US President Donald Trump is in damage control mode after downplaying the sacrifices of NATO soldiers in Afghanistan, including the UK, which lost 457 personnel.
“The GREAT and very BRAVE soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United States of America!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“In Afghanistan, 457 died, many were badly injured, and they were among the greatest of all warriors,” he continued. “It’s a bond too strong to ever be broken. The U.K. Military, with tremendous Heart and Soul, is second to none (except for the U.S.A.!). We love you all, and always will!”
Earlier, Trump told Fox News that NATO sent “some troops” but “stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.”
A day later, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer slammed his comments as “appalling”. As Trump released his latest statement, a Downing Street spokesperson in London said Starmer had discussed the issue during a call with Trump on Saturday.
“The Prime Minister raised the brave and heroic British and American soldiers who fought side by side in Afghanistan, many of whom never returned home,” said a Downing Street spokesperson. “We must never forget their sacrifice.”
The UK was not the only NATO ally to express outrage at Trump’s remarks; other European leaders reacted sharply, including Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who expressed astonishment.
In a statement posted on X, Meloni said, “The Italian Government has learned with astonishment of President Trump’s statements according to which NATO allies would have ‘fallen behind’ during operations in Afghanistan.”
During the nearly 20 years of NATO operations in Afghanistan, “our nation paid a cost that is beyond dispute: 53 Italian soldiers killed and more than 700 wounded”, she said in a statement.
“For this reason, statements that downplay the contribution of NATO countries in Afghanistan are unacceptable, especially when they come from an allied Nation,” she added.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk recalled attending a farewell ceremony for five fallen Polish soldiers in Afghanistan in 2011.
“The American officers who accompanied me then, told me that America would never forget the Polish heroes,” he wrote in a post on X. “Perhaps they will remind President Trump of that fact.”
The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday: “These unacceptable comments are not worthy of response. “It is to the families of fallen soldiers that the Head of State wishes to offer comfort and reiterate the nation’s gratitude.”
Some 90 French soldiers died in Afghanistan, according to the French government.
Danish Prime Minister Mette said Saturday on Facebook: “I fully understand that Danish veterans have said no words can describe how much this hurts.
“It is unacceptable that the American president questions the commitment of allied soldiers in Afghanistan,” she added.
“Denmark is one of the NATO countries that has suffered the highest losses per capita,” the Danish prime minister pointed out.
The country’s population was about 5.4 million in 2003 and, according to the Danish news agency Ritzau, around 12,000 Danish soldiers and civilians were sent to Afghanistan over the years.
Australian PM Anthony Albanese said that Trump’s comments were “completely unacceptable”. Albanese said Australian families of fallen soldiers would be “hurting” as a result of Trump’s comments.
“Those 47 Australian families who will be hurting by these comments, they deserve our absolute respect, our admiration,” Albanese said.
“The bravery that was shown by 40,000 Australians (who) served in Afghanistan, they were certainly on the frontlines in order to, along with our other allies, defend democracy and freedom and to defend our national interests,” he added.
“They deserve our respect.”
Earlier, British OM Starmer had said: “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.”
The White House had initially rejected Starmer’s comments.
“President Trump is absolutely right — the United States of America has done more for NATO than any other country in the alliance has done combined,” Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswoman, said in a statement.
In Afghanistan, the United States lost over 2450 solduers followed by the UK (457), Canada (159), France (90), Germany (62), Italy (53), Poland (44) Denmark (44) Australia (41 as per Govt reports and not 47) Spain (35), Georgia (32) Romania (27), Netherlands (25), Turkey (15), Czech Republic (14) etc.
The UK lost 457 soldiers in Afghanistan, the second highest after the US.
UK military losses in Afghanistan peaked in 2009 and 2010, when British soldiers were deployed to Helmand Province, a Taliban stronghold and the hub of the insurgency during this period.
In 2009, the deadliest year for the UK military, 109 troops were killed, with the vast majority of deaths resulting from IED blasts, ambushes, and direct firefights. In 2010, there was no respite as the UK recorded over 100 fatalities.
At its peak, the UK had approximately 9,500 troops deployed in the province, operating from over 130 bases.
Of the total 457 British personnel who died while serving in Afghanistan, 405 were killed as a direct result of hostile military action, while around 52 were due to non-hostile causes, such as accidents, illness, or friendly fire incidents.
This period of severe losses in Helmand highlighted the intense risks faced by British troops in arguably one of Afghanistan’s most dangerous zones, contributing to nearly half of all UK deaths in the war.
There were 616 serious or very serious casualties among armed forces and civilian personnel during Operation Herrick.
British operations in Afghanistan cost around £22.9 ($32B) billion or £32.8 billion ($45B) in 2024/25 prices. This includes operations like Herrick, Toral, and Pitting (evacuation of British nationals and eligible Afghans from Afghanistan).
Meanwhile, Canada, which Trump has repeatedly threatened to annex and turn into America’s 51st state, suffered the third-highest number of fatalities among NATO allies, with 159 soldiers killed in action or related incidents.
With AFP Inputs
