Britain’s Prince Harry and Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded Friday after President Donald Trump said NATO forces “stayed a little back, a little off the front lines” during the Afghanistan conflict.
Prince Harry, who served for nearly a decade in the British Army and served in Afghanistan, said in a Friday statement that NATO troops’ “sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect.”
“I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there. The United Kingdom alone had 457 service personnel killed,” Harry, Duke of Sussex, stated.
The response marks another friction point between Harry and Trump, who previously criticized the prince in 2024 for “betraying” Queen Elizabeth II over his decision to step back from royal duties. Trump also stated that if he were re-elected, Prince Harry, who currently lives in California, might face deportation from the United States due to his admission of drug use.
Starmer Addresses Trump Comments
Starmer also called Trump’s remarks “insulting and frankly appalling” during a press conference, noting the 457 British service members killed in Afghanistan.
“I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting,” Starmer said, adding they caused “hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured.”
Sharing a video clip of this on X, the British Prime Minister wrote: “We will never forget the sacrifices of those who served in Afghanistan.”
When asked if Trump would demand an apology, Starmer said: “If I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologize.”
Trump’s NATO Commentary
Trump made the comments during a Fox Business interview with Maria Bartiromo, questioning whether NATO allies would support the U.S. despite American commitment to the alliance.
The US president made the remarks in an interview with Fox News with Maria Bartiromo where he again questioned the value of the military alliance and suggested that NATO allies would not come to Washington’s aid if requested.
“I’ve always said, will they be there if we ever needed them. And that’s really the ultimate test and I’m not sure of that. I know that we would have been there or we would be there, but will they be there?” Trump said.
Photo Courtesy: B. Lenoir on Shutterstock.com
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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