US President Donald Trump performed a dramatic U-turn after upsetting NATO partners and saying that they did not properly assist US soldiers in Afghanistan following 9/11. In what appeared to be an olive gesture to the allies, Trump praised the “great” and “brave” warriors of the
This comes after other NATO leaders condemned Trump’s comments. It all started with Trump’s Davos speech at the World Economic Forum 2026, in which he stated that the US has “never gotten anything” from NATO and “we’ve never asked for anything.” Furthermore, in another interview, he stated that while NATO allies sent some soldiers to Afghanistan, “they stayed a little back.”
Trump’s ‘LOVE YOU’ message
Trump wrote on Truth Social, “The GREAT and very BRAVE soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United States of America!” In Afghanistan, 457 individuals were killed and many were badly injured, including some of the best troops of all time. The relationship is too powerful to be broken.
The British military, with its vast heart and soul, is unique. “We love you all and will always do!” This comes as the White House defends Trump’s statement and slams British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “President Trump is absolutely correct: the United States of America has done more for NATO than any other country in the alliance combined,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said.
What has Donald Trump said?
In an interview with Fox News on Thursday (Jan 22), Trump stated, “They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan,” referring to NATO countries. “And they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines,” he remarked, causing fury in Britain. Trump also claimed that NATO would refuse to help the US if requested. Earlier in Davos, Trump stated that the US has “never gotten anything” from NATO and “we’ve never asked for anything.”
Also reads : Prince Harry Condemns Trump’s Statements on Afghanistan,’Served There, Lost Friends’
The remark was false because the US invoked NATO’s Article 5 following 9/11, and the NATO members supplied soldiers and military equipment to the US-led war in Afghanistan. Following the 2001 invasion, more than 150,000 British troops served in Afghanistan, making them the largest force after the US.
How did the UK react?
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded to Trump’s statements, saying they were “insulting.” Paying tribute to 457 armed service members killed in Afghanistan, he added that if Trump had misspoken, he “would certainly apologise.””There are many also who were injured, some with life-changing injuries, and so I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly, appalling, and I’m not surprised they’ve caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured,” he stated. Trump was “wrong to diminish the role of NATO troops” over two decades of conflict, according to a statement from Starmer’s office, while Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch referred to his comments as “flat-out nonsense.”
