Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized US President Donald Trump for his words that NATO allies were "far away" from the front line in Afghanistan. He wrote on the X social network that the Italian government was shocked by Trump's statements.
The Italian government is shocked by President Trump's claims that NATO allies have been "left behind" in the operation in Afghanistan. "... Statements belittling the contribution of NATO countries in Afghanistan are unacceptable, especially when they are made by an ally," he said.
Maloney emphasized that after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, NATO invoked Article 5 of its collective defense for the first and only time in its history, and that this was an "extraordinary act of solidarity with the United States." According to the Prime Minister, Italy at that time "deployed thousands of troops" and assumed "full responsibility" for "one of the most important operational areas of the entire international mission".
Meloni reminded that during the conflict in Afghanistan, Italy had 53 victims, more than 700 soldiers were injured. He also wrote that "friendship requires respect", which in turn is "a fundamental condition for maintaining the solidarity underlying the alliance".
