Prime Minister Keir Starmer has issued a strong rebuke to US President Donald Trump over his comments suggesting British and Nato troops avoided frontlines in Afghanistan, calling them 'insulting and frankly appalling'. Starmer said he was not surprised that families of fallen soldiers were hurt by the remarks and indicated that an apology would be appropriate.
The intervention marks an escalation in tensions between the UK and the Trump administration, which had already been strained earlier in the week when Trump criticised Britain's decision to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The government was forced to delay its Chagos Islands bill in the House of Lords on Friday night, with Labour sources blaming Conservative attempts to wreck the legislation.
Speaking on Friday, Starmer paid tribute to the 457 British service personnel who died in Afghanistan, saying: 'I will never forget their courage, their bravery and the sacrifice that they made for their country.' He added: 'If I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologise.'
Trump's comments, made in a Fox News interview on Thursday, claimed Nato troops 'stayed a little back, a little off the frontlines' in Afghanistan. The remarks drew widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum, including from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who accused Trump of 'denigrating' British troops, and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who said Trump was 'wrong'.
The Liberal Democrats called on Starmer to summon the US ambassador over the insult, while Defence Secretary John Healey stressed that UK and Nato allies had 'answered the US call' in Afghanistan. Starmer, however, emphasised the importance of the UK-US relationship, noting that British forces fought alongside Americans 'for our values' in the conflict.
