America's Power War with Europe and Canada

Donald Trump's recent statements in an interview with Fox News about the role of NATO forces in the war in Afghanistan have sparked a wave of anger and criticism in UK.

News ID: 87294

Date: 24 January 2026 - 06:51

TEHRAN (Defapress) - Donald Trump's recent comments about the role of NATO forces in the war in Afghanistan have sparked a wave of anger and criticism in UK. In an interview with Fox News, Trump claimed that NATO forces were "not on the front lines" and "a little behind." He also repeated his claim that NATO would not support the United States if needed.

The comments were met with strong reactions from UK MPs and veterans. Critics pointed out that 457 UK soldiers died in the war in Afghanistan, and a total of 3,486 NATO troops have died in the 20-year war, including 2,461 American soldiers. Canada also had 165 deaths, and Denmark - which recently had a dispute with the United States over Greenland - suffered the highest combat casualties per capita after the United States with 44.

Calvin Bailey, a Labour MP and former RAF officer who served with US special operations forces in Afghanistan, said Trump’s claim “has no resemblance to reality on the ground”.

Ben Obese-Jecty, a Conservative MP and former officer in the Yorkshire Regiment, said it was “regrettable that the US President would show such disregard for the sacrifices made by UK and NATO forces”.

The chairman of the House of Commons defence committee, Tan Dehsi, described the comments as “insulting” and “disrespectful to the brave men and women of the UK Armed Forces” who “risked their lives to help our allies, many of whom died”.

Emily Thornberry, chair of the foreign affairs committee, said the comments were “more than a simple mistake” and “a clear insult to the families of those who died”.

The report also cited Trump’s record of avoiding military service in the Vietnam War; He was excused from service because of a “calcaneal spur” – a claim that has been disputed for years.

Former soldier and author Steven Stewart said: “This is both untrue and insulting. It is deeply ironic that someone who is said to have dodged service in Vietnam would make such a statement. He has tarnished the memory of hundreds of UK soldiers who died in Afghanistan. If he had any decency he would have knelt down before the families of those who died and asked for forgiveness.”

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey also wrote on X: “Trump has dodged service five times. How can he allow himself to question the sacrifice of others?”

Bailey went on to recall that on July 4, 2008, he had told American troops that Britain’s presence in Afghanistan was based on the same fundamental beliefs that helped shape America: that free people have inherent rights and should not live under tyranny. This belief, he said, was the basis of the response to the September 11 attacks and is still worth considering now.

Of course, this is not all about the power struggle between the US and Europe and Canada, and Trump had said in Davos: “Canada is alive because of the United States.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to Donald Trump’s remarks after returning from Davos. Carney replied that Canada had flourished “not because of America, but because of Canadian values.”

Carney, who gave a widely publicized speech at the World Economic Forum, condemned big powers for pressuring smaller countries, without naming Trump. But after returning to Canada, he directly addressed Trump’s remarks, saying, “Canada is not alive because America is; Canada is thriving because we are Canadian.”

The Canadian prime minister stressed that Canada and the United States have a significant economic, security and cultural partnership, but added, “We own our own home; this is our country, our future, and the decisions are ours.”

Trump then withdrew his invitation for Carney to join the “peace commission,” posting a letter on social media saying the commission was withdrawing its invitation from Canada. Carney had left Davos before the formal start of the commission, which is supposed to oversee efforts to maintain a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Trump has talked in recent weeks about making Canada the “51st state” and even released a doctored image of a map of the United States that shows Canada, Greenland, Venezuela and Cuba as part of the United States. He said in Davos that Canada gets “a lot of privileges” from the US and should be “grateful,” and that Carney’s speech showed that he is not grateful.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had previously responded to Carney’s remarks at Davos, saying, “Don’t worry! Canada has the second-best deal in the world, and now I have to put up with this guy’s whining.”

Canada has been spared the worst of Trump’s tariffs so far thanks to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), but that deal is due to be formally reviewed this year.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, said at Davos that several U.S. officials had sent him a copy of Carney’s speech. He praised Carney, saying he had taken a “courageous” stand and that the United States must stand up to these trends. Newsom warned that “the American could be lost” and the country could become “unrecognizable.”

The California governor also said that Carney's move to bring cheap, high-quality electric cars from China to Canada — not from Michigan, but from abroad — showed the "recklessness" of Trump's foreign policy. "To tear apart 80 years of alliance like this is truly astonishing," Newsom added.