UK’s Starmer slams Trump over ‘insulting’ Afghanistan comments

Donald Trump should apologize for his claims that European troops did not participate in the Afghan war, according to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Starmer, a remarkably direct critic of the president of the United States, claimed Friday that Trump’s earlier remarks to Fox News that NATO allies stayed “a little off the front lines” in Afghanistan were “insulting and frankly appalling” were “insulting and frankly appalling.”

When asked if he would demand an apology from Trump, Starmer responded, “I would certainly apologise if I had said those things.”

Trump made the remarks after drawing a threat to impose tariffs on several European nations that opposed his demands for the US to annex Greenland, a Danish semi-autonomous territory.

Trump said on Thursday that he had never needed them and that he had never really asked them for help. He said this on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Starmer also paid tribute to the 457 British personnel who perished in the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 following the September 11 attacks on the United States.

Afghanistan is home to more than 150 000 British soldiers, making it the second-largest contributor to the US-led coalition’s efforts to end al-Qaeda and the Taliban-held organization.

Soldiers from dozens of nations, including those from NATO, whose collective security clause, Article 5, was first triggered following the attacks on New York and Washington, were stationed alongside them.

90 French service members, scores of Americans from Germany, Italy, and other nations were among the more than 150 Canadians killed in Afghanistan.

44 troops were lost in Denmark, which is still under Trump’s control over Greenland.

More than 2,400 soldiers were reported lost by the US.

“Two thousand lives were changed.”

Trump’s comments sparked a wave of outcry in Europe, where his reluctance toward the US president appeared to be waning at the end of the week as his threats to annex Greenland grew to a crescendo.

The US president threatened to impose tariffs on European countries opposed to his plans to annex the territory, which raised questions about NATO’s future.

Trump’s comments about NATO troops in Afghanistan drew widespread criticism, despite the fact that he appeared to back down after a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and formed the “framework” for a deal over Arctic security.

Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel criticized Trump’s statements on Friday, calling them disrespectful and untrue.

Nothing can replace Poland’s Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, who claimed that his nation was a “reliable and proven ally.”

The United Kingdom’s Prince Harry responded to the incident later on Friday, saying that truthfully and with respect should be discussed about the sacrifices made by British soldiers during the war.

Harry, who served in the British Army during two tours of duty in Afghanistan, said, “Thousands of lives were forever changed.”