Trump and the NATO Degradation Project

Trump's comments about UK soldiers refusing to be on the front lines of the Afghan war have sparked outrage among the families of the dead and veterans.

News ID: 87296

Date: 25 January 2026 - 09:34

TEHRAN (Defapress) - UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reacted rarely to Donald Trump's remarks, describing his comments about UK troops in Afghanistan as "insulting and truly disgusting." Starmer said it was no surprise that the comments deeply hurt the families of the fallen soldiers.

Trump had claimed in an interview that US allies in the war in Afghanistan were refusing to be on the front lines, a claim that sparked a wave of anger among the families of the fallen and veterans.

The UK Prime Minister's sharp criticism of the US president came at a time when relations between London and Washington had also been strained over the past week due to a dispute over the Chagos Islands. The UK government was even forced to postpone consideration of the bill related to the islands in the House of Lords. This issue has become more sensitive after Trump criticized London's decision to hand over the islands to Mauritius.

Despite the risk of escalating tensions with the White House, Starmer decided not to remain silent in the face of the wave of anger from veterans and families of those killed. In a speech, the UK Prime Minister recalled that 457 UK soldiers died in the Afghanistan war and many more suffered serious and lifelong injuries, and it is natural that their families would be offended by such remarks.

On the other hand, when asked if he would ask Trump to apologize for making these remarks, he replied: “If I had said such things, I would definitely apologize.” However, he stressed that the close relationship with the United States is vital to UK security and that it was this relationship that led the two countries to fight side by side in Afghanistan.

Trump’s comments in an interview with Fox News, in which he claimed that NATO forces were “a little behind the front lines,” were met with widespread reactions in the UK. The remarks also brought back into the public debate the issue of his draft evasion from the Vietnam War, an exemption granted based on a “calcaneal spur” claim that had been in doubt for years.

Donald Trump also said at the Davos summit that he was not sure that NATO member states would be willing to support the US if it needed help. This is even though 3,486 NATO troops were killed in the war in Afghanistan, 2,461 of whom were American, and 165 Canadians.

Leaders of various parties in the UK, including the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, and Reform UK, called the claims false and insulting. The UK defense secretary said that his country’s troops and those of other NATO members “responded to the American request” and were on the battlefield. Prince Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan, also stressed that the sacrifice of soldiers should be remembered with respect.

Families of some of the war-wounded also strongly criticized Trump's remarks, calling them disrespectful to years of suffering and trauma. Internationally, officials in Poland, Denmark, and some former NATO commanders in the United States rejected the claims, noting that hundreds of allied soldiers had died on the front lines under American command.

UK MPs and former soldiers also rejected the claim one after another. "How can he say we were behind the front line? 457 of our young men died on the front lines," said Lord Dannatt, a former UK army commander. Stephen Stewart, a former soldier and author, called the remarks "both offensive and false." Former Army Major Richard Streatfeild said the claim that UK troops served less harshly was "completely false and deeply insulting."

Stephen Stewart, a former soldier and author, called the remarks "both offensive and false." Former Army Major Richard Streatfield said the claim that UK troops had not been hard-working was “completely false and deeply insulting.”

Backlash continued in the United States. Former NATO commander James Stavridis said hundreds of allied troops had died under his command on the front lines and that he “remembers them every day.” Former US ambassador to China Nicholas Burns called Trump’s comments “shameful,” saying the US needed its allies but was pushing them away.

Former Afghan special forces commander Sami Sadat also said Trump was wrong and that he was “appreciative of every single NATO country.” A White House spokesman rejected the UK criticism, saying: “President Trump is absolutely right. The US has done more for NATO than any other country.”