Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne has hit back at US President Donald Trump’s recent comments about US allies in Afghanistan, calling them an attempt to rewrite the history books.
President Trump falsely claimed that non-U.S. NATO troops avoided the front line during the Afghanistan war. He said he did not know whether the alliance would be able to assist the United States upon request.
“We’ve never needed them and we’ve never really asked them for anything,” President Trump said Thursday of his NATO allies in a Fox News interview in Davos, Switzerland.
“You know, they’d say they sent troops to Afghanistan and this and that. And they were a little further away from the front lines.”
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne has responded to US President Donald Trump’s false claim that NATO countries other than the US avoided the front lines during the Afghanistan war. “We all know the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform,” Champagne told reporters at a Liberal cabinet dinner in Quebec City.
The war in Afghanistan, which began in the wake of the September 11 attacks on the United States, has left hundreds of NATO allies dead, including 158 Canadian soldiers.
Asked about Trump’s comments at a news conference Friday, Champagne demurred.
“History cannot be rewritten. We are proud of our men and women in uniform and we know the sacrifices they have endured,” Champagne told reporters.
“We don’t need comments from anyone else to know the strength of our military… They know what they’ve done, we know what they’ve done, and the world knows what they’ve done.”
Article 5 of the NATO founding treaty was applied only to the Afghanistan war. This article is an important mutual defense clause, obliging all Member States to assist other Member States whose sovereignty or territorial integrity may be threatened.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on President Trump to apologize, calling his comments “insulting” and “appalling”.
Mr Starmer paid tribute to the 457 British soldiers who died and those who suffered life-long injuries.
“I will never forget their courage, bravery and sacrifice for their country.”
“I think President Trump’s comments were insulting and frankly appalling, and I’m not surprised that they caused so much hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed and injured, and indeed to people across the country.”
Prince Harry echoed this sentiment, saying the sacrifices of British soldiers during the war “must be talked about honestly and with respect”.
“Thousands of lives have been changed forever,” said Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan with the British Army.
“Mothers and fathers buried their sons and daughters. Children were left without parents. Families are left paying the price.”
The anger was further fueled by the fact that Trump himself had never served in the military and deferred from serving in the Vietnam War when he was eligible.
Trump was given a reprieve from military service in Vietnam due to bone spurs, but he is suspected of draft evasion because he cannot remember which leg he had.
“It is deeply ironic that a man who allegedly evaded the Vietnam War draft would make such disgraceful statements,” said author Stephen Stewart. accidental soldier, A record of his time serving with the British Army in Afghanistan.
Repeated contempt for NATO
This was not the first time President Trump has downplayed the involvement of NATO countries in recent days. It has become one of his main tools of attack as he escalates his threats to seize the semi-autonomous Danish territory of Greenland.
President Trump’s assertion that NATO countries will not join upon request is in stark contrast to reality.
“When America needed us after 9/11, we were there,” said former Danish platoon leader Martin Tam Andersen.
Denmark is a strong US ally in Afghanistan, where 44 Danish soldiers have been killed, the highest per capita death toll of any coalition force. Eight more people died in Iraq.
The latest controversy surrounding Trump came over the weekend as he faced criticism and backlash over his threats against Greenland.
President Trump has also threatened to impose tariffs on European countries that oppose his ambition to annex Greenland, raising questions about the future of NATO. And although President Trump withdrew from a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte after saying they had formed a “framework” for an agreement on Arctic security, the transatlantic relationship has taken a hit.
His recent comments are unlikely to improve relations.
Diane Durney, whose son Ben Parkinson was seriously injured when his British Army Land Rover hit a landmine in Afghanistan in 2006, called Trump’s recent comments “the ultimate insult” and called on Starmer to stand up to him.
“Speak to him,” she said. “Stand up for those who fought for this country and our flag. It’s unbelievable.”
Mr Starmer singled out Diane, saying: “What I want to say to Diane is that if I had said that wrong thing or said that word, I would definitely have apologized and I would have apologized to her.”