Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sharply rejected comments by Donald Trump suggesting that NATO allies "stayed a little off the front lines" during the war in Afghanistan, triggering a rare moment of cross-party unity in Britain and a wave of anger from veterans who served alongside U.S. forces.
Downing Street moved quickly to rebut Trump's remarks, which questioned whether European allies would stand by Washington in a future conflict. A spokesperson for Starmer said Trump was "wrong" to imply that allied troops avoided the most dangerous fighting, stressing that British forces operated "alongside American forces throughout the conflict following the 9/11 attacks."
Britain was among the first countries to respond when NATO invoked its collective defence clause in 2001. Over the next two decades, 457 British service personnel were killed in Afghanistan, a figure repeatedly cited in Westminster as lawmakers accused Trump of diminishing the sacrifices made by allied troops.
The backlash extended across the political spectrum. Kemi Badenoch described Trump's remarks as "a disgrace," warning that "we mustn't have these sort of throwaway comments that actually weaken the strong relationship" between NATO partners. Ed Davey called the comments "a huge insult to our brave soldiers" and urged the government to seek a formal apology.
Even Nigel Farage, a long-time Trump ally, broke ranks, saying simply: "Donald Trump is wrong." Armed Forces Minister Al Carns went further, calling the claims "utterly ridiculous" and "a real shame."
While the political reaction was swift, some of the strongest criticism came from veterans. Corporal Andy Reid, who lost limbs while serving in Afghanistan, told the BBC that Trump's comments were "very disrespectful." He added: "Not a day goes by when we are not in some kind of pain physically or mentally, reflecting on that conflict."
Another veteran, identified only as Vic, who served 36 years in the military including 22 with special forces, said Trump's portrayal bore no resemblance to reality. "To say we weren't at the pointy end is a total lie," he told the BBC, adding that he was "pretty disgusted" by the remarks.
Former army chief Richard Dannatt, now Lord Dannatt, described Trump's statements as "factually incoherent" and "absolutely disrespectful." While arguing that Europe must invest more in its own defence, he said that could not justify rewriting the historical record of NATO's role in Afghanistan.
