U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris discussed ways to accelerate evacuations of Americans and refugees from Afghanistan with his national security team on Wednesday, a White House official told Reuters.

This comes after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in the past week.

Biden sent U.S. troop reinforcements to Kabul to help with the evacuations. He has received a barrage of criticism at home and abroad for the way the American withdrawal from Afghanistan was planned.

Biden and Harris met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army General Mark Milley, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, CIA Director William Burns and national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

They discussed efforts to accelerate evacuations of U.S. citizens and vulnerable Afghans, and to facilitate safe passage to Kabul airport, a White House official said.