Trump Praises U.K. Troops, Backtracks After Claiming Non‑U.S. NATO Forces Stayed Off 'Front Lines'

Former President Donald Trump sparked a diplomatic row after telling Fox News at the World Economic Forum that some NATO troops in Afghanistan 'stayed a little back, little off the front lines.'

“UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly rebuked US President Donald Trump for remarks suggesting British and other NATO forces “stayed a little off the frontlines” in Afghanistan, calling them “insulting and frankly appalling” and saying an apology would be appropriate”

ABP Live English

Those comments prompted sharp criticism from UK politicians, veterans and bereaved families.

ABP Live English

He later posted on Truth Social praising 'the great and very brave soldiers of the United Kingdom' and calling British service members 'among the greatest of all warriors.'

He did not offer a direct apology, according to multiple reports.

The dispute highlighted sensitivity around allied sacrifices in the 20-year Afghanistan campaign and renewed debate about transatlantic ties.

The political and personal backlash in Britain was immediate and cross-party.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer raised the remarks with Trump on a phone call, and Downing Street stressed the need to remember the "brave and heroic" British soldiers who fought alongside American troops.

Al Jazeera

Labour ministers, including Stephen Kinnock, described the comments as "deeply disappointing" or a "vile slur," while Prince Harry and bereaved families said the sacrifices of UK service members should be spoken of with respect.

Serving and veteran personnel, from frontline commanders to Invictus athletes, rejected the suggestion that allied troops avoided combat.

Reports across outlets put the comments against the factual record of NATO's response after Sept. 11 and the human cost of the Afghanistan campaign.

“Critics accused Donald Trump of improperly questioning the sacrifice of allied service members after he attacked NATO partners, noting he avoided U”

al-monitor

Many sources remind readers that NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time after 9/11.

They list allied casualties, noting the UK lost 457 troops and coalition deaths numbered in the low thousands by the 2021 withdrawal.

Journalists and veterans pointed to documented combat incidents involving non-U.S. NATO forces to rebut Trump's claim that allies largely stayed off the front lines.

Coverage of Trump’s post‑backlash language varied across outlets.

Some outlets described his Truth Social message as a rapid U‑turn or a softening of tone.

Associated Press

Others noted he praised the British as "second to none (except for the U.S.A.)" without apologising.

Smaller or local outlets flagged reporting errors or confusing phrasing in some early pieces.

They stressed the need for accurate attribution when identifying the speaker as former president Donald Trump rather than "the president."

Commentators and analysts warned the episode could further strain NATO cohesion and US-European relations already tested by other disputes.

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BBC

Some reports linked the row to broader themes in Trump's foreign policy — pressing allies on defence spending, campaigning on a transactional view of alliances, and earlier spats such as the Greenland episode — while others treated it as primarily a domestic political controversy in Britain about respect for military sacrifice.

BBC

Critics also invoked Trump's Vietnam-era draft avoidance when questioning his standing to criticise allies' wartime service.