U.S. President Trump recently belittled NATO allies in an interview, claiming that allied forces in Afghanistan supporting the U.S. against the Taliban "stayed a bit further back, deliberately keeping some distance from the front lines." In response, Britain's Prince Harry, who was deployed to Afghanistan twice, called for “honest and solemn discussion” about the sacrifices made by NATO troops.
According to official British figures, among the 457 British troops killed in Afghanistan, 405 died in hostile military operations. Reportedly, over 2,400 American soldiers were killed. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, and other countries also suffered military casualties.
The BBC reported that on the 23rd, Harry paid tribute to NATO troops who died in the Afghanistan conflict, including 457 Britons. He said: “I served there, made lifelong friends there, and also lost close friends.”
He pointed out that NATO activated Article 5 in 2001, “which meant every ally had an obligation to stand with the U.S. in Afghanistan to protect our common security. The allies responded to this call.”
He stressed, “Thousands of lives have since been dramatically changed. Parents have buried their children, children have lost fathers or mothers, and countless families still bear the cost of all this.”
Harry stated: “These sacrifices deserve to be discussed honestly and solemnly, because we all remain united and always true to our defense of diplomacy and peace.”
On the 22nd, Trump told Fox News he was “not sure” if, should the U.S. ever need assistance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would stand up for it.
Trump said: “We’ve never needed them… nor have we really asked them for much. They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, and yes, they did, but they just stayed a bit further back, a little away from the front lines.”