Recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding NATO’s role during its 20-year presence in Afghanistan have sparked strong reactions from British officials, politicians, and former military personnel.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump expressed distrust toward NATO in future wars, saying the alliance kept its forces away from the front lines in Afghanistan and that Washington never truly relied on them for support.
Trump said: “We never really asked them for anything. They will say they sent some soldiers to Afghanistan. They did this and that. But they stayed somewhat behind the front lines.”
These comments by the U.S. president have been met with sharp criticism from British officials and politicians.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded by saying that hundreds of British troops lost their lives in the NATO mission and hundreds more suffered permanent disabilities due to severe injuries.
Starmer described Trump’s remarks as an insult to NATO forces and called on him to apologize for such claims. He added:
“I want to remember our 457 soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan, who were wounded, some permanently. I find President Trump’s comments disrespectful and unacceptable, and I am not surprised that these words deeply hurt the families of those who were killed or injured. If I had said something like that, I would certainly have apologized.”
In addition to the prime minister, the UK defense secretary, many members of parliament, and former military officials also voiced strong reactions.
Prince Harry, who was deployed twice to Afghanistan on NATO missions and currently heads the Invictus Games Foundation supporting wounded and psychologically affected British soldiers, said Britain’s military mission and sacrifices in Afghanistan, must not be forgotten.
He added:
“I served there. I made lifelong friends there, and I lost friends there. Thousands of lives were permanently changed. Mothers and fathers buried their sons and daughters. Children grew up without a mother or a father. Families are still paying the price of this war. These sacrifices truly deserve respect.”
Alongside Britain, NATO member countries including the Netherlands, Canada, France, and several others also described Trump’s recent remarks as unreasonable and far from the facts, warning that such claims undermine NATO and damage its credibility.
Around 22 NATO member states deployed forces to Afghanistan, the majority from the United States and the United Kingdom. During the alliance’s 20-year presence, these forces fought intense battles with the Islamic Emirate, resulting in hundreds of thousands of Afghan civilian casualties.
On February 29, 2020, the United States signed the Doha Agreement with the Islamic Emirate, and on August 30, 2021, with the withdrawal of the last U.S. soldier, all foreign forces stationed in Afghanistan under NATO officially left the country.
