Donald Trump has reversed his claim that British troops avoided combat in Afghanistan, following reports that King Charles expressed concerns about the remarks. The US President had earlier suggested UK forces 'stayed a little back, a little off the front lines', prompting a backlash from Downing Street and condemnation from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
In a dramatic about-turn, Trump took to social media to praise British soldiers, writing: 'The GREAT and very BRAVE soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United States of America! In Afghanistan, 457 died, many were badly injured, and they were among the greatest of all warriors.' He added that the bond between the two nations is 'too strong to ever be broken'.
According to The Sun, Trump was informed of the King's discomfort before reversing his position. A source said: 'It was made very clear that the King's concern over the hurt had been caused by the comments whether inadvertent or not.' King Charles, in his constitutional role as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, is understood to have made his displeasure known.
The initial comments had sparked outrage, with Sir Keir Starmer describing them as 'insulting and frankly appalling'. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the climbdown, saying she was 'pleased' the president had 'now acknowledged the role of the British armed forces', but added it 'should never have been questioned in the first place'. However, Trump's praise did not extend to Danish or other Nato troops who also lost their lives in the conflict.
Despite the reversal, Sir Keir faces mounting pressure to cancel King Charles's scheduled state visit to the United States in April, which would be the first by a sitting British monarch since 2007. The Prime Minister had previously called for an apology and faced demands to scrap the trip over Trump's remarks and other contentious foreign policy decisions.
