Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Trump's Remarks on NATO Troops in Afghanistan "Insulting," UK Starmer


(MENAFN) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a scathing rebuke Friday against US President Donald Trump's characterization of NATO forces in Afghanistan, demanding an apology for what he called deeply offensive comments about allied troops.

Addressing reporters in London, Starmer condemned Trump's remarks diminishing the combat role of international forces as "insulting and frankly appalling," calling on the American leader to issue a public apology.

"If I had misspoken in that way, I would certainly apologize," Starmer stated.

The British leader emphasized the "very close relationship" between the UK and US, describing the alliance as vital and noting it "is important for security and defense."

Earlier Friday, the British government issued a sharp contradiction, declaring Trump is "wrong" in asserting that NATO troops deliberately avoided frontline combat during the Afghanistan conflict.

Trump claimed Thursday that NATO forces remained "a little back, a little off the front lines" throughout the war in Afghanistan.

The UK stood among multiple allies that deployed alongside US forces in Afghanistan beginning in 2001, after Washington invoked NATO's collective security provisions following the 9/11 terror attacks. The conflict claimed the lives of as many as 457 British military personnel—a sacrifice Starmer's government views as dishonored by Trump's assertions.

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