The Italian Senate president denies Trump’s claims about troops in Afghanistan.

Testimony from the heart of “Bala Margab”: The soldiers requested helicopters, not leave.

La Russa, who served as Italy’s defense minister at the height of the conflict (2008-2011), recounted his painful memories of receiving the bodies of fallen soldiers. He confirmed that he personally carried more than thirty coffins. In response to Trump’s insinuations that international forces were afraid of confrontation, La Russa described his visits to forward and dangerous positions such as Bala Murghab and Farah:

“I asked the soldiers on the front lines what they needed. I expected requests for food or leave, but their response was always the same: we need more helicopters to do our jobs better. They weren’t asking to run away; they were asking for the means to do more.”

Coordination with Washington and WikiLeaks testimony

The Senate President emphasized that Italian forces worked “in close harmony” with the Americans. He added that everything the US military did, the Italians did side by side. La Russa cited official US documents released by WikiLeaks, including a secret cable to the then-US Secretary of Defense confirming that the Italian forces’ mission in Afghanistan remained a “top priority” and was characterized by complete commitment. This directly contradicts Trump’s current statements.

Meloni and Trump: Mutual respect is a prerequisite for an alliance

Commenting on Prime Minister Georgia Meloni’s stance, who criticized Trump’s remarks and stressed that mutual respect is the basis of solidarity in NATO, La Russa said: “I completely agree with Meloni. Respect is a prerequisite, and Georgia is balancing the preservation of the alliance’s strength with building a bridge with the Trump administration, but it never backs down on protecting the dignity of our soldiers.”

Defense, not war

La Russa described the Italian mission as a “counter-terrorism military mission” that involved the sustained use of force in a defensive context to eliminate threats. He emphasized that Italian forces “never abandoned any mission” or withdrew from the front lines, as the US president-elect had claimed.