATO chief's statement came after reports that US President Donald Trump may order the withdrawal of large numbers of US troops from Afghanistan in the coming weeks.
"We are facing a difficult decision now, we have been in Afghanistan for almost 20 years and no NATO ally wants to stay there unnecessarily, but at the same time very soon," Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement, according to news agencies. Or an unorganized return can come at a hefty price.
There are less than 12,000 troops from dozens of NATO member countries in Afghanistan, helping to train local security forces.
About half of those troops are American, and the 30-nation alliance relies heavily on the US military for transportation, logistics and other matters.
"There is still a danger that international terrorists on Afghan soil could plan attacks on our countries," Jens Stoltenberg said.
Criticism of NATO Secretary-General's warning over Donald Trump's decision is unusual, as Jens Stoltenberg has so far been cautious about Donald Trump's alliance decisions.
Donald Trump's Secretary of Defense, Mark Asper, was fired after losing to Joe Biden in this month's presidential election, and was replaced by Christopher Miller, who addressed US troops in conflict-ridden countries "It's time to go home,"
Under the plan, the number of US troops in Afghanistan will be halved by January 15 to 2,500.
It should be noted that the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan is part of the agreement reached by the Trump administration with the Taliban in February this year, in return for which the Taliban have guaranteed US security interests.
However, since the agreement, the Taliban have carried out several attacks on Afghan forces, who have been trained by NATO forces.
The Taliban say the Kabul government is not part of the deal in Doha, Qatar.
Negotiations for a lasting peace agreement between the two sides have been underway in Doha since September, but a series of violent incidents continue in the country, raising questions about future peace in the country.
