Trump questions NATO’s frontline role in Afghanistan, drawing allied response
Donald Trump has renewed doubts about NATO allies’ combat role in Afghanistan, saying their forces stayed away from frontlines, comments that prompted rebuttals from alliance leaders and lawmakers during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in a televised interview that he was uncertain whether NATO allies would support the United States in a crisis, arguing that their troops “stayed a little back” during the war in Afghanistan.
Trump’s comments revisited the alliance’s response after the September 11 attacks, when the United States became the only NATO member to invoke Article 5, the collective defense clause stating that an attack on one ally is an attack on all. NATO forces and partner countries fought alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan for two decades.
While the United States suffered the highest number of casualties in absolute terms, several European countries recorded heavy losses relative to their populations. About 3,500 allied troops were killed overall, including 2,456 Americans and 457 British personnel. Denmark, which had a population of roughly 5 million at the time of the invasion, lost more than 40 troops.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte responded publicly in Davos, saying European allies would support the United States and pointing to Afghanistan as evidence. Rutte noted that for every two American service members killed, one soldier from another NATO country also died.
In the United Kingdom, the comments prompted criticism across party lines. Defense Secretary John Healey said British forces answered the U.S. call after Article 5 was triggered and emphasized the sacrifices made by more than 450 British personnel who lost their lives. Emily Thornberry, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, and opposition leader Kemi Badenoch also defended the record of allied contributions.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier drew attention after he recounted jokes among U.S. troops that the ISAF acronym stood for “I Saw Americans Fighting” that minimized allied roles under the International Security Assistance Force.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Trump said Washington would cancel planned tariffs on European allies after reaching an agreement with NATO on what he described as a framework for a future deal on Arctic security.