President Joe Biden is facing harsh criticism and wrath from one of the United States' closest and most important allies.
According to reports earlier this week, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other G7 leaders asked Biden to push back the August 31 deadline for U.S. forces to leave Afghanistan. Taking the side of the Taliban, who said the U.S. leaving on time was a "red line," Biden reaffirmed the date.
"After President Biden rejected G7 allies' request for an extension to the evacuation mission in Kabul beyond August 31, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tried to put a brave face on the situation, saying the group of leading industrialized powers will use its economic leverage to pressure the Taliban into allowing those Afghans who want to leave to do so freely, even after the troops have gone," CNS News reports.
I'm very proud of our incredible Armed Forces who are working flat out to support the evacuation operation in Kabul. https://t.co/3TWoS9J9ZR
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) August 25, 2021
Biden's rejection of the request prompted a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
Winston Churchill’s grandson, former Army officer, former Member of Parliament and former Minister for the Armed Forces of United Kingdom calls the Administration’s Afghanistan policy an “appalling betrayal of America’s most loyal ally” https://t.co/tcJQdIjyH8
— Ryan Browne (@rabrowne75) August 25, 2021
Blistering from @DouglasKMurray in the @Telegraph on @potus and a compliant US media.
— Alastair Stewart (@AlStewartOBE) August 21, 2021
They were not alone.
Many in the UK media also adopted the unquestioning #AnyoneButTrump approach....https://t.co/yV6LeInOKO
Biden has betrayed G7 allies and treated us all with contempt. pic.twitter.com/rOXTO9fuug
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) August 25, 2021
Last week the UK Parliament held Biden in contempt.
