US President Donald Trump has sparked an uproar in Britain after claiming that NATO troops who took part in the war in Afghanistan “stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that if he were in Trump’s position, he would apologize for the remarks, but the president has so far not walked them back, and no regret was expressed in the White House response. On Friday night, British media reported that following Trump’s criticism of NATO and of London in particular, Britain will not transfer ownership of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, including the US air base on Diego Garcia, known as the “bomber island,” to Mauritius.
The controversy began with a Fox News interview Thursday night in which Trump questioned whether NATO would stand by the United States if Washington ever needed the alliance. He said NATO members point to their deployments in Afghanistan, but argued their forces did not fight on the front lines, remarks made amid tensions over Greenland and his repeated assertions that he pushed allies to boost defense spending.
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US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer
(Photo: AP/Evan Vucci)
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Britain lost 457 soldiers in Afghanistan, and Starmer forcefully rejected Trump’s remarks, describing them as deeply offensive and shocking. He pointed to the dead and wounded and said their courage and sacrifice would never be forgotten, emphasizing the close US-UK relationship and noting that the two countries fought together in Afghanistan in the name of freedom.
The mother of a former British paratrooper who was badly wounded in Afghanistan called on Starmer to seek an apology from Trump, but the prime minister signaled he would not do so. He said he had made his position clear and added that if he himself had misspoken in such a way or used similar language, he would have apologized, including directly to her.
Prince Harry, who served in Afghanistan first as a junior soldier and later as an Apache helicopter co-pilot and has said he killed 25 Taliban fighters, also weighed in. On Friday night, he said the sacrifices made by NATO troops in Afghanistan deserve recognition and respect.
British Defense Secretary John Healey also voiced anger, noting that NATO’s Article 5 has been invoked only once and that Britain and its NATO allies responded to the United States’ call. He said more than 450 British service members were killed in Afghanistan and described them as heroes who gave their lives in service to the country.
The White House avoided directly addressing Trump’s remarks. In response to the criticism in Britain, deputy White House press secretary Anna Kelly said the administration believes US contributions to NATO far exceed those of other members, and that Trump succeeded in pushing allies toward a five percent defense spending commitment, encouraging Europe to take greater responsibility for its own security. She added that the United States is the only NATO member capable of defending Greenland and said the president is acting in what the administration sees as NATO’s interests.
Regarding the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia, which last year received about a third of the US B-2 bomber fleet amid tensions with Iran, Britain’s Telegraph reported that Starmer was “forced to abandon the deal due to the American response.” According to the report, the House of Lords was set to debate an agreement under which Britain would relinquish sovereignty and transfer the island chain, which it has controlled for more than 200 years, to Mauritius. The debate was postponed after the Conservative Party warned the deal could violate a 60-year agreement between London and Washington regarding the islands in the Indian Ocean.
In a critical post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote Thursday: “Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER. There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness.”
Relief was felt in Europe on Thursday after Trump backed away from threats to seize Greenland by force and ruled out imposing tariffs on European countries that opposed a US takeover of the island. Trump has repeatedly said he intends to take control of Greenland, arguing that if the United States does not do so, Russia or China will. His stated willingness to act without the consent of Greenland or Denmark rattled NATO members, some of which warned that a US seizure of the island could spell the end of the alliance. His threat to punish opponents with tariffs raised fears of a US-Europe trade war. The measures were set to take effect Feb. 1 but have not been implemented.
Trump: I will not use force to take over Greenland
(Video: Reuters)
During a visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump announced that an agreement had been reached with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. He later acknowledged that details were not finalized but claimed the future deal would guarantee Americans “full and permanent access” to Greenland. NATO said Rutte did not offer any compromise regarding Danish sovereignty over the island.
In 2021, nearly 20 years after the invasion, the United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Taliban took over the country, imposed strict Islamic law and declared “independence.” Washington and its NATO allies were forced to withdraw hastily, having failed to anticipate the speed of the Taliban’s takeover, leaving behind thousands of Afghans who had assisted Western forces.
The war waged by the Taliban against US and NATO forces became the longest in American history, lasting 20 years and exacting a heavy toll. More than 3,500 foreign troops were killed in Afghanistan, including more than 2,400 Americans. Nearly 23,000 foreign troops were wounded, almost 20,000 of them Americans.
First published: 03:57, 01.24.26