Trump criticised for Afghanistan remarks claiming NATO troops avoided front lines

Donald Trump has been widely criticised by NATO leaders, military veterans, and bereaved families after claiming that NATO troops “stayed a little off the frontlines” during the Afghanistan conflict.

In an interview with Fox News in Davos, the former U.S. president said: “They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan… and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the frontlines.”

He added, “We’ve never needed them,” in reference to the NATO alliance, further suggesting he was not certain the alliance would support the United States if needed.

The remarks have drawn sharp condemnation from leaders in the United Kingdom, Poland, and across NATO. Many called the comments inaccurate and deeply offensive to those who served and died during the 20-year war.

U.S. was supported under NATO Article 5

Trump’s comments appear to ignore NATO’s invocation of Article 5 — the alliance’s collective defence clause — following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks. It remains the only time the article has been activated, with NATO allies joining the U.S.-led intervention in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, 2,461 American military personnel died in Afghanistan. NATO allies suffered 1,160 fatalities, with the United Kingdom sustaining the second-highest number of military deaths at 457.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey said, “NATO’s Article 5 has only been triggered once. The UK and NATO allies answered the U.S. call. More than 450 British personnel lost their lives in Afghanistan.”

“These British troops should be remembered for who they were: heroes who gave their lives in service of our nation,” Healey said in a statement.

Veterans and leaders respond

Alistair Carns, the UK Minister for the Armed Forces and a veteran who served five tours in Afghanistan, posted a video on social media in which he rebuked Trump’s comments.

“We shed blood, sweat and tears together, and not everybody came home,” he said. “These are bonds forged in fire, protecting U.S. and shared interests, but actually protecting democracy overall.”

Carns added: “There’s only one worse thing than working with allies — that is working without them.”

In Poland, retired General Roman Polko, a former special forces commander, said Trump had “crossed a red line,” adding, “We paid with blood for this alliance. We truly sacrificed our own lives.”

Former UK Chief of the General Staff Lord Richard Dannatt described the comments as “outrageous” and “totally disrespectful.”

“They are so factually incorrect. Absolutely disrespectful to our nation, to our armed forces, and to the families of the 457 British servicemen and women who lost their lives in Afghanistan,” Dannatt told the BBC.

Families of the fallen react

The backlash has been particularly acute among families of those killed in action. Lucy Aldridge, mother of 18-year-old Rifleman William Aldridge — the youngest British soldier to die in Afghanistan — described Trump’s remarks as “deeply disgusting.”

“The families of those who were lost to that conflict live the trauma every day,” she told the BBC. “This isn’t just misspeaking — he has deeply offended, I can imagine, every NATO member who sent troops to fight in Afghanistan and certainly the families of those who never came home.”

William Aldridge died in 2009 in Helmand Province after being caught in multiple explosions while on foot patrol. Despite being injured in the first blast, he assisted wounded comrades and medics before a second explosion killed him and three others.

“He has no compassion for people that don’t serve him personally,” his mother said. “I don’t think that’s a great quality for a leader of a country.”

UK government and military figures condemn remarks

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office issued a statement on Friday declaring Trump “was wrong to diminish the role of NATO troops” in Afghanistan. Starmer later described the comments as “insulting and frankly appalling.”

Health and Social Care Minister Stephen Kinnock also expressed dismay, saying the remarks “don’t really bear any resemblance to reality.”

“They put their lives on the line to defend our country,” Kinnock said.

Former military and political leaders echoed a broader concern about the future of Western alliances. While condemning Trump’s tone, Lord Dannatt said the episode underscored the need for Europe to strengthen its defence capabilities.

“If there’s anything positive that Donald Trump has done in his assorted ramblings over the last year, it’s actually to make that point,” he said. “European governments must really listen up, stand up now and find the cash that’s needed to increase our military capability… to deter further aggression.”

Trump’s team defends comments

Responding to the criticism, White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly defended the former president’s record, saying: “President Trump is right — America’s contributions to NATO dwarf that of other countries.”

She credited him with securing a 5 percent defence spending pledge from NATO members.

Kelly added that Trump was “advancing NATO interests” by encouraging Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defence.

Despite this defence, the comments have stirred emotional wounds across NATO member states, particularly among those who directly bore the cost of the war in Afghanistan.