Washington. August 18. INTERFAX-US NATO allies could not stay in Afghanistan after Washington decided to withdraw its contingent from this country, Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told CNN.
"Indeed, it was politically impossible for the European allies to continue operating in Afghanistan, given the fact that the United States decided to end its military mission. We entered there together, changed (the nature of the military-IF) presence together and now we are leaving together, " he said.
He explained that if NATO forces had remained in Afghanistan, they would have had to fight the Taliban more actively again (banned in the Russian Federation).
Against the background of the current situation, Stoltenberg also called on NATO allies to stick together. "It is in the interests of our national security to work together, especially in the light of changes in the global balance of power, such as China and a more assertive Russia," the Secretary General explained.
