US President Donald Trump has sparked outrage in the UK by downplaying the commitment of NATO countries to the war in Afghanistan, claiming that troops from other member nations didn't stay at the front lines during the conflict. The comments have left many in Britain feeling deeply distressed and betrayed.
The remarks, made during an interview with Fox News in Davos, Switzerland, come at a time when Trump has been escalating his threats towards NATO, including over the annexation of Greenland and the imposition of tariffs on European nations opposed to such a move. However, it's worth noting that these comments have caused more concern about Trump's attitude towards traditional alliances than any perceived hypocrisy regarding draft evasion in Vietnam.
For Britain, which suffered 450 fatalities during the war, the suggestion that its military mates were not committed enough is particularly galling. From serving over 150,000 troops to losing 7 soldiers who are among those commemorated by the Royal British Legion's annual poppy appeal, Britain played a key role in the conflict.
Defense Secretary John Healey stressed that "British troops answered the U.S. call" during this period and criticized Trump for diminishing the sacrifices made by British forces in Afghanistan. The U.K government urged President Trump to clarify his comments as Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed outrage over what he described as a "wrong" assertion about NATO.
Trump's assertions have been condemned by former Danish platoon commander Martin Tamm Andersen, who stated that Denmark and other NATO countries were present when America needed them after 9/11.
The remarks, made during an interview with Fox News in Davos, Switzerland, come at a time when Trump has been escalating his threats towards NATO, including over the annexation of Greenland and the imposition of tariffs on European nations opposed to such a move. However, it's worth noting that these comments have caused more concern about Trump's attitude towards traditional alliances than any perceived hypocrisy regarding draft evasion in Vietnam.
For Britain, which suffered 450 fatalities during the war, the suggestion that its military mates were not committed enough is particularly galling. From serving over 150,000 troops to losing 7 soldiers who are among those commemorated by the Royal British Legion's annual poppy appeal, Britain played a key role in the conflict.
Defense Secretary John Healey stressed that "British troops answered the U.S. call" during this period and criticized Trump for diminishing the sacrifices made by British forces in Afghanistan. The U.K government urged President Trump to clarify his comments as Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed outrage over what he described as a "wrong" assertion about NATO.
Trump's assertions have been condemned by former Danish platoon commander Martin Tamm Andersen, who stated that Denmark and other NATO countries were present when America needed them after 9/11.
Trump is literally killing me with these comments about NATO and Afghanistan. Like, what's wrong with the dude? He's basically saying that Britain didn't do enough to support the war effort, but honestly, it was the US who was all like "hey, we're gonna need your troops" and Britain was like "alright, we gotchu". It's not like they just sat around twiddling their thumbs while the US did all the heavy lifting.
Trump is really testing the patience of European leaders now. I mean, come on, dude, you're literally questioning the commitment of our allies? That's just not how diplomacy works 
. I get that he's trying to make a point about NATO's effectiveness, but this whole thing feels like a huge diplomatic mess 
. It's also weird that he's trying to deflect attention from his own questionable record on draft evasion by going after our allies 
. Can't he just focus on being a decent world leader for once? 
My granddad served in the military and fought for our country, he'd never say that. This is like, so hurtful to the families of those who lost their lives 
? Can't he see how his words affect people?! 
It's not even about draft evasion or whatever; it's about respect and gratitude towards the sacrifices made by our allies. NATO is all about unity and cooperation, not some petty power play 
. Trump needs to get it together and apologize ASAP 
.
. But honestly, it feels like a bit of a slap in the face to countries that put their troops on the front lines. I'm British and I can totally get why people are upset - 450 fatalities is a huge number, no matter how long ago it was 
. The UK's got every right to be upset - after all, they sent thousands of troops to Afghanistan as part of the coalition effort 
.