“We remember their sacrifice”: France’s response to Trump’s comments on the role of allies in Afghanistan

As is often the case with him, his exit does not go through. Thursday in an interview with the American channel Fox News, American President Donald Trump criticized the role of other NATO member countries during the 20 years of conflict in Afghanistan, assuring that the United States “never needed them”.

Response from the French Minister of the Armed Forces on X this Friday afternoon. “In Afghanistan, France became involved in 2001 alongside its European and Canadian NATO allies, after the activation of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty by the United States. 90 French soldiers died in operations there and many others were injured. We remember their sacrifice which commands respect,” wrote Catherine Vautrin.

France was present militarily in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014 and had nearly 4,000 soldiers in this country at the height of NATO’s involvement. “One for all, all for one. Even the French adhere to this concept,” also commented on X French Response, the response account of French diplomacy.

More than 450 Britons dead in Afghanistan

This Saturday, it was Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen who deemed this questioning of the role of NATO “unbearable”. “I understand that the Danish veterans said that no words can describe how much this hurts,” the Prime Minister wrote on Facebook.

Mette Frederiksen’s comments come after the indignation expressed by the Danish Veterans Association, which said it was “lacking words” in the face of Donald Trump’s comments. According to the Danish Armed Forces, 44 Danish soldiers died in Afghanistan: 37 were killed in combat, and 7 others died due to illness, accident or other injuries.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in unison with the entire political class of the United Kingdom, was also outraged this Friday by the “insulting” and “frankly appalling” comments made by Donald Trump. The United Kingdom is the country having recorded the most losses in Afghanistan (457 soldiers killed) behind the United States (2,400). More than 150,000 members of the British armed forces were deployed to Afghanistan between September 2001 and August 2021.

In Poland, the Minister of Defense asked for “respect for veterans of the Polish army”, 43 of whom died on missions in Afghanistan. Among other NATO allies, Canada lost 158 ​​soldiers in Afghanistan, according to a government website.