President Alar Karis responded on social media to Donald Trump’s claim that NATO allies played an insignificant role in Afghanistan, noting Estonians served on the front lines.
“We will always remember Jako Karuks, Kalle Torn, Ivar Brok, Allain Tikko, Eerik Salmus, Raivis Kang, Kristjan Jalakas, Herdis Sikk, Agris Hutrof and all those wounded Estonian soldiers in Afghanistan,” President Alar Karis wrote on X. “Estonians were on the frontline, supporting our Allies and defending NATO Article 5.”
We will always remember Jako Karuks, Kalle Torn, Ivar Brok, Allain Tikko, Eerik Salmus, Raivis Kang, Kristjan Jalakas, Herdis Sikka, Agris Hutrof & all those wounded soldiers in Afghanistan. Estonians were on the frontline, supporting our Allies, & defending #NATO article 5.
— Alar Karis (@AlarKaris) January 25, 2026
Former President Toomas Hendrik Ilves (2006-2016) also condemned Trump’s statement on social media.
On Monday at the NAC, will the NATO ambassadors of countries whose soldiers were killed in Afghanistan fulfilling their duty as allies, demand the US ambassador @NATO explain the US president’s allegations that their fallen were merely “away from the front line”???
When I was…
— toomas hendrik ilves (@IlvesToomas) January 24, 2026
Several world leaders had previously criticized Trump’s remarks, saying their soldiers fought side by side with allies in Afghanistan and calling his comments offensive.
In an interview broadcast Thursday on Fox News, the former U.S. president questioned whether NATO allies would support the United States if it ever called for help. He said he was not sure the military alliance would come to America’s aid if needed.
“We’ve never needed them,” Trump said. “We’ve never asked them for anything.”
Referring to the allied forces deployed to Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks, Trump said: “They say they sent some troops to Afghanistan. They did, but they stayed a little further back, a little further from the front line.”
In reality, NATO allies joined the United States in Afghanistan immediately after the September 11, 2001 attacks, when the alliance’s collective defense clause was invoked.
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