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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has rejected remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting NATO allies "stayed back from the front lines" during operations in Afghanistan, calling the comments unacceptable and noting that 53 Italian soldiers died in the conflict.
In a written statement released through the Prime Minister's office on Saturday evening, Meloni said the Italian government learned "with astonishment" of Trump's assertions that NATO allies had not been on the front lines during Afghanistan operations.
The prime minister emphasized that following the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, NATO invoked Article 5 for the first and only time in its history, showing "extraordinary" solidarity with the United States. Italy deployed thousands of troops under that commitment and assumed full responsibility for the Western Regional Command, she said.
Over nearly 20 years, Italy paid a substantial cost in NATO's Afghanistan mission, Meloni said, with 53 Italian soldiers killed and more than 700 wounded.
"For this reason, statements that belittle the contribution of NATO countries in Afghanistan are not acceptable, especially when they come from an allied country," she said in the statement.
Meloni added that Italy and the US are bound by a solid friendship based on shared values and long-standing cooperation, which remains essential in facing today's numerous challenges. "But friendship requires respect, which is an indispensable condition for maintaining the solidarity that forms the foundation of the Atlantic Alliance," she said.
Italian media reported that Defense Minister Guido Crosetto would send letters regarding the matter to his US counterpart Pete Hegseth and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Matteo Renzi, leader of the opposition Italia Viva Party, criticized Meloni on social media platform X for taking 36 hours to respond to Trump's comments. "And 36 hours later, Giorgia Meloni also understood that she had to criticize Trump's words about our losses in Afghanistan and around the world," Renzi wrote. "She was the last to speak, but better late than never."
Left-wing opposition parties had criticized Trump's statements and Meloni's delayed response throughout the previous day.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also condemned Trump's remarks on Saturday, calling them "unacceptable" on Instagram and saying her thoughts were with veterans, their families and those who lost loved ones.
The statements triggered strong reactions among Danish veterans. Michael Willadsen, a former police chief deployed twice to Afghanistan, told public broadcaster DR that the comments were painful. "I have been on the front lines in Helmand province, where there were no Americans," he said. "It hurts that he says we were not needed, because I definitely think we were."
Willadsen, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2014, said his deployments took a heavy toll on his family but he did not regret his service.
The Danish Veterans Association announced it would hold a silent demonstration march next week from Kastellet fortress in Copenhagen to the US Embassy. National chairman Carsten Rasmussen said the group felt "not just frustration, but what I would rather call betrayal by the American president."
Denmark participated in NATO-led military operations in Afghanistan starting in 2002, deploying thousands of troops over more than a decade. Danish forces operated in Helmand, one of the deadliest areas of the war, where at least 41 soldiers were killed.
In his Fox News interview, Trump said NATO allies had sent troops to Afghanistan but "stayed a little back, a little off the front lines." He added that the US had never really needed or asked anything from them, and expressed uncertainty about whether NATO would stand with America when needed.
NATO's Article 5 collective defense provision states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. The alliance invoked the article following the 9/11 attacks, leading to the International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan that lasted from 2001 to 2014.
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