In a surprise about-face, US President Donald Trump has walked back his previous comments about NATO troops staying away from the frontlines during the 20-year conflict in Afghanistan.
Earlier this week, Trump had sparked outrage by claiming that NATO allied forces "stayed a little off the frontlines" in the war-torn country. The remarks were seen as a betrayal of allies, particularly Italy, which lost over 700 troops and saw many more wounded during the nearly two-decade-long conflict.
In contrast, Trump's new comments pay tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of UK soldiers who fought alongside US forces in Afghanistan. He hailed their efforts as "among the greatest of all warriors," acknowledging that many died or were severely injured while serving abroad.
The U-turn came after a stern rebuke from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who condemned Trump's initial remarks as "unacceptable." Her government had been particularly incensed by the claim, given the high number of Italian troops killed and wounded in Afghanistan.
A Downing Street spokesperson confirmed that Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with Trump on Saturday, using the opportunity to raise concerns about NATO troop deployment during the Afghan conflict.
While some have praised Trump's sudden change of heart, others have questioned the sincerity behind it, given his previous remarks were widely seen as dismissive of NATO's role in Afghanistan.
Earlier this week, Trump had sparked outrage by claiming that NATO allied forces "stayed a little off the frontlines" in the war-torn country. The remarks were seen as a betrayal of allies, particularly Italy, which lost over 700 troops and saw many more wounded during the nearly two-decade-long conflict.
In contrast, Trump's new comments pay tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of UK soldiers who fought alongside US forces in Afghanistan. He hailed their efforts as "among the greatest of all warriors," acknowledging that many died or were severely injured while serving abroad.
The U-turn came after a stern rebuke from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who condemned Trump's initial remarks as "unacceptable." Her government had been particularly incensed by the claim, given the high number of Italian troops killed and wounded in Afghanistan.
A Downing Street spokesperson confirmed that Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with Trump on Saturday, using the opportunity to raise concerns about NATO troop deployment during the Afghan conflict.
While some have praised Trump's sudden change of heart, others have questioned the sincerity behind it, given his previous remarks were widely seen as dismissive of NATO's role in Afghanistan.
after that initial comments about NATO troops staying away from the frontlines were pretty harsh on Italy 
. I mean, 700+ Italian troops killed or wounded? That’s a big deal 
. At first, it seemed like Trump was kinda flipping off his own allies, and now he’s all like "Hey, let me praise UK soldiers for their bravery" 
. Maybe he just didn’t realize how bad the comments were gonna sting? 
Still, it’s a bit weird that he didn’t come out swinging in defense of NATO after Meloni called him out. Was he really worried about ruffling some feathers? 
! I'm not surprised though, Trump has always been unpredictable 
. His comments about NATO troops staying back from the frontlines were super weird 
, and it's good he walked them back. But did he really change his mind? 
. I don't blame Italy though, losing over 700 troops is a tragedy 
and thanks 
. But can we trust his words now? 
. It's about time someone around here shows some respect for the sacrifices made by those brave soldiers. But let's be real, this has to be a PR stunt or something. I mean, why change your tune now and not before? And what's with all the lip service about the UK troops? They're not the only ones who were affected in that conflict... Italy lost way more people than the UK 
what a rollercoaster of emotions 
it's like he's playing with fire 
but hey, credit where credit is due 
and a big 
from me too! 
was it just a PR stunt 
or did Trump genuinely learn from his previous comments 
guess we'll never know for sure 
. What do you guys think? 
. I don't think we should just take this U-turn at face value, especially when considering how quickly it came about. Trump's track record doesn't exactly scream "sincere" 
. And what about the Italian troops who lost so many lives and were seriously injured? Can't he apologize for that without also trying to smooth things over with NATO?