France pays tribute to fallen soldiers in Afghanistan amidst US President Donald Trump's contentious claims about NATO troops' involvement on the front lines. The French government has moved swiftly to counter what it views as a personal attack on its military.
Minister Delegate Alice Rufo, representing France's Defence Ministry, led a ceremony in downtown Paris dedicated to those who lost their lives in overseas operations. This impromptu event was organized just days after Trump asserted that non-US NATO troops avoided combat duties during the Afghan conflict. In reality, nearly 90 French soldiers died in Afghanistan as part of the international coalition that toppled al Qaeda and its Taliban allies following the September 11 attacks.
Rufo stressed that it's essential to honor France's fallen soldiers without any controversy or misrepresentation. "We do not accept that their memory be insulted," she emphasized, highlighting the importance of solidarity with other NATO countries. The French government sees this as a moment to reaffirm its commitment to collective defence and the brotherhood of arms shared by American, British, and French troops in combat.
This statement comes after Trump's initial comments sparked widespread outrage, particularly from veterans' associations, who condemned his remarks for being "appalling" and hurtful. The US President later appeared to backpedal on his claims, praising British soldiers instead, while showing little regard for other NATO troops.
Minister Delegate Alice Rufo, representing France's Defence Ministry, led a ceremony in downtown Paris dedicated to those who lost their lives in overseas operations. This impromptu event was organized just days after Trump asserted that non-US NATO troops avoided combat duties during the Afghan conflict. In reality, nearly 90 French soldiers died in Afghanistan as part of the international coalition that toppled al Qaeda and its Taliban allies following the September 11 attacks.
Rufo stressed that it's essential to honor France's fallen soldiers without any controversy or misrepresentation. "We do not accept that their memory be insulted," she emphasized, highlighting the importance of solidarity with other NATO countries. The French government sees this as a moment to reaffirm its commitment to collective defence and the brotherhood of arms shared by American, British, and French troops in combat.
This statement comes after Trump's initial comments sparked widespread outrage, particularly from veterans' associations, who condemned his remarks for being "appalling" and hurtful. The US President later appeared to backpedal on his claims, praising British soldiers instead, while showing little regard for other NATO troops.
. I mean, it's clear he doesn't know the first thing about NATO or military operations. Nearly 90 of their soldiers died there, and now they're trying to spin this as some kind of personal attack. Meanwhile, Trump is over here saying British soldiers are the real heroes, no surprise there 
. The whole thing reeks of politics as usual...
. Trump's comments were not only insensitive but also super unprofessional considering he's addressing the families of people who lost their lives fighting alongside French troops. Like, come on man, you'd think some respect would be due to the fallen soldiers and the countries they served with.
.
Like seriously, a whole ceremony in Paris just to counter his crap about French soldiers not fighting in Afghanistan... it's like he thinks our sacrifices are all meaningless or something. And honestly, I'm so tired of him always trying to undermine the efforts of other countries' militaries. NATO is supposed to be about collective defence, but when Trump does that, it's just embarrassing for everyone involved 
and honestly, who needs a president like trump when you have leaders like alice rufo who actually care about what's going on? 
let's focus on unity and brotherhood of arms instead of petty squabbles between world leaders 
NATO: Because one giant country can't do everything... 
: we don't need no controversy to honor our fallen heroes 
. Solidarity forever! 
Politics is like people watching - you never really know what's going on in someone else's head until they speak up 
. But when it comes to respecting our fallen heroes, everyone should be on the same page and avoid stirring up controversy 
.