Copenhagen, January 25, 2026 – The Europe Today: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Saturday strongly rejected comments by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting that non-U.S. NATO forces remained away from the front lines during the war in Afghanistan, according to media reports.
In a statement posted on Instagram, Frederiksen said it was “unbearable” for the American president to question the efforts and sacrifices of allied soldiers who served in Afghanistan. She emphasized that Denmark is among the NATO member states that have suffered the highest number of casualties per capita during the mission.
President Trump, speaking to Fox Business on Thursday, claimed that the United States did not need non-U.S. troops in Afghanistan, asserting that allied forces stayed away from frontline combat. “They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan or this or that. And they did. They stayed a little back, little off the front lines,” he said.
The remarks triggered strong reactions among U.S. allies. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Friday that President Trump should apologize for what he described as false claims, calling the comments “insulting” and “appalling.”
According to Danish media, Danish war veterans are planning to hold a march from Kastellet in Copenhagen to the U.S. Embassy to express their dissatisfaction and protest against President Trump’s statements.
