Saturday, January 24, 2026 - British 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 stabilization 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.
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