Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s last-minute trip to Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday had a loud ring of deja vu. Over three years ago, Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Afghanistan in a harried attempt to resolve a bitter political impasse between the country’s two top politicians, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah. Kerry managed to cobble together an agreement that allowed both men to save face and claim victory — Ghani received the presidency, and Abdullah was offered the newly created post of chief executive officer. Sure, the national unity government didn’t accomplish much. But at least Afghanistan didn’t descend into all-out civil war.

Pompeo had no such luck with his trip this week. Despite eight hours of shuttle diplomacy and conversations with both camps, Pompeo flew out of Kabul frustrated with the lack of progress and disgusted with how selfish Ghani and Abdullah were acting. Hours later, Pompeo expressed just how displeased he was in a terse statement that announced an immediate $1 billion reduction in U.S. assistance and the possibility of another $1 billion cut in 2021. The failure to reach a power-sharing accord, Pompeo wrote, “has harmed U.S.-Afghan relations and, sadly, dishonors those Afghan, Americans, and Coalition partners who have sacrificed their lives and treasure in the struggle to build a new future for this country.”