US President Joe Biden on Monday defended his decision to pull US troops out of Afghanistan, despite the Taliban’s blistering military campaign that resulted in their takeover of the country.

Here are the key quotes from Biden’s speech on the situation from the White House:

– No regrets –
“I stand squarely behind my decision. After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw US forces.”

“Our mission in Afghanistan was never supposed to have been nation-building.”

“I am president of the United States of America, and the buck stops with me.”

– ‘Far from perfect’ –
“The truth is: This did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated.”

“I made a commitment to the American people when I ran for president that I would bring America’s military involvement in Afghanistan to an end. And while it’s been hard and messy — and yes, far from perfect — I’ve honored that commitment.”

– ‘Every chance’ –
“We gave them every chance to determine their own future. We could not provide them with the will to fight for that future.”

“American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves.”

“I’m left again to ask of those who argue that we should stay: How many more generations of America’s daughters and sons would you have me send to fight Afghanistan’s civil war when Afghan troops will not?”

– Warning to Taliban –
“As we carry out this departure, we have made it clear to the Taliban: If they attack our personnel or disrupt our operation, the US presence will be swift and the response will be swift and forceful. We will defend our people with devastating force if necessary.”

– China and Russia –
“Our true strategic competitors — China and Russia — would love nothing more than the United States to continue to funnel billions of dollars in resources and attention into stabilizing Afghanistan indefinitely.”