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© Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times
Kabul is urgently seeking clarification of President Trump's comments in which he said he could win the Afghan war in a week by wiping the country off "the face of the Earth."

Trump made the remarks during an Oval Office meeting with Imran Khan, the prime minister of Pakistan, sparking outrage in Afghanistan where many are angry at the role of outside powers in determining their future.

Kabul's presidential palace issued a statement on Tuesday morning seeking an urgent explanation.

"The Afghan nation has not and will never allow any foreign power to determine its fate," it said.

Insult was added to injury by the the comments being made in the presence of Khan, the prime minister of a country whose military is frequently accused of supporting Afghanistan's insurgents.

"While the Afghan government supports the U.S. efforts for ensuring peace in Afghanistan, the government underscores that foreign heads of state cannot determine Afghanistan's fate in absence of the Afghan leadership," said the statement.

On Monday, Trump praised Pakistan for its help in Afghanistan and claimed: "If we wanted to fight a war in Afghanistan and win it, I could win that war in a week. I just don't want to kill 10 million people."

After ousting the Taliban from Kabul in 2001, American-led international forces have struggled to contain a long-running insurgency while handing more responsibility to local troops.

"I have plans on Afghanistan that, if I wanted to win that war, Afghanistan would be wiped off the face of the Earth. It would be gone," said Trump.

"It would be over in — literally — in 10 days. And I don't want to do ... I don't want to go that route."

The comments sparked anger in Afghanistan for appearing to praise Pakistan, long seen as a destabilizing force, and playing down Afghans' own role in securing peace.

"Your insulting message to AFGs is either accept the PAK proposal for peace or eventually you may have to use nukes, as you repeatedly alluded that you have been presented with plans & have the capacity to wipe AFG off the map," wrote former intelligence chief, Rahmatullah Nabil, on Twitter.