UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer sharply criticized President Donald Trump over remarks about NATO allies’ role in Afghanistan, calling the comments “insulting and frankly appalling” and urging the president to apologize for statements that have caused widespread hurt among military families and veterans.
Starmer’s comments came in response to remarks Trump made in a Fox News interview in which he questioned whether NATO allies would stand by the United States in a future conflict and claimed that allied troops “stayed a little back” from the front lines in Afghanistan. The remarks reignited tensions with U.S. allies and prompted strong reactions across the United Kingdom, particularly from families of service members who were killed or severely injured during the war.
Trump on NATO: "I've always said, will they be there if we ever needed them? That's really the ultimate test. I'm not sure of that. We've never needed them. They'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan and this or that. And they did. They stayed a little back, off the front… pic.twitter.com/fA0i1S3LxY
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) January 22, 2026
Opening his response, Starmer paid tribute to the 457 British service members who lost their lives in Afghanistan and to those who suffered life-changing injuries. He said Trump’s remarks had caused understandable pain not only among politicians but among bereaved families and wounded veterans themselves. “I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling,” Starmer said, adding that he was not surprised by the depth of the reaction across the country.
Pressed on whether he would directly call for an apology from Trump, Starmer pointed to comments from Diane Durney, the mother of Ben Parkinson, a British soldier who suffered catastrophic injuries in Afghanistan. Durney has publicly urged leaders to be tougher with the U.S. president and demand an apology. Starmer responded by making his position explicit, saying that if he had used such language or misspoken in that way, “I would certainly apologise — and I would apologise directly to her.”
🚨 BREAKING: Keir Starmer has called on Donald Trump to apologise for his "insulting and frankly appalling" comments about British troops in Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/NnXlvlAnEd
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) January 23, 2026
While reaffirming the importance of the U.S.–UK relationship, Starmer stressed that it was precisely because of that partnership that British forces fought alongside American troops in Afghanistan. He said British and U.S. service members fought and died together for shared values, and that sacrifices made in that context should be respected rather than dismissed. The prime minister rejected the suggestion that allied forces were peripheral to the mission, emphasizing that British troops operated in some of the most dangerous areas of the conflict.
The controversy follows Trump’s broader criticism of NATO, in which he questioned whether allies would come to the United States’ aid if needed and downplayed their contributions after the alliance invoked Article 5 for the first time in its history following the September 11 attacks. NATO forces remained in Afghanistan for two decades, with around 3,500 allied troops killed, including 2,456 Americans and 457 Britons. Several smaller NATO countries, including Denmark, suffered heavy losses relative to their population size.
Despite the criticism, Starmer stopped short of suggesting a broader rupture in relations, reiterating that the U.S.–UK alliance remains vital for security, defense, and intelligence cooperation. However, his remarks made clear that respect for shared sacrifice is a baseline expectation within that relationship, and that comments diminishing allied contributions cross a line for those who bore the cost of the war.
The episode adds to growing strain between the United States and NATO allies, coming amid heightened tensions following Trump’s recent threats toward Greenland and renewed skepticism about the alliance. For Starmer, the issue centers less on diplomacy and more on accountability, with the prime minister signaling that an apology would be the appropriate response to remarks that have reopened wounds for families who paid the highest price in Afghanistan.
