Video: US and UK 'sticking to the plan' on Afghanistan President Obama said "we've made progress" on training the Afghan forces but says there needs to be "a political element" that ends 30 years of war between different ethnic factions. He went to say Nato would maintain a "robust presence" in this fighting season. I don't anticipate a this stage that we're making any sudden additional changes to the plan we already have. Mr Cameron insisted that the surge of Nato troops has had a "transformative effect" on Afghanistan and that it is still possible to leave behind a country able to fend for itself.