Trump says UK soldiers in Afghanistan ‘among greatest of all warriors’

Donald Trump has praised British soldiers fighting in Afghanistan after the president’s comments that allied forces were avoiding the front lines sparked criticism from veterans and politicians.

Earlier this week, Trump angered US allies by downplaying the role of NATO troops in the war and doubted whether the military alliance would be there for the US “if we need them.”

Prince Harry pointed out that NATO’s collective security clause was implemented once after the September 11 attacks, and said that the sacrifices of the soldiers should be respected.

Trump’s remarks sparked condemnation from international allies, with Sir Keir Starmer describing them as “insulting and frankly appalling”.

Trump was criticized for saying the following about NATO soldiers in an interview with Fox News on Thursday: “We never needed them. We never really asked for anything from them.”

“They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan… and they did, they stayed back a little bit, a little bit outside the front lines.”

This triggered a huge backlash from families of soldiers serving in Afghanistan, as well as veterans and politicians at Westminster and internationally, calling for Trump to apologize.

In October 2001, the United States invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban, who it said were harboring Osama Bin Laden and other Al Qaeda figures linked to the September 11 attacks the previous month. NATO countries contributed soldiers and military equipment to the US-led war.

As of 2021, when the United States withdrew from the country, more than 3,500 coalition soldiers lost their lives, approximately two-thirds of whom were Americans. The United Kingdom had the second highest number of military deaths in the conflict, after the United States, with 2,461 deaths.

On Saturday, Downing Street said the prime minister and the US president had spoken about Britain’s involvement alongside US and NATO forces in the conflict.

A spokesman said: “The Prime Minister trained the brave and heroic British and American soldiers who fought side by side in Afghanistan, many of whom never returned home. We must never forget their sacrifice.”

Shortly after the meeting, Trump posted new comments on the Truth Social platform; While he appeared to backtrack on his critical comments, he refrained from directly apologizing for the words he used in Thursday’s interview.

He wrote: “The great and very brave soldiers of the United Kingdom will always stand by the side of the United States of America.

“There were 457 dead in Afghanistan, many seriously wounded, and they were among the best of all fighters.

“It’s a bond too strong to ever be broken. The UK military is second to none (except the US) with its tremendous heart and soul. We love you all and always will!”

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she was pleased Trump had acknowledged Britain’s role in fighting alongside the US and NATO allies in Afghanistan.

“He should never have been questioned in the first place,” he said.

on friday, The Duke of Sussex issues a statement praising the contribution of NATO troops What happened in Afghanistan.

“I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there,” the prince said.

“In 2001, NATO invoked Article 5 for the first and only time in history. This meant that every allied country had to side with the United States in Afghanistan for our common security. Allies responded to this call.

“Thousands of lives were changed forever. Mothers and fathers buried their sons and daughters. Children were left fatherless. Families bore the price.

“These sacrifices deserve to be talked about honestly and respectfully, as we all remain united and committed to diplomacy and the defense of peace.”

Most of the 457 British soldiers who served in Afghanistan for nearly 20 years were killed in Helmand, where the heaviest conflicts took place.

Hundreds of people were injured and lost limbs, including Captain Andy Reid, who lost both his legs and right arm after stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED) in Afghanistan.

“Not a day goes by that we don’t experience some form of pain, whether physical or mental, that reflects this conflict,” he told BBC Breakfast on Friday.

Recalling that he worked with American soldiers, Reid added: “If they were on the front lines and I was standing next to them, we were clearly on the front lines, too.”

Badenoch, Sir Ed Davey and Nigel Farage were among Westminster leaders who called out the US president for his comments; Ministers from foreign governments while outside the UK also criticized Trump’s remarks.

“No one has the right to make fun of the service of our soldiers,” said Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who was among the 33,000 Polish soldiers serving on the front lines in Afghanistan.

Canadian Minister of National Defense David J McGuinty said Canadian “men and women were in the field from the very beginning, not because we had to, but because it was the right thing to do.”

American political and military figures also expressed their anger and disappointment over Trump’s NATO statements.

“I think it’s an insult to those who fought alongside us,” former national security adviser Herbery Raymond McMaster told the BBC.