Afghanistan's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah has expressed hope that the United States would continue its support for the Afghan government after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly spoke with U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan after his inauguration.
"I want to congratulate the U.S. president on behalf of myself, the Afghan government, and the people of Afghanistan," Abdullah said on January 21 at an event aimed at raising $550 million in humanitarian international aid for his country.
Trump spoke by video link with American troops stationed at a base north of Kabul, while attending a post-inauguration ball in Washington on January 20.
"I'm with you all the way... we're going to do it together," he told the troops. "The courage that you show is incredible."
It is unclear whether Trump will continue the billions of dollars a year that the United States provides to Afghanistan in military and development aid.
The new U.S. president has also not commented on the future of some 9,000 American troops deployed in Afghanistan.