US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday the moment has come to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and that Washington would work with NATO allies on a "coordinated" pull-out.
"Together, we have achieved the goals that we set out to achieve and now it is time to bring our forces home," Blinken said in Brussels ahead of talks with NATO partners.
US President Joe Biden is to announce formally later Wednesday that Washington will withdraw its remaining 2,500 troops from Afghanistan by September 11 -- 20 years after the attacks in the America that sparked its longest war.
NATO partners meeting in Brussels, some physically but most virtually, look set to agree to wrap up the alliance's 9,600-strong mission in Afghanistan at the same time as the group's major military power leaves.
"This is an important moment, for our alliance," Blinken said.
"Together, we went into Afghanistan, to deal with those who attacked us and to make sure that Afghanistan would not again become a haven for terrorists who might attack any of us."
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