British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said Donald Trump should apologise after claiming that European troops were largely absent from frontline fighting during the war in Afghanistan.
In an unusually direct criticism of a sitting US president, Starmer on Friday described Trump’s remarks as deeply offensive, saying they disrespected the sacrifices made by allied forces.
Trump had told Fox News earlier this week that NATO partners remained “a little off the front lines” during the conflict — a statement Starmer said was both inaccurate and unacceptable.
“If I had spoken in that way or used those words,” Starmer said when asked whether Trump owed an apology, “I would certainly apologise.”
Tribute to British and Allied Casualties
The UK prime minister also paid tribute to the 457 British service personnel who lost their lives after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, launched in response to the September 11 attacks.
More than 150,000 members of the UK armed forces served in Afghanistan over two decades, making Britain the second-largest contributor to the coalition after the United States.
Troops from dozens of other nations also took part, following the first-ever activation of NATO’s Article 5 collective defence clause. Casualties included more than 150 Canadian soldiers, 90 French troops, and dozens from Germany, Italy, and other allied countries. Denmark, which remains under political pressure from Trump over Greenland, lost 44 soldiers.
The United States suffered more than 2,400 military deaths during the conflict.
White House Pushes Back
Later on Friday, the White House dismissed Starmer’s criticism, defending Trump’s position on NATO.
“President Trump is absolutely right — the United States has done more for NATO than all other member countries combined,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement to AFP.
Trump’s remarks came shortly after he withdrew threats to impose tariffs on several European nations that had opposed his demand for US control over Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Tensions Rise Over NATO and Greenland
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump questioned whether NATO would support the US if called upon, stating that America had “never really asked anything” of the alliance.
The comments further strained transatlantic relations, already under pressure after Trump threatened economic measures against European countries resisting his ambitions over Greenland.
Although Trump later softened his stance following talks with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte — outlining a potential framework on Arctic security — his Afghanistan remarks sparked renewed backlash across Europe.
European Leaders React
Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel condemned Trump’s statements as false and disrespectful, while Poland’s Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz reaffirmed his country’s commitment to NATO, calling Poland a “reliable and proven ally.”
Britain’s Prince Harry also entered the debate, stressing that the sacrifices of British soldiers deserved honesty and respect.
“Thousands of lives were changed forever,” said Harry, who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan with the British Army.
“Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children grew up without a parent. Families continue to carry that burden.”
Civilian Cost of the War
Beyond military losses, the war inflicted a heavy toll on Afghanistan’s civilian population. A 2021 estimate by Brown University’s Costs of War project found that at least 46,319 Afghan civilians were killed directly as a result of the invasion.
That figure does not account for indirect deaths linked to hunger, disease, or the collapse of basic infrastructure during the conflict.