UK Prime Minister condemns Trump’s ‘Insulting’ remarks claiming non—American NATO Troops stayed “a little off the front lines” during the Afghanistan war

MBritish Prime Minister, Keir Starmer has sharply criticised comments by US President Donald Trump about NATO forces, describing them as “insulting and frankly appalling,” and suggesting the remarks warrant an apology.

Trump made the comments during a Fox News interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, claiming the United States had “never needed” NATO support and alleging that allied troops stayed “a little off the front lines” during the war in Afghanistan.

Starmer rejected the claims, pointing to the heavy sacrifices made by British and other NATO forces over the two-decade conflict. He noted that 457 British service personnel were killed in Afghanistan, while many others sustained serious injuries.

“I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling,” Starmer said, adding that the comments had caused deep pain to the families of those who lost loved ones or were wounded.

The British prime minister said an apology would be appropriate, stressing the need to respect the service and sacrifice of allied troops.

“If I had spoken in that way or used those words, I would certainly apologise,” he said.

The war in Afghanistan began in 2001 following the September 11 attacks on the United States, after NATO invoked Article 5, its collective defence clause, for the first time in its history. Allied forces from the UK, Canada, Germany, France and other NATO members played key roles in combat, counter-terrorism and stabilisation operations.

British troops were heavily deployed in high-risk areas, particularly Helmand Province, where they fought alongside US forces against Taliban insurgents. Thousands of NATO personnel were killed or injured during the mission, underscoring the scale of allied involvement.