Rome, Jan 25 (NationPress) Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has delivered a robust public reaction following comments made by US President Donald Trump, who implied that NATO allies did not adequately support the United States during military operations in Afghanistan. These statements have ignited significant backlash throughout Europe.

In a message shared on X, Meloni expressed her astonishment at Trump's claims that NATO partners had 'fallen behind' during the Afghan operations. She emphasized that such assertions disregard the unparalleled unity demonstrated by the alliance after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Meloni highlighted that 'In the wake of the September 11 attacks, NATO invoked Article 5 for the first and only time in its history: an extraordinary show of solidarity towards the United States.' She noted Italy’s prompt and ongoing military involvement, indicating that Rome deployed thousands of troops and took charge of Regional Command West, a crucial area of the NATO-led mission.

'Over nearly twenty years of commitment, our Nation has incurred an undeniable cost,' Meloni stated, referencing the loss of 53 Italian soldiers and over 700 wounded during combat, security missions, and training for Afghan forces.

She concluded by asserting that 'comments that diminish the contributions of NATO nations in Afghanistan are unacceptable, especially when voiced by an allied nation,' while reaffirming the enduring relationship between Rome and Washington. 'Friendship necessitates respect, a fundamental requirement for maintaining the solidarity at the core of the Atlantic Alliance,' Meloni added.

Trump's remarks, made during an interview with Fox News at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 22, 2026, sparked outrage and concern across the United Kingdom and other NATO nations the following day. 'We’ve never needed them, we have never really asked anything of them,' Trump stated in reference to NATO allies. 'They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that, and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.'

Trump further expressed uncertainty about whether NATO would assist the United States if needed, a sentiment that many European leaders perceived as dismissive of two decades of allied cooperation.

In October 2001, just weeks after the September 11 attacks, the United States led an international coalition into Afghanistan to dismantle al-Qaida and remove its Taliban hosts. Forces from numerous countries participated, including NATO members, marking the first invocation of the mutual-defense clause in the alliance’s history.