UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered an unusually sharp rebuke of US President Donald Trump over remarks about British troops who served in Afghanistan, describing the comments as “insulting and frankly appalling” and indicating that an apology would be appropriate.
Starmer said he was not surprised that the families of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan were deeply hurt by Trump’s claim that UK forces had avoided frontline combat. His intervention follows a week of strained relations between UK and the White House.
The criticism marks a further escalation in tensions with the Trump administration, which earlier this week took aim at the UK over its decision to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. On Friday night, the British government delayed legislation on the Chagos Islands in the House of Lords.
According to the Guardian, the delay is being described as a temporary pause, arguing that Conservative peers had attempted to derail the bill. However, the move followed Trump’s description of the handover as an act of “great stupidity”, alongside suggestions that the United States could block the transfer under a 1961 treaty.
Starmer’s decision to publicly condemn Trump’s Afghanistan remarks risks deepening the diplomatic rift, but Downing Street indicated the intervention was driven by anger among veterans’ organisations and the families of fallen soldiers.
As global outrage mounted over Trump’s assertion that British and Nato forces stayed away from the frontlines in Afghanistan, Starmer paid tribute to the 457 members of the UK armed forces who lost their lives during the conflict.
“I will never forget their courage, their bravery and the sacrifice that they made for their country,” the prime minister said on Friday. He also acknowledged the many service personnel who were injured, some sustaining life-changing wounds.
Starmer said Trump’s comments had caused profound pain to bereaved families. “I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling, and I’m not surprised they caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured,” The Guardian quoted him as saying.
When asked whether the US president should apologise, Starmer replied: “If I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologise.”
Despite the criticism, Starmer underscored the importance of the “very close” relationship between the UK and the US for national security. He said British forces had fought alongside American troops in Afghanistan to defend shared values, adding that it was in that context that soldiers lost their lives or suffered severe injuries while “fighting for freedom” alongside allies.
Trump’s remarks were made during an interview with Fox News on Thursday, in which he suggested Nato forces had remained “a little off the frontlines” during the Afghanistan war. The comments drew condemnation across the political spectrum and revived scrutiny of Trump’s own avoidance of military service during the Vietnam War.
The president has previously faced criticism for avoiding conscription after citing bone spurs in his heels, a diagnosis that has been widely questioned.
In the Fox News interview, Trump said Nato countries had sent troops to Afghanistan but claimed they “stayed a little back, a little off the frontlines.” He echoed similar sentiments while speaking in Davos on Wednesday, questioning whether alliance members would come to the US’s aid in a crisis.
The 20-year conflict in Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of 3,486 Nato troops, including 2,461 US service members. Canada recorded 165 fatalities, including civilians.
