OTTAWA – Defence Minister David McGuinty emphasized that Canadians will always remember the sacrifices their troops made in service to the United States and NATO in Afghanistan. However, he refrained from commenting on whether U.S. President Donald Trump should apologize for diminishing the contributions of non-U.S. troops. McGuinty made these remarks during a media briefing on Parliament Hill on Saturday afternoon.
“We joined the Americans and other NATO allies on the day operations were launched in Afghanistan,” McGuinty stated, highlighting the solidarity demonstrated during the mission. He noted the sacrifice of over 150 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives, declaring, “We will never forget what they did, for Canada and for our NATO allies.”
Trump reignited tensions with NATO partners during a media interview on Thursday, where he questioned the sacrifices made by non-U.S. troops. He stated, “We’ve never needed them, we have never really asked anything of them. They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that. And they did. They stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.”
While McGuinty did not mention Trump explicitly, he conveyed a strong message regarding Canadian military contributions. He expressed a desire to be “clear and direct,” asserting that Canadian soldiers, sailors, and aviators “are second to none” in their dedication and sacrifice. He recalled the events following the 9/11 attacks when 24 Canadians died, leading to Canada's Operation Yellow Ribbon, which facilitated incoming air traffic from the U.S. to protect lives. Canadian firefighters were also quick to assist in Manhattan.
McGuinty’s statements came two days after Trump’s controversial remarks, which had already garnered criticism, including from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who described Trump’s comments as “insulting and frankly, appalling.” On Saturday, Trump acknowledged the sacrifices of U.K. soldiers but did not mention other NATO allies who similarly supported U.S. efforts in Afghanistan. He tweeted, “The GREAT and very BRAVE soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United States of America! In Afghanistan, 457 died, many were badly injured, and they were among the greatest of all warriors.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney has remained silent on the issue for six days, even canceling a press conference that was scheduled for Friday, but his office released remarks noting the sacrifices of Canadian forces who worked in tandem with the U.S. and NATO allies in securing peace and safety. Between 2001 and 2014, over 40,000 members of the Canadian Armed Forces served in Afghanistan.
The Liberal government has faced criticism for its reluctance to directly confront Trump on various issues, including the forcible ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the sanctions imposed on Canadian judge Kimberly Prost for her role with the International Criminal Court. Culture Minister Marc Miller, a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, reiterated the sacrifices of Canadians in Afghanistan and asserted that Trump’s comments were “false.”
The war in Afghanistan commenced as a direct response to the September 11 attacks, leading NATO to invoke Article 5, which states that any attack on one member nation is considered an attack on all. This invocation remains a historic first within the NATO alliance. Trump has frequently questioned the relevance of NATO and the reliability of its allies regarding collective defense commitments.
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne expressed pride in the Canadian Armed Forces' contributions in Afghanistan, emphasizing that Canadian troops would remain active participants in multinational forces whenever called upon by NATO. He declared, “We don’t need comments from anyone else to know the strength of our Armed Forces.”
Conservative MP Michael Barrett, also a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces, called attention to the significant number of Canadian troops who served alongside their U.S. counterparts in Afghanistan. He invited U.S. officials, including Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, to visit Parliament Hill and acknowledge the Books of Remembrance that honor every Canadian soldier who died in service.
This report underscores the ongoing dialogue surrounding military contributions and international alliances, particularly in the context of recent comments made by President Trump regarding NATO and its members.




