Australia Urges Trump to Show Respect for NATO Troops
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has criticised remarks made by US President Donald Trump about non-American forces in Afghanistan, calling the comments “completely unacceptable”.
In a recent television interview, Trump suggested NATO allies sent only limited troops and implied they avoided heavy frontline fighting. The statement triggered backlash from international partners, including Britain and now Australia.
Speaking on Australia’s national broadcaster, Albanese said Trump’s words would be painful for families of Australian service members who died during the Afghanistan mission. He highlighted the contribution of tens of thousands of Australian personnel deployed over the years, saying they served alongside allies in difficult and dangerous conditions.
Trump later posted a message praising British forces, appearing to soften his earlier position. Albanese said those later comments showed a more respectful approach but stressed the original remarks were still inappropriate.
Separately, Albanese announced Greg Moriarty as Australia’s next ambassador to the United States, replacing Kevin Rudd, whose term had drawn attention due to past tensions with Trump.
