- He added that the US has never truly depended on NATO, insisting that America has rarely asked anything of the military bloc
- Trump also cast doubt on whether NATO would come to America’s aid in the event of a future crisis
- He claimed that allied forces “sent some troops” but remained “a little back” and away from direct frontline combat
US President Donald Trump has sparked controversy following remarks in which he appeared to downplay the role of NATO allies during the war in Afghanistan, suggesting that allied forces largely stayed away from the front lines.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Trump made the comments during an interview with Fox News, where he questioned NATO’s reliability and relevance to the United States, despite the alliance’s long-standing role in joint military operations.
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According to Trump, while NATO countries did deploy troops to Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks, their involvement was limited. He claimed that allied forces “sent some troops” but remained “a little back” and away from direct frontline combat.
Trump also cast doubt on whether NATO would come to America’s aid in the event of a future crisis, saying he was “not sure” the alliance would stand by the United States if it ever needed support.
He added that the US has never truly depended on NATO, insisting that America has rarely asked anything of the military bloc.
The remarks align with Trump’s long-standing criticism of NATO, which he has repeatedly accused of relying too heavily on the United States for defence while failing to contribute equally to collective security.
Trump’s comments come amid renewed debates over NATO’s role, defence spending, and burden-sharing among member states, issues he frequently raised during his presidency and has continued to highlight in his second term.
The White House later reinforced Trump’s position, maintaining that US contributions to NATO far outweigh those of other members and that his pressure on allies has forced increased defence spending across Europe.
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