British PM joins veterans and officials across Europe in rebuking former US president’s claim that allies avoided frontline fighting; Poland demands apology.
LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday condemned former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments about European troops in Afghanistan as “frankly appalling,” joining a wave of criticism from European leaders, veterans, and diplomats who called the remarks insulting and historically inaccurate.
Starmer’s sharp rebuke marks a notable departure from his usual public restraint toward Trump. “I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling, and I’m not surprised they’ve caused such hurt for the loved ones of those who were killed or injured,” Starmer told reporters.
The controversy erupted after Trump claimed in a Fox Business interview that European NATO allies had stayed “a little off the front lines” during the Afghanistan War—a conflict in which hundreds of British, Polish, Danish, French, Canadian, and other coalition troops died alongside American forces.
Britain, which lost 457 service personnel in Afghanistan—its deadliest overseas deployment since the 1950s—bore particularly heavy casualties while leading operations in Helmand province. British Veterans Minister Alistair Carns, a decorated soldier who served five tours including alongside U.S. troops, called Trump’s assertion “utterly ridiculous.”
“We shed blood, sweat and tears together. Not everybody came home,” Carns stated in a social media post.
European Allies Demand Respect
The backlash spread rapidly across Europe:
- Poland’s retired General Roman Polko, a former special forces commander, said Trump had “crossed a red line” and demanded an apology, stating, “We paid with blood for this alliance.”
- Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel denounced the comments as “untrue and disrespectful.”
- Denmark’s opposition Conservative MP Rasmus Jarlov labeled them “ignorant.” Denmark suffered one of NATO’s highest per-capita death tolls with 44 fatalities.
- Poland’s Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized that Polish sacrifice “must not be diminished.”
Prince Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan, also issued a statement: “Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect.”
A Test for NATO Unity
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions within the NATO alliance, which invoked its Article 5 collective-defense clause for the first time after the 9/11 attacks, leading to the Afghanistan mission. Trump’s remarks arrive amid his renewed pressure on European members to increase defense spending and his expressed interest in acquiring Greenland from Denmark.
Some critics pointed to Trump’s own military record. Ed Davey, leader of Britain’s Liberal Democrats, noted online: “Trump avoided military service 5 times. How dare he question their sacrifice.”
The United States suffered approximately 2,460 military deaths in Afghanistan—a proportional loss similar to that of several European allies.
As diplomatic fallout continues, Starmer’s unequivocal criticism signals a firm stance from London amid already strained transatlantic relations.
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