UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemns Donald Trump’s remarks on NATO allies in Afghanistan as ‘insulting and appalling’, sparking widespread outrage.
LONDON: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has denounced Donald Trump’s claim that NATO allies avoided the front line in Afghanistan as “insulting and appalling”.
The US president made the remarks in a Fox News interview, appearing unaware that 457 British soldiers died in the conflict.
“They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan,” Trump told the outlet, referring to NATO allies. “And they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.”
Starmer paid tribute to the 457 UK service personnel who lost their lives and the many more injured. “I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly, appalling, and I’m not surprised they’ve caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured,” he said in a video message.
The comments triggered outrage across Britain’s political spectrum. UK Defence Minister John Healey said the troops who died were “heroes who gave their lives in service of our nation”.
Armed Forces Minister Al Carns, a veteran of five tours in Afghanistan, called Trump’s comments “utterly ridiculous”.
Opposition Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the remarks were “complete nonsense” that could weaken NATO. Even long-time Trump supporter Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, rebuked the American president.
“Donald Trump is wrong,” Farage stated. “For 20 years our armed forces fought bravely alongside America’s in Afghanistan.”
Poland’s Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said he expected respect for Polish veterans, noting Poland lost 43 soldiers. French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin said 90 French soldiers died alongside NATO allies.
Prince Harry, who served two frontline tours in Afghanistan, also responded. “I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there,” he said. “Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect.”
According to UK figures, 405 of the 457 British casualties were killed in hostile action. The UK was the second-largest contributor to the US-led force in Afghanistan, with over 150,000 personnel serving between
