Never Forget Sacrifice Of These Women, Men: France Defends Fallen Soldiers’ Honour After Trump’s NATO Remark
Alice Rufo, the minister delegate at the Defence Ministry, laid a wreath at a monument dedicated to those who died for France. Image courtesy: RNA
While he is not new to controversies, US President Donald Trump this time seems to have hit a raw nerve when he made remarks on non-US NATO troops’ role in Afghanistan. Comments by US President Donald Trump questioning the frontline role of non-American NATO troops in Afghanistan have triggered sharp backlash across Europe.
After the United Kingdom, France has now issued a strong public rebuttal to what it called an insult to the memory of fallen soldiers. A senior French defence official on Monday (January 26, 2026) said the sacrifices of allied troops must not be rewritten or diminished, and it was crucial to show that “we do not accept that their memory be insulted.”
What exactly did Trump say about NATO Troops?
Speaking in an interview with the Fox Business Network on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, US President Trump said that non-US NATO troops stayed “a little off the frontlines” during operations in Afghanistan. The remark immediately drew criticism from veterans, defence officials and allied governments.
How did France react to Trump’s NATO comments?
France’s response was swift and symbolic. Alice Rufo, France’s minister delegate at the Defence Ministry, laid a wreath at a monument in central Paris honouring French soldiers killed in overseas operations. Rufo said the ceremony was organised at short notice after Trump’s comments.
She stressing that France could not allow the memory of its war dead to be “tarnished”, adding, “We do not accept that their memory be insulted,” she told reporters, pointing to the heavy price paid by French forces in Afghanistan.
How deep was France’s military involvement in Afghanistan?
France was among dozens of countries that joined the US-led coalition in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 attacks, after NATO invoked its Article 5 mutual defence clause for the first time in its history. French troops were actively involved in combat and stabilisation missions, with 90 French soldiers killed during the conflict.
“At such a moment, it is symbolically important to be there for their families, for their memory, and to remind everyone of the sacrifice they made on the front line,” Rufo said.
Did Trump walk back his remarks?
Following the international outcry, Trump appeared to partially backtrack, praising British soldiers for their role in Afghanistan. He praised British troops, calling them “very brave.” “The great and very brave soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United States of America,” Trump stated.
However, he made no similar acknowledgement of the contributions of other NATO allies, including France.
What has been the reaction across Europe?
Rufo said she had seen statements from veterans’ associations expressing “outrage, anger and sadness” over Trump’s remarks. She warned that such comments risk undermining the spirit of alliance solidarity that defined the NATO mission in Afghanistan.
Despite the controversy, she emphasised the enduring bond between allied forces.
“There is a brotherhood of arms between Americans, Britons and French soldiers when we go into combat,” Rufo said, calling for transatlantic unity to prevail over political polemics.
