As the last US forces left Afghanistan on Tuesday (31 August), ending a painful 20-year conflict, this could have been Europe’s hour.

Not its finest hour, mind you, but an opportunity to live up to all that lofty EU talk of rights, values and the rule of law.

It was not to be.

America’s ruthless rush to end the longest and arguably one of its most miserable forever wars has left Nato and the EU brutally cut down to size, reduced to little more than hapless bystanders in yet another unfortunate American military misadventure.

This is not to deny efforts by several European governments and valiant work put in by EU officials as well as European journalists and NGOs to help desperate Afghans fleeing their near-devastated homeland.

This is also not meant as a blanket critique of the time, money and effort the EU has spent in Afghanistan. The country is already the largest beneficiary of EU assistance and more humanitarian aid has been promised.

EU ministers have met, several times and in multiple formations, there has been a rather pointless G7 leaders meeting. A special EU summit looks likely to be called.