U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has denounced U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments dismissing the role and sacrifices of NATO allies during the Afghanistan war, calling the remarks “insulting and frankly appalling.”
Trump, in an interview with Fox News while in Davos, Switzerland, claimed that NATO troops “stayed a little back, a little off the front lines” and asserted that the U.S. “never needed” its NATO allies in the conflict.
The Afghanistan war, which lasted from 2001 to 2021, began after the 9/11 attacks. NATO invoked its mutual defense clause, Article 5, for the first time in its history on September 12, 2001, leading numerous member nations to join the U.S.-led campaign.
Total coalition fatalities reached approximately 3,600, including over 2,200 American troops. Among NATO allies, the United Kingdom lost 457 personnel, Canada 158, and France 86, with many more seriously injured.
In a sharp rebuke on Friday, Starmer emphasized, “I will never forget their courage, their bravery and the sacrifice they made for their country.” He added that the comments had “caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured.”
The criticism was echoed by Prince Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan. He stated that the “sacrifices” of NATO troops “deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect.”
Also former U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns also responded, labeling Trump’s statements “shameful.”
