Starmer Denounces Trump's "Insulting" Remarks on NATO's Afghanistan Role

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday strongly criticised former US President Donald Trump’s remarks suggesting that NATO allies avoided frontline combat during the Afghanistan conflict, calling the comments “insulting” and “appalling”. Starmer’s response came amid growing anger across Britain and other allied nations over Trump’s statements.

In an interview with Fox News aired on Thursday, Trump claimed that NATO countries had sent troops to Afghanistan but suggested they “stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.” The remarks appeared to overlook the significant casualties suffered by allied forces, including the deaths of 457 British soldiers during the two-decade-long conflict following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

Responding in a video message, Starmer paid tribute to British service personnel who lost their lives or sustained life-altering injuries in Afghanistan. He said Trump’s comments were deeply hurtful to the families of those who served and sacrificed, adding that he would “certainly apologise” if he had made such a statement himself. Starmer also emphasised that the UK and several European nations stood shoulder to shoulder with the US after NATO invoked its collective defence clause for the first and only time.

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The remarks drew criticism from across the political spectrum in the UK. Defence Secretary John Healey described the fallen British soldiers as heroes, while Armed Forces Minister Al Carns, a veteran of multiple tours in Afghanistan, called the comments “utterly ridiculous”. Opposition Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch warned that such statements could weaken the NATO alliance.

Similar reactions were echoed across Europe. Poland’s defence minister called for respect for Polish veterans, noting that 43 Polish soldiers died in Afghanistan, while France’s armed forces minister highlighted the deaths of 90 French troops. Even long-time Trump supporter Nigel Farage publicly disagreed with the former US president, saying British forces fought bravely alongside American troops.

According to UK defence figures, more than 150,000 British personnel served in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021, making the UK the second-largest contributor to the US-led mission. Officials and veterans’ groups stressed that the sacrifices of allied troops deserve to be acknowledged accurately and with respect.

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