China News Service, April 30, reported that NATO officials said on the 29th that after US President Biden announced the withdrawal of US troops in Afghanistan, NATO has also begun to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
An anonymous NATO official said, "The NATO allies decided in mid-April that they will begin to withdraw their "firm support mission" military forces before May 1. This work has already begun."
The official emphasized that the withdrawal will be carried out in accordance with an "orderly, coordinated and prudent process" agreed by NATO allies, and NATO plans to complete the withdrawal within a few months.
The official declined to disclose the number of troops to withdraw from each country and the specific timetable, but said that the safety of NATO allied forces "will be the top priority at every step and we are taking all necessary measures to prevent our personnel from being harmed."
The official pointed out, “During the withdrawal period, any attack on the Taliban will respond strongly.”
On April 14, U.S. President Biden officially announced that he would withdraw all U.S. troops in Afghanistan before September 11, 2021, and put an end to "the longest U.S. war."
On the same day, the foreign ministers and defense ministers of NATO member states decided to withdraw all 10,000 troops from Afghanistan in "a few months" from May 1.
There are currently about 7,000 non-U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan.
NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg once said, “Our relationship with Afghanistan does not end here, but a new chapter begins. NATO allied forces will continue to stand on the same front with the Afghan people.”