So far there has been no sign of any Australian politician speaking out about Donald Trump’s claims about deaths in Afghanistan.

The reaction in NATO countries, however, has seen a widespread.  Veterans, NATO leaders and even Prince Harry (the Duke of Sussex) reacted with anger after US President Donald Trump said veterans from other NATO member states avoided the front line in Afghanistan.

The Duke of Sussex, who had two deployments to Afghanistan said the “sacrifices of British soldiers deserve to be spoke with respect,” he told the Guardian (24/1).

He went on to say: “The claims were utterly ridiculous” and invited anyone believing the remarks to meet him and grieving families.

“I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there. Thousands of lives were changed forever. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost.”

Given the rhetorical caution which members of the Royal Family generally practice, this is the equivalent of putting thousands of protestors outside The White House waving banners and shouting abuse.

Of course, as usual Trump’s comments were not only ridiculous but also a lie. A total of 3,486 NATO troops died in the 20 year war – of whom 2,461 were US personnel.

Australia lost 41 soldiers there and there were 261 wounded. Canada recorded 165 deaths. Denmark, which Trump has also threatened, had 44 combat deaths – the most per capita outside the US.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the comments were “insulting and frankly appalling” and called on Trump to apologise for the comments.

He was joined in condemning Trump by Nigel Farage Reform UK leader; the armed forces minister Al Carns (a former Marine who served in four tours of Afghanistan and was awarded the Military Cross; and, Conservative Leader Kim Badenoch.

The former British Army Head, Lord Dannatt, said “he has got the disrespect and outrage to say that we hung back from the frontline. My God, we were certainly, in the front line as 457 young people died.”

It is all doubly appalling in that Trump is a draft dodger. His father organised an exemption for him by claiming he had bone spurs. This is the source of the description of Trump as “Colonel Bone spurs”.

Asked about his failure to enlist for Vietnam he said he had shown his courage by negotiating the years of endemic STDs.

The Allied deaths in Afghanistan followed the invoking of Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which states an attack on one is an attack on all, has been invoked only once — following the September 11 2001 attacks — after which European allies responded by joining the US-led mission in Afghanistan.

So far there seems to have been no comment on the situation coming from the Australian Government.

It shouldn’t be hard for Albanese to speak out on the issue has 72% per cent of Australians had little or no confidence in Trump “to do the right thing”, a Lowy Institute poll from June 2025 found.

Moreover, as few as 8% of Australians are convinced Australia “shares values” with modern America, according to a YouGov poll for the Australia Institute in November. A plurality said they felt the US was an unreliable ally.

This indicates the public would be more than happy for Albanese to shed his usual timidity and speak out and – at the very least – to mark the sacrifice of the 41 Australians killed there.