British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday criticized US President Donald Trump for his remarks that British soldiers avoided the front line during the war in Afghanistan. Starmer called Trump’s claim offensive. TASR writes about it according to AFP.
- Starmer criticized Trump for his comments about British soldiers.
- Trump claimed that the British were out of line in Afghanistan.
- Trump’s words caused outrage among British politicians.
Trump commented on the participation of NATO soldiers in Afghanistan in an interview with Fox News television broadcast on Thursday.
Allies in Afghanistan
By invading Afghanistan, the United States and its allies responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This is the only time in NATO history that a member state has activated Article Five of the Washington Treaty on Collective Defense. Several NATO member states were involved in military operations in Afghanistan, including Britain, which lost 457 soldiers there and a total of 150,000 members of its army were replaced there over 20 years.
“They’re going to say they sent some troops to Afghanistan,” Trump said on American television, referring to NATO allies. “And they did, but they were a little behind, a little outside the front lines,” the US president said, sparking outrage across the British political scene. Trump also repeated his claim that NATO would not come to the aid of the United States if asked.
Reactions to Trump’s words
In response, Starmer paid tribute to all the British victims of the fighting in Afghanistan. “Many were also injured, some with life-long consequences, and therefore I find President Trump’s statements offensive and, frankly, terrible, and I am not surprised that they have caused such pain to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured,” he declared, emphasizing that if he himself had said this, he would have apologized.
In addition to Starmer, a number of other British politicians condemned Trump’s statements. Defense Secretary John Healey wrote on the X Network that the British soldiers who died were “heroes who gave their lives in the service of our nation”. Assistant Secretary of the Armed Forces Al Carns, who served five tours of duty in Afghanistan, said Trump’s words were “absolutely ridiculous.” Care Secretary Stephen Kinnock expects Starmer to put the issue to Trump.
Criticism unites again
Trump’s long-time supporter and leader of the opposition party Reform UK Nigel Farage wrote on the X network that Trump is wrong and pointed out that British forces fought bravely in Afghanistan for 20 years alongside the Americans.
The leader of the opposition Conservatives, Kemi Badenoch, said Trump’s remarks were “utter nonsense” and weakened the alliance.
