Trump's Afghanistan remarks draw rebuke from Canada's finance minister

President Trump said some NATO allies 'stayed a little off the front lines' in Afghanistan; Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne rejected that as an attempt to rewrite history and defended allied sacrifices, noting hundreds of allied deaths including 158 Canadians.

Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne publicly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments about NATO allies’ roles in the Afghanistan war. Trump made the remarks in an interview in Davos, saying some allied troops stayed "a little off the front lines" and questioning whether the alliance would support the United States if asked. Champagne called the comments an attempt to "rewrite history" and defended the sacrifices of allied forces. Other leaders, veterans and family members have also spoken out. Key points: - The article reports Trump said non-U.S. NATO troops avoided front-line duties in Afghanistan and questioned future alliance support. - Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne responded that allies’ sacrifices are known and that "you cannot rewrite history." - The article notes hundreds of NATO allied deaths in the Afghan war, citing 158 Canadian fatalities, 457 British deaths, and 44 Danish deaths among examples. - It states the Afghan war was the only time NATO’s Article 5 mutual-defence clause was invoked after the Sept. 11 attacks. - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the remarks "insulting" and asked Trump to apologize; Prince Harry and veterans also criticized the comments. - The article links the dispute to recent tensions over Trump’s comments on Greenland and reports he later backed down after a meeting with "NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte," according to the piece. Summary: Leaders, veterans and family members have publicly rebutted the president’s remarks and asked for clarification or apology, while officials defended the record of allied service and sacrifice. Undetermined at this time.