By Peter Omopo
Comments by United States President Donald Trump suggesting that NATO troops stayed “a little off the front lines” during the war in Afghanistan have triggered strong backlash from British politicians, veterans and families of fallen soldiers.
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, Trump questioned NATO’s commitment to the United States and downplayed the role of allied forces in Afghanistan, saying the alliance had never truly been tested and that troops sent by allies were not on the front line. The remarks provoked swift condemnation in the United Kingdom, which lost 457 service personnel during the 20-year conflict.
UK government minister Stephen Kinnock described the comments as disappointing and inaccurate, saying they bore “no resemblance to reality.” He stressed that British troops “put their lives on the line” alongside American forces. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also rejected Trump’s claims, calling them “flat-out nonsense” and insisting that British, Canadian and other NATO troops fought and died alongside the US throughout the war.
Families of veterans expressed anger and distress. Lucy Aldridge, whose son William was killed in Afghanistan at the age of 18, said the remarks were “extremely upsetting” and dismissed suggestions that allied troops were not on the front line. Diane Dernie, the mother of severely injured soldier Ben Parkinson, described Trump’s words as “the ultimate insult” and urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to defend the UK’s armed forces.
Kinnock said Starmer would raise the issue directly with Trump. Several MPs across party lines also condemned the comments. Labour MP Emily Thornberry called them an “absolute insult” to British soldiers, while Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty, who served in Afghanistan, said it was “sad to see our nation’s sacrifice held so cheaply.”
International criticism followed as well. Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel rejected Trump’s remarks as false, saying European allies “shed blood” in support of US troops in Afghanistan. He added that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had previously pushed back against similar claims.
NATO allies joined the US in Afghanistan after the alliance invoked Article 5 for the first time following the September 11, 2001 attacks. More than 3,500 coalition soldiers were killed before the US-led withdrawal in 2021, with the UK suffering the second-highest number of fatalities after the United States.
The White House has not issued a further clarification, while the UK Ministry of Defence said it was aware of the remarks and was reviewing them.
