Trump’s comments on NATO troops in Afghanistan ‘shocking,’ ‘shocking,’ says UK’s Starmer.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has suggested that US President Donald Trump should apologize for his false statement that troops from non-US NATO countries avoided being on the front lines during the war in Afghanistan, describing Trump’s words as “insulting” and “horrific.”

Trump said he was not sure NATO would be there to support the United States if asked, sparking anger and grief across the United Kingdom on Friday, regardless of political affiliation.

“We’ve never needed them, we’ve never asked anything from them,” Trump said of non-US troops in an interview with Fox News in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. “You know, they’re going to say they’re going to send troops to Afghanistan, or this or that, and they’re doing it, they’re staying a little bit, they’re going a little bit out of the front lines.”

In October 2001, about a month after the September 11 attacks, the US led an international coalition in Afghanistan to destroy al-Qaida, which had used the country as its base, and the group’s Taliban fighters. On the side of the US there were soldiers from many countries, including from NATO, whose defense mandate was first launched after the attacks on New York and Washington.

UK Sacrifice

In the UK, the reaction to Trump’s comments was negative.

Starmer paid tribute to the 457 British servicemen who died and those left with lifelong injuries.

“I will never forget their bravery, their courage and their sacrifice for their country,” said Starmer. “I consider the words of President Trump to be insulting and appalling and I am not surprised that they have caused such pain to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured and, indeed, to the entire country.”

Prince Harry also weighed in, saying the “sacrifices” of British soldiers during the war “must be spoken about with truth and respect.”

“Thousands of people were changed forever,” said Harry, who did two tours of duty in Afghanistan with the British Army.

“Mothers and fathers buried their sons and daughters. The children were left without a parent. The families were left to bear the costs.”

After 9/11, then Prime Minister Tony Blair said that the UK would “stand shoulder to shoulder” with the US in response to al-Qaida attacks. British troops played a major role in many operations during the Afghan war until they withdrew in 2014, particularly in Helmand province in the south of the country. American troops remained in Afghanistan until their chaotic withdrawal in 2021 when the Taliban returned to power.

More than 150,000 British troops served in Afghanistan in the years after the invasion, the largest contingent after the US.

Ben Obese Jecty, a lawyer who served in Afghanistan as a captain in the Royal Yorkshire Regiment, said it was “sad to see the dedication of our nation, and our NATO partners, being held for naught by the president of the United States.”

Trump’s Vietnam rollback has been criticized

The outrage was also fueled by the fact that the comments came from someone who did not serve in the Vietnam War when he was eligible.

“It’s very strange that someone accused of fleeing the draft of the Vietnam War should make such a shameful statement,” said Stephen Stewart, the author of the book. Accidental Soldier, an account of his time attached to British forces in Afghanistan.

Trump received a waiver that allowed him to miss work in Vietnam due to bone spurs, but he couldn’t remember which foot, leading him to be charged with aggravated assault.

Repeated slights of NATO

It was not the first time that Trump has underestimated the commitment of NATO countries in the past few days. It was one of his key lines of attack as he escalated his threats to seize Greenland, a Danish colony.

Trump’s accusations that NATO countries will not be there when asked are very different from that.

The only time Article 5 of the treaty establishing NATO was used was in response to the 9/11 attacks on the US.

“When America needed us after 9/11 we were there,” said former Denmark team captain Martin Tamm Andersen.

Denmark has been a staunch US ally in Afghanistan, with 44 Danish soldiers killed there – the highest number of casualties among coalition forces. Another eight died in Iraq.

The latest controversy surrounding Trump comes at the end of a week when he faced criticism — and backlash — over his threats to Greenland.

Trump has also threatened to impose tariffs on European countries that oppose his ambitions to take Greenland, raising questions about the future of NATO. And although Trump backed off after a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in which he said they created a “framework” for an agreement on Arctic security, the trans-Atlantic relationship has gained influence.

His latest comments are unlikely to improve the relationship.

Diane Dernie, whose son Ben Parkinson was seriously injured when a British Army Land Rover hit a mine in Afghanistan in 2006, said Trump’s latest comments were “a huge insult” and called on Starmer to stand up to Trump over them.

“Call him,” she said. “Stand up for those who fight for this country and our flag, because it is beyond belief.”

Speaking to her about that, Starmer said “what I said to Diane is, if I had spoken that way or said those words, I certainly would have apologized and apologized to her.”