- 26.1.2026
Prague – Czech soldiers served as allies and as family to the Americans with whom they deployed, and the United States did not take this commitment for granted. This was stated today on the social media platform X by the U.S. Ambassador to Prague, Nicholas Merrick.
U.S. President Donald Trump questioned this week the involvement of NATO member states in Afghanistan, claiming that other nations’ forces remained away from the main combat front.
The United States invoked Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty for the first — and so far only — time in NATO’s history following the terrorist attacks of September 2001. Allied nations, including the Czech Republic, subsequently took part in the war in Afghanistan.
“After the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, the Czech Republic and its brave soldiers stood by our side without hesitation. Over the following 19 years, more than 11,000 Czech service members served shoulder to shoulder with U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Fourteen Czech soldiers lost their lives, and many others were wounded,” the Ambassador stated today.
He wrote that the service and sacrifices of the soldiers were real. “The United States did not take this commitment for granted then, and we do not forget it today. Czech soldiers were allies and family to the Americans with whom they served. Their courage and sacrifice saved lives. It is an honour to represent America in a place where our friendship was strengthened through such sacrifice,” the Ambassador added.
On Sunday, President Petr Pavel also highlighted the commitment of thousands of Czech soldiers who served under NATO leadership in Afghanistan for nearly two decades under demanding conditions. In a post on X, he recalled the 14 Czech soldiers who died in the country, as well as dozens more who were injured.
Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO), responding to an inquiry from the news outlet Novinky.cz, said that the statements made by the U.S. President were “nonsensical and beyond the pale.”
In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Trump said he was not sure whether NATO would come to the United States’ aid if needed. “They will say they sent some troops to Afghanistan,” the President continued. “And they did. But they were a little bit behind, somewhat away from the front line,” he stated.
His remarks, which downplayed the role of allied forces in combat operations, sparked outrage in a number of countries. For example, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described them as offensive and shocking. Trump later praised British soldiers on social media and expressed his appreciation for them.
However, he did not mention the troops of other nations who fought alongside American and British forces in Afghanistan.
Source: CTK
