Prince Harry charity issues statement after Duke’s Trump response | Royal | News

A charity affiliated with Prince Harry broke its silence after US President Donald Trump’s statements about NATO. The US President caused a stir this week when he suggested in an interview on Fox News that NATO-allied troops were “standing a little bit off the front lines” in Afghanistan.

He also claimed that the United States “never needed” its NATO partners, despite being the only member nation to follow the alliance’s “all for one, one for all” clause after 9/11. Prince Harry issued a strong statement on Friday, saying the sacrifices of British soldiers “deserve to be talked about accurately and respectfully.”

Mr Trump’s remarks sparked widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum in the UK; Critics have pointed out both the number of UK deaths in Afghanistan and Mr Trump’s avoidance of military service in Vietnam.

One of those who condemned the comments was Scotty’s Little Soldiers, of which Prince Harry is a Global Ambassador.

The charity’s founder and army widow, Nikki Scott, posted an emotional video message that was shared on the charity’s social media.

Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a charity dedicated to supporting bereaved military children and youth.

Ms Scott said in her message that Mr Trump’s comments were “extremely distressing for many people”.

He said: “At Scotty’s, we want to reassure you that those who absolutely understand the sacrifices and difference it makes when our armed forces support Americans in conflict.”

“My husband, Corporal Lee Scott, was killed in Afghanistan while serving with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment.

“He leaves behind not only me, but also our two children, Kai and Brooke, and many others who loved him so much.”

She then showed me a small black book sent to her from Afghanistan by her late husband, containing his briefings, the last of which read: “We will make life better.”

Ms Scott continued: “Lee believed in the work he was doing in Afghanistan. He believed in making life better for everyday Afghan people. I too believe in the difference he and our entire armed forces made, and no one should tell us otherwise.”

“For the last 15 years, Scotty’s has been supporting bereaved British forces, children, young people and their families. Towards the end of this year, we will build on this work to extend our support to everyone affected by military-related bereavement in the UK.

“We’re not quite ready to launch this yet, but if you were affected by the comments made yesterday please feel free to contact us via email to families at the address below. scottieslittlesoldiers.com.tr. You are not alone. You are part of our community.”

Meanwhile, speaking in Downing Street, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the comments were “frankly appalling” and signaled that the US President should apologize.