Australian veterans condemn Trump Afghanistan frontline remarks

Published: 24 January 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

The head of Australia’s largest veterans’ organisation has categorically rejected Donald Trump’s claim that allied soldiers “stayed a little back” from the frontlines during the US-led war in Afghanistan, describing the remarks as “unfathomable” and deeply insulting to those who fought and died alongside American forces.

The comments, made by the US president during an interview on Fox News on Thursday, were framed as part of a broader critique of Nato’s reliability. Trump said he was “not sure” the alliance would meet the “ultimate test” of defending the United States if it were under threat, adding that while allies had sent troops to Afghanistan, “they stayed a little back, a little off the frontlines”.

The remarks have prompted an angry response in Australia, where nearly 40,000 service personnel deployed to Afghanistan over two decades in what became the country’s longest war. Forty-seven Australian soldiers were killed, 261 were wounded, and thousands more returned home carrying physical and psychological scars.

Peter Tinley, the national president of the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL), said Trump’s comments would leave the vast majority of Australia’s 630,000 veterans “absolutely disgusted and outraged”. He described the president’s words as a “cowardly attack” on people who could no longer defend themselves.

“The families of those who lost their lives will be completely affronted,” Tinley said. “Their sacrifice has been denigrated in a way that is just unfathomable. It’s as senseless as throwing paint on a war memorial. It serves no purpose other than to hurt.”

Australian forces were embedded with US and Nato troops across multiple phases of the conflict, from the initial response to the September 11 attacks through to counterinsurgency operations, training missions and special forces deployments. Tinley himself served as deputy commander of the special forces task group and was deployed at short notice in the aftermath of 9/11.

“We were the lead force for General James Mattis, who later became Trump’s own secretary of defence,” Tinley said. “Australia then went on to participate in the longest continuous military operation in its history. Thousands of Australian soldiers, sailors and aircrew served in that conflict, often at great personal cost.”

Trump’s remarks have also drawn criticism from across Australia’s political spectrum. Andrew Hastie, a Liberal MP and former troop commander in the Special Air Service Regiment, called the comments “a massive slur” against Australian soldiers who fought alongside Americans.

“One of the most important things in building coalitions and alliances is mutual respect,” Hastie said. “A really important virtue in a leader is restraint, and by dumping on allied troops, President Trump has shown neither.”

The controversy comes at a sensitive moment for Australia’s strategic relationship with the United States. Canberra is deeply invested in the Aukus security partnership with the US and the UK, which is intended to strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in response to China’s growing military power.

Tinley said he hoped prime minister Anthony Albanese would seek clarification from Trump about what his comments meant for future cooperation under Aukus and for the broader US–Australia alliance. “We need reassurance that they’re not going to run away from the fight when they’ve asked us to do so much,” he said, adding that an apology from the US president would be “the minimum effort”.

A government spokesperson responded cautiously when asked about Trump’s comments, saying only that Australian Defence Force personnel in Afghanistan had made a “very significant contribution” and that their bravery and sacrifice would continue to be honoured.

The fallout has not been limited to Australia. In the UK, prime minister Keir Starmer issued an unusually blunt rebuke, describing Trump’s remarks about British troops in Afghanistan as “insulting and frankly appalling” and suggesting the president should apologise. British forces suffered heavy casualties during the conflict, particularly in Helmand province.

Jennifer Parker, a former naval officer and non-resident fellow at the Lowy Institute, said Trump’s comments were “deeply disrespectful” not only to allied troops but also to their families and nations. She noted the apparent contradiction between the president’s rhetoric and official US policy.

“The US National Defense Strategy released on Friday highlights the importance of allies, with Australia central to US efforts to deter China,” Parker said. “That makes these remarks all the more troubling. An apology and acknowledgment of allied sacrifice is warranted.”

Parker added that Australia was once again facing “difficult strategic times” in which the risk of conflict could not be dismissed. “Australian Defence Force women and men who serve deserve respect from our closest ally,” she said.

For many veterans, the controversy has reopened old wounds. Tinley encouraged former service members and their families who were struggling with the news to seek support through Open Arms, Australia’s veterans’ counselling service.

“I’m absolutely here to reassure every veteran and their family that the RSL completely and utterly understands the situation they’re in,” he said. “Their service mattered, their sacrifice mattered, and it will not be rewritten by careless words.”

As debates over Nato, alliance burden-sharing and US global leadership intensify, Trump’s comments have underscored how sensitive the legacy of Afghanistan remains. For countries like Australia, the war is not an abstract policy argument but a lived experience marked by loss, loyalty and a deep expectation of mutual respect among allies.