When US President Joe Biden finally broke his silence on the chaos unfolding in Afghanistan, European allies who'd had high hopes for a reset in the transatlantic alliance were left dismayed.

Their disappointment was not at the contents of Biden's address, but the America First optics of the leader of the free world washing his hands of a global problem. The unilateral decision to withdraw seemed to somewhat contradict Biden's claim upon entering the White House that "America is back."

A crisis like the one unfolding in Afghanistan has, for some, hammered home the bleak reality that, without America, Europe's immediate ability to control its own destiny is limited.

From London to Paris, Brussels to Berlin, the sudden fall of Kabul shone a light on Europe's limited diplomatic heft, military capacity, and political stability.