Rome: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday called US President Donald Trump's remarks about NATO's role in Afghanistan "unacceptable." "Statements that downplay the contribution of NATO countries in Afghanistan are unacceptable, especially when they come from an allied nation," Meloni wrote on US social media platform X.

According to Anadolu Agency, Meloni expressed her government's surprise over Trump's statements from Thursday, in which he claimed that NATO troops stayed "a little off the front lines" during the war in Afghanistan. She highlighted that following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, NATO invoked Article 5 for the first and only time in its history, marking an extraordinary act of solidarity toward the United States.

Meloni emphasized that Italy "bore a cost that cannot be questioned," referencing the 53 soldiers killed and more than 700 wounded. She stressed that the bond between Italy and the United States is based on strong friendship, shared values, and historical cooperation. However, she noted that friendship requires respect, which is fundamental to maintaining the solidarity central to the Atlantic Alliance.