SYDNEY
\nAustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday that comments from US President Donald Trump lamenting the efforts of non-US troops in Afghanistan were \u201ccompletely unacceptable.\u201d
\nTrump said in a Fox News interview that NATO sent \u201csome troops\u201d but \u201cstayed a little back, a little off the front lines.\u201d
\nTrump appeared to be partially walking back his remarks on Saturday amid growing outrage from European and now Australian allies.
\nSpeaking on the ABC\u2019s Insiders program on Sunday morning, Albanese said Australian families of fallen soldiers would be \u201churting\u201d as a result of Trump\u2019s comments.
\n\u201cThose 47 Australian families who will be hurting by these comments, they deserve our absolute respect, our admiration,\u201d Albanese said.
\n\u201cThe bravery that was shown by 40,000 Australians (who) served in Afghanistan, they were certainly on the frontlines in order to, along with our other allies, defend democracy and freedom and to defend our national interests,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cThey deserve our respect\u201d
\nOn Saturday, a day after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Trump\u2019s remarks as \u201cappalling,\u201d Trump appeared to change his position \u2014 at least as far as British troops were concerned.
\n\u201cThe GREAT and very BRAVE soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United States of America!\u201d Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
\n\u201cIn Afghanistan, 457 died, many were badly injured, and they were among the greatest of all warriors. It\u2019s a bond too strong to ever be broken.\u201d
\nAlbanese referenced Trump\u2019s later comments, suggesting he also appreciated the Australian effort in Afghanistan.
\n\u201cI think President Trump\u2019s comments overnight indicate a very different position. He\u2019s acknowledged the contribution,\u201d Albanese told the ABC, but added that Trump\u2019s previous comments were \u201centirely not appropriate. Completely unacceptable.\u201d
\n\u2018I don\u2019t like you either\u2019
\nAlbanese also announced Australia\u2019s next Ambassador to the United States, recommending Greg Moriarty for the job.
\nEarlier this month, Australia announced its ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, would leave after a three-year tenure overshadowed by Trump\u2019s verdict on him: \u201cI don\u2019t like you either.\u201d
\nFormer Australian prime minister Rudd, who departs his post on March 31 to become president of the Asia Society think tank in New York, had sharply criticized Trump while he was out of office.
\nTrump expressed disdain for Rudd during a televised US-Australia meeting at the White House in October last year, prompting some Australian opposition calls for his posting to be ended.
\nAlbanese said Moriarty was an \u201coutstanding Australian public servant,\u201d and he had consulted with the Trump administration on his selection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SYDNEY Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday that comments from US President Donald Trump lamenting the efforts of non-US troops in Afghanistan were \u201ccompletely unacceptable.\u201d Trump said in a Fox News interview that NATO sent \u201csome troops\u201d but \u201cstayed a little back, a little off the front lines.\u201d Trump appeared to be partially […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":527718,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-527708","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n