U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday praised “brave” British soldiers and hailed their sacrifice in Afghanistan, a day after his remarks suggesting NATO forces stayed away from the front lines sparked anger in Britain and across Europe.
“The GREAT and very BRAVE soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United States of America!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “In Afghanistan, 457 died, many were badly injured, and they were among the greatest of all warriors. It’s a bond too strong to ever be broken.”
The statement followed widespread criticism of comments Trump made on Thursday during an interview with Fox Business Network, in which he claimed European troops had stayed “a little back” from the front lines during the Afghanistan war.
Speaking on Friday, Starmer said the comments had caused genuine distress and should be followed by an apology. He paid tribute to the 457 members of the British Armed Forces who lost their lives in Afghanistan. “I will never forget their courage, their bravery, and the sacrifice that they made for their country,” he said.
The prime minister also acknowledged those who survived but suffered serious injuries. “There are many, also, who are injured, some with life-changing injuries,” he said.
Starmer said Trump’s remarks had caused deep hurt. “And I’m not surprised they’ve caused such hurt,” he added, pointing to the impact on families and the wider public.
Addressing Diane Dernie, the mother of a former soldier injured in Afghanistan, Starmer said: “If I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologise, and I’d apologise to her.”
While emphasising the close UK–U.S. relationship, Starmer said alliance ties did not require silence when comments were wrong. “We have a very close relationship with the U.S., and that is important for our security, our defence, and our intelligence,” he said.
“But it is because of that relationship that we fought alongside the Americans for our values in Afghanistan. And it was in that context that people lost their lives or suffered terrible injuries. Fighting for freedom, fighting with our allies for what we believe in,” he added.
Trump’s remarks come amid renewed debate over NATO burden-sharing, after the alliance agreed a 5% of GDP defence spending pledge, which Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska said showed "renewed unity and focus on collective security".
The prime minister’s office confirmed that Starmer spoke with Trump on Saturday and raised the issue directly, stressing the shared sacrifice of British and American troops who fought side by side.
Veterans across Britain and Europe condemned Trump’s initial remarks. The Royal British Legion said the service and sacrifice of British troops in Afghanistan “cannot be called into question.”
Among those criticising the comments was Prince Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan. In a statement, he said the sacrifices made by those who served deserved to be spoken about “truthfully and with respect,” noting that he had formed lifelong friendships and lost comrades during the conflict.
The Sun on Sunday reported that concerns held by King Charles III over Trump’s initial remarks had been relayed to the U.S. president. Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the report.
In Washington, the White House declined to directly address Trump’s remarks, instead highlighting U.S. defence spending and urging NATO allies to increase their military budgets.
Russian drone attacks on Ukraine have killed four people, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday (28 March). ...
The four astronauts selected for NASA’s Artemis II mission have arrived in Florida, entering the final phase of...
More than 372,000 people were left without electricity in Russia’s southern region of Dagestan after heavy rain triggered severe flooding, of...
Thousands of U.S. Marines have been deployed to the Middle East, the Pentagon says, as Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis report launching a second mi...
The involvement of Yemen’s Houthis has heightened regional tensions as the Iran-aligned group joins the conflict. The U.S. says it is hopeful...
The foreign ministers of the G7 group of nations on Friday called for an immediate stop to attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Iran war.
After U.S. President Donald Trump said he would pause attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure for 10 days, G7 Foreign Ministers, including the U.S., called for an end to attacks on civilians in the Iran war.
Hamas would have to allow its vast network of tunnels in Gaza to be destroyed as it gives up its weapons over eight months, under a disarmament plan drawn up by the U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.
Iran’Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, has rejected an offer of negotiations from the U.S. President, Donald Trump, amid the ongoing Israel–U.S. war with Iran, describing the proposal as a “contradiction” in Washington’s words and actions.
The involvement of Yemen’s Houthis has heightened regional tensions as the Iran-aligned group joins the conflict. The U.S. says it is hopeful of holding talks with Iran in the coming days, while Tehran has said that "talking and bombing is intolerable". Welcome to our live coverage of the conflict.
Two months after Indian negotiators worked in January to secure relief from punitive U.S. tariffs on the country’s exports and New Delhi moved to cut back its purchases of Russian crude oil, India and Russia are stepping up their energy ties once again, according to Reuters.
Turkish military personnel participating in NATO’s mission in Iraq have been “successfully” withdrawn from the country, the Turkish Defence Ministry announced on Thursday.
Hamas would have to allow its vast network of tunnels in Gaza to be destroyed as it gives up its weapons over eight months, under a disarmament plan drawn up by the U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has voiced doubts about the effectiveness of the U.S. and Israeli military campaign in Iran, warning that the conflict risks becoming prolonged and increasingly complex.
Russian drone attacks on Ukraine have killed four people, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday (28 March).
Nepal’s ousted former prime minister, KP Sharma Oli, and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak have been arrested over alleged negligence linked to the deaths of protesters during anti-corruption demonstrations last September.
China is moving ahead with plans to establish a nationwide long-term care insurance system, aimed at supporting its rapidly ageing population and easing the financial burden on families caring for elderly relatives.
The U.S. Congress failed on Friday (27 March) to resolve a six-week funding impasse that has disrupted airports and left tens of thousands of federal workers without pay, raising fears of further travel chaos during the busy spring break period.
Tiger Woods, the former world number one golfer, has been released from custody after being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence following a crash in Florida, police said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment