‘Insulting and frankly appalling’: Keir Starmer demands apology from Donald Trump in major transatlantic row over jibe at Britain’s Afghan war dead

Sir Keir Starmer today branded Donald Trump ‘insulting and frankly appalling’ after he led a chorus of outrage over the US President’s vile insults towards British soldiers fighting and dying in Afghanistan.

The prime minister said the American leader should apologize for his shocking remarks in a television interview that downplayed NATO’s role in the conflict and worsened the deepest transatlantic rift in decades.

Politicians and veterans reacted angrily after President Trump told Fox News that NATO troops, including those from Britain, were ‘somewhat off the front lines’ during the war in Afghanistan.

Some 457 British service personnel fighting alongside the US were killed and many more seriously injured in the conflict in Afghanistan.

Trump’s remarks come after a week in which the president clashed with NATO allies, including Britain, over their refusal to accept his demand that Greenland be brought under US control.

Speaking in Downing Street today, Sir Keir said: ‘I think President Trump’s words were insulting and frankly appalling, and I am not surprised that they caused so much pain to the loved ones of those killed or injured, and indeed across the country.’

Responding to Diane Dernie’s comments, the mother of critically injured veteran Ben Parkinson said: ‘I have made my position clear and I say to Diane that if I had misspoke the way I did or if I had said those words, I would certainly apologize and apologize to her.’

Ms Dernie has previously said the Prime Minister should address Trump and ‘show solidarity’ on behalf of Britain.

He saidIn reaction to US President Donald Trump’s comments, he stated that he was ‘surprised how someone could say such a thing’ and added: ‘I can assure you that the Taliban did not plant IEDs miles behind the front line.’

Today No 10 said the president was ‘wrong to diminish the sacrifice and service of our troops’, and the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: ‘Their sacrifice, and that of other NATO forces, was made in the service of collective security and in response to an attack on our ally.’

Diane Dernie, whose son Ben Parkinson is considered the most seriously injured British soldier to survive Afghanistan, said she was ‘surprised how anyone could say such a thing’.

Ian Sadler, whose 21-year-old son Soldier Jack Sadler was killed in Afghanistan in 2007, added: ‘The British were definitely in the hot spots, they were on the front lines, 457 were lost and there were probably three times as many seriously wounded as there were fatalities.’

In what was branded a cheap move against his country’s allies, he said he was ‘not sure’ the military alliance would be there for America ‘if we need them’.

“We never needed them… We never really asked for anything from them,” he told Fox.

‘They will say that they sent some troops to Afghanistan, and they did, but they stayed behind a little bit, they stayed out of the front line a little bit.’

Today No 10 said the president was ‘wrong to diminish the sacrifice and service of our troops’, and the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: ‘Their sacrifices, and those of other NATO forces, were made in the service of collective security and in response to an attack on our ally.’

And Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch accused the president of talking ‘complete nonsense’ about ‘those who fought and died alongside the USA’, adding: ‘Their sacrifice deserves respect, not contempt.’

Labor Defense Secretary John Healey said: ‘These British troops must be remembered for who they were: heroes who gave their lives in the service of our nation.’

Armed Forces Minister Al Cairns, who served five tours in Afghanistan with the Royal Marines, said the president’s words were “completely ridiculous”.

‘Many brave and honorable service personnel from many countries have fought on the front line, many have fought far beyond that,’ he said.

‘I served five tours in Afghanistan with mostly American colleagues. We shed blood, sweat and tears together, but not everyone came home. These are the fire-forged ties that protect the United States and common interests and, in fact, protect democracy in general.

‘I encourage anyone who believes these comments to have a whiskey with me, my colleagues, their families and, importantly, the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for both our nations.’

Reform MP Robert Jenrick said the president’s comments were ‘offensive and wrong’.

Party leader Nigel Farage, a close ally of Mr Trump, has not yet commented.

But a Reform spokesman said: ‘Donald Trump’s comments are completely wrong.

‘Our armed forces fought bravely alongside America in Afghanistan for 20 years.

‘We spent the same amount of money proportionately and suffered the same losses.

‘These men and women deserve our utmost respect.’

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch accused the president of talking “complete nonsense” about “those who fought and died alongside the United States”, adding: “Their sacrifice deserves respect, not contempt.”

Health Secretary Stephen Kinnock said ‘disappointing’ comments ‘bear no resemblance to reality’ about the sacrifice of British soldiers

Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty, who served in Afghanistan, said it was ‘sad to see the sacrifice of our nation and our NATO partners being made so cheaply’.

Mr Obese-Jecty, a former captain of the Royal Yorkshire Regiment, added:: ‘I saw first-hand the sacrifices made by the British soldiers I served with at Sangin, where we suffered terrible casualties, as did the US Marines the following year.

‘I do not believe US military personnel share President Trump’s views; His words harm them as our closest military allies.’

Calvin Bailey, a Labor MP and former RAF officer who served with US special operations units in Afghanistan, intervened, saying Trump’s claim ‘bears no resemblance to the reality experienced by those of us serving there’.

Tan Dhesi, chairman of the House of Commons Defense Committee, said the president’s comments were ‘appalling and an insult to our brave British servicemen and women who risked life and limb to help our allies and made the ultimate sacrifice of many’.

Speaking on the BBC’s Question Time programme, Labor MP Emily Thornberry, chair of the foreign affairs committee, described it as ‘an absolute insult’ and added: ‘How dare he say we are not on the front line, how dare he? ‘We’ve always been there when the Americans wanted us, we’ve always been there.’

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: ‘How dare he question their sacrifice?’

America is the only NATO member that invokes the collective security provisions of NATO’s Article 5 (an attack against one member is considered an attack on all members).

This followed the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York in 2001, which led to the US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

The United Kingdom was the country with the second highest number of military deaths in the conflict in Afghanistan, with 457 people. The USA, on the other hand, saw 2,461 deaths. America’s allies suffered 1,160 deaths during the conflict; this was about a third of total coalition deaths.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Peace Board session held as part of the 56th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22, 2026

NATO secretary general Mark Rutte gave Donald Trump a reality check, saying one NATO soldier died in Afghanistan for every two Americans after the US President cast doubt on the Western alliance.

Speaking in Davos yesterday, the US President made a similar move towards the 32-member military alliance and said: ‘I know them all very well. I’m not sure they’ll be there. I know we will be with them. ‘I don’t know if they’ll be there for us.’

After the speech, NATO chief Rutte corrected the record and said to the US President: ‘There is something I heard you say yesterday and today. You certainly weren’t sure that the Europeans would come to the rescue of the United States if you were attacked. Let me tell you, they will, and they did it in Afghanistan.’

Rutte’s rejection came after Trump called Denmark, which has the highest death rate per capita among coalition forces in Afghanistan, ‘ungrateful’ for US protection during World War II.

‘For every two Americans who paid the ultimate price, there was one soldier from another NATO country, from the Netherlands, from Denmark and especially from other countries, who did not return to his family,’ the NATO chief said.

‘So if the United States is attacked, you can be absolutely sure that your allies will be on your side. There is an absolute guarantee. “I really want to tell you this because it makes me sad if you think it is not so,” Rutte told Trump.