Trump downplays NATO role in Afghanistan, sparking backlash from allies

U.S. President Donald Trump said NATO’s role in Afghanistan was overstated, triggering sharp criticism from allies who lost hundreds of soldiers during the war.

Speaking on Thursday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump told Fox News that NATO forces stayed behind U.S. troops and avoided the front lines in Afghanistan.

Trump said Washington never truly needed NATO assistance, adding that while allies sent forces, they remained “a little back” and away from direct combat.