Feb 02, 2026
3 min read
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has demanded an apology from US President Donald Trump for saying NATO troops are "far from the front line" in Afghanistan.Veterans and victims' families called Trump's remarks insulting and unwarranted.
Donald Trump sparks unrest, now angering Britain
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has demanded that US President Donald Trump apologize for his comments that Nato troops are "staying away from the front lines" in Afghanistan.Veterans and victims' families called Trump's comments insulting and unfounded.
JAKARTA – Donald Trump menyulut api dimana-mana, kali ini membakar kemarahan Inggris dan Perdana Menteri Inggris, Keir Starmer menuntut agar orang nomer satu di Amerika Serikat itu meminta maaf.
Trump is a president who has created a lot of noise around the world, and this time he mentioned that NATO allies were far from the front lines during the war in Afghanistan.
Mr. Trump has also angered some NATO allies by saying that they do not believe that NATO will exist if America wants it.
His comments sparked anger among British veterans and politicians, as Britain is among those sending troops to the front line along with other NATO members in the war in Afghanistan.
After the 9/11 attacks in the US, 457 British soldiers died in the conflict in Afghanistan, making a huge contribution to the fight against terrorism.
Starmer accused Trump of making false statements about British troops in Afghanistan."It's absolutely appalling," Starmer said.
Keir Starmer joined veterans and politicians across the political spectrum in condemning Donald Trump's withdrawal of NATO troops from the front lines as offensive.That's why Trump asked him to apologize.
"I found President Trump's comments offensive and frankly appalling, and I am not surprised that they have caused so much distress to the loved ones of those who were killed and injured."
Prince Harry, who served in Afghanistan, said the sacrifices of NATO troops should be discussed with honesty and respect.
The Prime Minister's Office had earlier said that the US President was wrong to underestimate the role of NATO troops, including British troops, in Afghanistan and that their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.
Tony Blair was the British Prime Minister at the time and the first to send British troops to support America in Afghanistan.
Avoiding direct criticism of the US president, Tony Blair's spokesman said: "Tony Blair knows, and will always remember with deep gratitude, the great contribution and sacrifice made by British soldiers in Afghanistan on the front lines of the war against terrorism, after the attack of 11 September 2001 on the US."
Admiral Lord West, the former head of the navy who is coordinating naval operations in Afghanistan, told The Independent newspaper that Trump's comments were "wrong" and "inconvenient and uncomfortable for anyone," referring to the allied head of state.
Secretary of State for the British Ministry of Defense John Healey said that the British soldiers who died in Afghanistan were heroes who sacrificed their lives to serve our country.
Meanwhile, Britain's Defense Secretary Al Carnes, who served five tours of duty in Afghanistan, challenged anyone who believes Trump's false claims to meet with the families of the 457 soldiers killed in the conflict.
The families of the British soldiers who have been perished on the emotion for the Polite Trama's State.
According to the veterans charity Help for Heroes, more than 1,100 coalition fighters outside the United States died in the conflict that began in 2001, the vast majority of them from NATO countries, while more than 2,400 members of the US armed forces also died.
However, as reported by The Independent, Donald Trump, who avoided military service five times during the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s because he was diagnosed with a bone spur in his heel, told Fox News: "They say they sent troops to Afghanistan, and it's true that they stayed a little bit behind, a little bit away from the front lines."
"I ask anyone who believes Trump's comments to drink whiskey with me, my colleagues, their families, and especially the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for both of our countries," Carns added.
Carnes also posted a video in uniform, saying it was a glimpse of what it would be like to be on the front lines in Afghanistan.
Former UK Defense Secretary Malcolm Rifkind told The Independent that President Trump made the accusation without first checking the facts."Or he's lying and he knows he's lying. Either way, he's going to damage his reputation and the reputation of the United States," Malcolm said.
"What he's saying makes absolutely no sense because in fact Article 5 was only used to help the US after 9/11," Health Secretary Stephen Kinnock told Sky News.
He added: "So many British soldiers and soldiers from other NATO allies in Europe are sacrificing their lives to support American missions, American-led missions in places like Afghanistan and Iraq."
The United States is the only country to implement NATO's Article 5 collective defense clause, which considers an attack on one NATO country an attack on all countries, with the alliance providing support to the United States after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
British Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also described Trump's claims as complete nonsense.
Britain suffered the second highest number of military deaths in the war in Afghanistan, after the US which recorded 247 deaths.In total, the American allies lost 1,160 members killed in the war, or one third of the coalition killed.
The mother of a young British soldier killed in Afghanistan says President Donald Trump has no mercy for those who failed to serve him.Lucy Aldridge, whose son William died aged 18, said the announcement was devastating.(*)
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