Polish leaders condemn Trump's NATO-Afghanistan remarks

2026-01-25 - 21:05

Poland's political leadership has united in sharp condemnation of recent remarks by former US President Donald Trump regarding NATO's role in Afghanistan, defending the valor and sacrifice of Polish troops who served in the conflict. Sikorski: 'No Right to Mock' Soldiers' Service Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski led the rebuke on social media platform X. "The province of Ghazni, where our contingent served... was a frontline one," he stated, directly countering Trump's suggestion that NATO forces avoided the front lines. "No one has the right to mock the service of our soldiers," Sikorski declared. Remembering the Fallen and Allied Promises The criticism was echoed at the highest levels of the Polish state. President Karol Nawrocki honored the "44 brave Poles" who died in Afghanistan, stating their memory would remain forever. Prime Minister Donald Tusk recalled a 2011 farewell ceremony where, he said, American officers assured him "America would never forget the Polish heroes." Tusk added pointedly, "Perhaps they will remind President Trump of that fact." Broad Rejection Across the Government Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz also rejected Trump's claims, stressing that Polish soldiers paid "the ultimate price" and their sacrifice "cannot be diminished." The strong response from Warsaw aligns with similar criticism from other NATO allies, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who previously labeled Trump's comments as "insulting and frankly appalling."