Trump remarks about British troops ‘insulting and appalling’, Starmer says

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Donald Trump’s remarks about British troops in Afghanistan were “insulting and frankly appalling” and signalled the US president should apologise.

The Duke of Sussex also weighed in on the president’s comments, and insisted the “sacrifices” of British soldiers who served and died in Afghanistan “deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect”.

Mr Trump suggested in an interview with Fox News that Nato allied troops “stayed a little off the front lines” in Afghanistan.

The president also claimed America had “never needed” its Nato partners, despite being the only member state to have ever invoked the alliance’s “all for one, and one for all” clause, in the wake of 9/11.

His remarks have drawn widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum in the UK, with critics pointing to both the number of UK deaths in Afghanistan and highlighting Mr Trump’s avoidance of military service in Vietnam.

Speaking in Downing Street, Sir Keir paid tribute to the 457 British personnel who died in Afghanistan, and those who were injured.

He said: “I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling and I am not surprised they have caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured and, in fact, across the country.”

Sir Keir said he would apologise if he had said the words used by Mr Trump.

In response to comments from Diane Dernie, mother of severely injured veteran Ben Parkinson, he said: “I’ve made my position clear, and what I say to Diane is, if I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologise and I’d apologise to her.”

She had earlier told the Press Association: “I can assure you, the Taliban didn’t plant IEDs (improvised explosive devices) miles and miles back from the front line.”

Mrs Dernie, whose son Ben suffered horrific injuries when an Army Land Rover hit a mine near Musa Qala in 2006, also said the US president’s comments were “the ultimate insult” and called on Sir Keir to stand up to Mr Trump over them.

Paratrooper Mr Parkinson, from Doncaster, is widely viewed as the most severely injured British soldier to have survived the war.

The blast left the former lance bombardier in 7 Para RHA with both legs amputated, a twisted spine and brain damage.

Harry, a former Army Air Corps co-pilot gunner who undertook two frontline tours to Afghanistan, said: “In 2001, Nato invoked Article 5 for the first—and only—time in history.

“It meant that every allied nation was obliged to stand with the United States in Afghanistan, in pursuit of our shared security. Allies answered that call.

“I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there. The United Kingdom alone had 457 service personnel killed.

“Thousands of lives were changed forever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters.

“Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost.

“Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace.”

Defence minister and former commando, Al Carns, who served five tours in Afghanistan and was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry, said Mr Trump’s comments were “ridiculous”.

The former Royal Marines colonel, without referring to Mr Trump by name, added: “I served five tours in Afghanistan, many alongside my American colleagues. We shed blood, sweat and tears together. Not everybody came home.

“These are bonds, I think, forged in fire, protecting the US, our shared interests, but actually protecting democracy overall.”

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Mr Trump’s comments were “complete nonsense” which could weaken the Nato alliance.

She said: “I spoke to parents of young men who had lost their lives in Afghanistan and I think it is a disgrace to denigrate their memory like that.”

The row has again tested the transatlantic relationship, which has come under intense strain following Mr Trump’s threats to slap tariffs on European nations opposed to his ambitions to annex Greenland.

He later backed down after a meeting with Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte in which he said they formed the “framework” for a deal over Arctic security, announcing further import taxes would no longer be imposed.

The UK suffered the second highest number of military deaths – 457 – in the Afghanistan conflict, behind the US, which saw 2,461 deaths.

In total, America’s allies suffered 1,160 deaths in the conflict, around a third of the total coalition deaths.

Mr Trump has previously been criticised for avoiding being conscripted to fight in Vietnam thanks to being diagnosed with bone spurs in his heels – a claim that has been subject to significant doubt.