President: Estonians served on Afghanistan front line with allies
President Alar Karis responded on Sunday to U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that NATO allies played an insignificant role in Afghanistan, noting Estonians served on the front lines.
Estonian troops were deployed to Afghanistan between 2002-2021, working alongside British Army forces in Helmand province, one of the most dangerous areas. During that time, nine members of the Estonian Defense Forces were killed and dozens more were injured.
As a result, Estonia also had one of the highest fatality rates per capita amongst NATO nations.
Last week, Trump said Allies had "stayed a little further back" away from the front line in Afghanistan, insinuating they had not fully supported the USA when it needed help.
In total, 2,448 U.S. soldiers and 1,114 soldiers from other allied states lost their lives in the conflict between October 2001 and April 2021.
In a comment, Karis paid tribute to the Estonians who lost their lives.
"We will always remember Jako Karuks, Kalle Torn, Ivar Brok, Allain Tikko, Eerik Salmus, Raivis Kang, Kristjan Jalakas, Herdis Sikk, Agris Hutrof and all those wounded Estonian soldiers in Afghanistan," he wrote on X. "Estonians were on the frontline, supporting our Allies and defending NATO Article 5."
We will always remember Jako Karuks, Kalle Torn, Ivar Brok, Allain Tikko, Eerik Salmus, Raivis Kang, Kristjan Jalakas, Herdis Sikka, Agris Hutrof & all those wounded soldiers in Afghanistan. Estonians were on the frontline, supporting our Allies, & defending #NATO article 5.
— Alar Karis (@AlarKaris) January 25, 2026
Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said Estonia has never wavered in answering the call of our U.S. allies.
"Our servicemen and women stood shoulder to shoulder on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan, where eleven Estonian servicemen fell. We will always honour all who served and thank their families. We will never forget their sacrifice for our freedom and values," he wrote on X.
Estonia has never wavered in answering the call of our US allies.
— Kristen Michal (@KristenMichalPM) January 25, 2026
Our servicemen and women stood shoulder to shoulder on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan, where eleven Estonian servicemen fell.
We will always honour all who served and thank their families. We will never…
Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said: "Estonia stood shoulder to shoulder with Allies under NATO Article 5, paying one of the heaviest per-capita prices."
It was on the very front lines in Afghanistan that nine Estonian soldiers returned home in coffins, and many more were wounded.
— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) January 25, 2026
Estonia stood shoulder to shoulder with Allies under NATO Article 5, paying one of the heaviest per-capita prices. pic.twitter.com/aSNdtrM26f
Former President Toomas Hendrik Ilves (2006-2016) also condemned Trump's statement, saying he went to the funeral of every slain soldier.
"When I was president I visited the Estonian troops in Helmand province, the most dangerous part of the country. They were stationed in Forward Operating Base Wahid, deep inside Taliban territory. They were indeed "away from the front line," he said.
"The honour of the fallen who gave their lives when the United States called upon its allies, demands the ambassadors get an explanation and an apology," he added.
On Monday at the NAC, will the NATO ambassadors of countries whose soldiers were killed in Afghanistan fulfilling their duty as allies, demand the US ambassador @NATO explain the US president's allegations that their fallen were merely "away from the front line"???
— toomas hendrik ilves (@IlvesToomas) January 24, 2026
When I was…
On Sunday, Trump highlighted the role of British soldiers and the country's casualty rate, the second highest after the USA.
Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jonatan Vseviov pointed out in a comment on X that "it was not just the British who bled and died alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan."
"Estonia's per capita losses were among the highest of all Allies, because we served on the front lines in Helmand, side by side with UK forces and American Marines," he wrote.
On Saturday, after Trump's initial comments, he said: "Belittling our soldiers' sacrifices is insulting."
It was not just the British who bled and died alongside forces in Afghanistan.
— Ambassador Jonatan Vseviov (@vseviov) January 25, 2026
per capita losses were among the highest of all Allies, because we served on the front lines in Helmand, side by side with UK forces and American Marines. https://t.co/XV46FuiH2f
"We've never asked them for anything"
Leaders from NATO countries have criticized Trump's remarks, saying their soldiers fought side by side with allies in Afghanistan and calling his comments offensive.
In an interview broadcast Thursday on Fox News, the former U.S. president questioned whether NATO allies would support the United States if it ever called for help. He said he was not sure the military alliance would come to America's aid if needed.
"We've never needed them," Trump said. "We've never asked them for anything."
Referring to the allied forces deployed to Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks, Trump said: "They say they sent some troops to Afghanistan. They did, but they stayed a little further back, a little further from the front line."
In reality, NATO allies joined the United States' call for assistance when it invoked the alliance's Article 5 collective defense clause for the first – and only – time immediately after 9/11.
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Editor: Aleksander Krjukov, Marcus Turovski, Helen Wright
