Mocking NATO allies' distance from the front lines in Afghanistan sparks outrage, Trump backtracks
Trump's claim that NATO allies did not contribute in Afghanistan caused dissatisfaction among Australia, which joined Britain, France and Denmark on Sunday, leading Trump to backtrack.
After France, Italy and Britain expressed their anger over Trump's remarks about allies in Afghanistan, Australia joined on Sunday, January 25, following Trump's statement that NATO allies were far from the front lines in Afghanistan.
Amid the easing of tensions between the US and the EU over Trump's comments on Greenland, the president's remarks on Thursday during an interview with Fox News triggered a new crisis, concerning the international coalition led by the US after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which expelled Al-Qaeda from its strongholds. Trump said NATO sent troops to Afghanistan, but they were far from the front lines in Afghanistan and stated that the US "didn't need them at all."
This sparked international outrage. After criticism from EU countries such as France, Denmark, Italy, Poland, and the UK, Trump called British Prime Minister Starmer and backtracked, praising the role of British soldiers on social media and stating that the brave soldiers of Britain stood with the US. Previously, British Prime Minister Starmer had condemned Trump's remarks as "insulting."
The number of British deaths in Afghanistan is 457, second only to the United States, where 2,400 soldiers died.
Although Trump apologized for his comments regarding British soldiers in Afghanistan, he made no mention of the efforts of soldiers from other countries.
Australia is not a NATO member, but it participated in the US-led international coalition after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Australia condemned these remarks as "completely unacceptable" on Sunday and praised the courage of Australian soldiers deployed in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021.
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1855307787329931/
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