Australia slams Trump’s comments on NATO troops in Afghanistan

(MENAFN) Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump downplaying NATO troops’ contributions in Afghanistan “not acceptable” on Sunday.

“They're not acceptable, and I note that President Trump has made a new statement overnight as well, in which he's acknowledged the (troops’) contribution,” Albanese said during a television interview.

He noted that 47 Australian personnel lost their lives in Afghanistan and over 260 were injured, contrasting with Trump’s earlier claim that NATO allies only sent “some troops to Afghanistan” who “stayed a little back, a little off the frontlines” following the 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S.

Albanese added: “Those 47 Australian families who will be hurt by these comments, they deserve our absolute respect, our admiration; the bravery that was shown by 40,000 Australians in Afghanistan.”

Trump had previously told U.S. media that NATO allies were largely unnecessary, stating, “We’ve never needed them,” and adding that the U.S. has been “very good to Europe and to many other countries. It has to be a two-way street,” implying that the alliance members have not fully met their obligations.

The president has a long-standing pattern of criticizing NATO and the U.S.’s longstanding partners. In an attempt to mitigate tensions, Trump posted comments on his Truth Social platform Saturday praising British troops.

Despite this, his remarks already provoked strong reactions from multiple NATO countries, including Poland, Norway, Denmark, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time in its history, declaring that an attack on one member is an attack on all, leading to the deployment of thousands of troops from member states to Afghanistan.

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