British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged US President Donald Trump to apologise for his false assertion that troops from NATO countries — other than Americans — stayed away from the front line during the war in Afghanistan.
Trump said that he wasn't sure NATO would be there to support the United States if and when requested, provoking outrage and distress among many in the United Kingdom on Friday.
"We've never needed them, we have never really asked anything of them," he said in an interview with Fox News in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. "You know, they'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that, and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines."
In October 2001, nearly a month after the 11 September attacks, a US-led coalition launched an invasion of Afghanistan to destroy al Qaida, which had used the country as its base, and the group's Taliban hosts. Alongside the US were troops from dozens of countries, including from NATO, whose mutual-defence mandate had been triggered for the first time after the attacks on New York and Washington.
The US President made the claim that the alliance's troops "stayed a little back" from the frontlines during the war in Afghanistan. (Source: Reuters)
UK sacrifice
In Britain, the reaction to Trump's comments was raw and Starmer paid tribute to the 457 British personnel who died and said the president should apologise.
"I will never forget their courage, their bravery and the sacrifice they made for their country," Starmer said.
"I consider President Trump's remarks to be insulting and, frankly, appalling and I am not surprised they have caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured and, in fact, across the country."
Without naming Trump by name, Prince Harry weighed in to the furore too, saying the "sacrifices" of British soldiers during the war "deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect".
"Thousands of lives were changed forever," said Harry, who undertook two tours of duty in Afghanistan in the British Army and who lost friends there.
"Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost."
After 9/11, then Prime Minister Tony Blair said that the UK would "stand shoulder to shoulder" with the US in response to the al Qaida attacks. British troops took a key role in many operations during the Afghan war until their withdrawal 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 US led 2001 invasion, the largest contingent after the American one.
Ben Obese-Jecty, a lawmaker who served in Afghanistan as a captain in the Royal Yorkshire Regiment, said that it was "sad to see our nation's sacrifice, and that of our NATO partners, held so cheaply by the president of the United States".
Anger was further fuelled by the fact that the comments came from someone who didn't serve in the Vietnam War at a time when he was eligible.
"It's hugely ironic that someone who allegedly dodged the draft for the Vietnam War should make such a disgraceful statement," said Stephen Stewart, author of The Accidental Soldier, an account of his time embedded with British troops in Afghanistan.
Trump received a deferment that allowed him not to serve in Vietnam because of bone spurs, but he has been unable to remember in which foot, leading to accusations of draft dodging.
Repeated NATO slights
It wasn't the first time that Trump downplayed the commitment of NATO countries over the past few days. It has been one of his pivotal lines of attack as he escalated his threats to seize Greenland, a semi autonomous territory belonging to Denmark.
Trump's allegation that NATO countries won't be there when requested stands in stark contrast to reality.
The only time Article 5 of NATO's founding treaty has been used was in response to the 9/11 attacks on the US. The article is the key mutual defence clause, obliging all member countries to come to the aid of another member whose sovereignty or territorial integrity might be under threat.
"When America needed us after 9/11 we were there," former Danish platoon commander Martin Tamm Andersen said.
Denmark has been a stalwart ally of the US in Afghanistan, with 44 Danish soldiers killed there — the highest per capita death toll among coalition forces. Eight more died in Iraq.
The latest controversy surrounding Trump comes at the end of a week when he has faced criticism — and pushback — for his threats to Greenland.
Trump also threatened to slap tariffs on European nations opposed to his ambitions to annex Greenland, which raised questions over the future of NATO. And though Trump backed down after a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in which he said they formed the "framework" for a deal over Arctic security, transatlantic relations have taken a hit.
His latest comments are unlikely to improve relations.
Diane Dernie, whose son Ben Parkinson suffered horrific injuries when a British Army Land Rover hit a mine in Afghanistan in 2006, said that Trump's latest comments were "the ultimate insult" and called on Starmer to stand up to Trump over them.
"Call him out," she said. "Make a stand for those who fought for this country and for our flag, because it's just beyond belief."
Taking her up on that, Starmer said: "I've made my position clear, and what I say to Diane is, if I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologise and I'd apologise to her."
New Zealand proud of its troops - Collins
Defence Minister Judith Collins said in a statement to 1News that New Zealand was proud of the service of personnel who deployed to Afghanistan.
More than 3500 Kiwis took part in the Defence Force's deployment in Afghanistan, with ten New Zealanders killed whilst on deployment.
"We responded to the call for assistance alongside our partners, and our people served willingly and with professionalism in challenging and often dangerous conditions," Collins said.
"We continue to honour the memory of New Zealand Defence Force personnel who lost their lives in Afghanistan, and we acknowledge the enduring loss felt by their families, friends, and colleagues. New Zealand takes great pride in the professionalism, courage, and commitment shown by all those who served there."
Additional reporting by 1News.
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