Trump claims NATO allies stood by in Afghanistan, UK Prime Minister says Trump's remarks are insulting
UK - Trump's claim that NATO allies stood by in Afghanistan sparked strong protests in the UK on Friday. The UK government said the US president's statement was "completely wrong." On Thursday, Trump criticized the role of other NATO member states during an interview with Fox News and asserted that the US "didn't need them at all."
Trump said, "They'll say they sent troops to Afghanistan... That's correct, but they stood by, stood by." Trump was referring to the actions taken by the US-led international coalition after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to drive Al-Qaeda out of its stronghold. According to official statistics, 457 British soldiers died in Afghanistan.
UK Prime Minister Starmer, a leader of the Labour Party, paid tribute to the 457 British soldiers who died in the Afghan war between 2001 and 2021 as members of the US-led international coalition. Starmer's spokesperson said on Friday that US President Trump "underestimated the role of NATO forces, especially the British army in Afghanistan, which is a mistake."
Starmer said, "I believe President Trump's comments are insulting and shocking. These remarks have caused such immense pain to the families of the casualties, and I am not surprised by it." He also added that if he had made such statements, "he would certainly apologize."
Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative opposition, condemned the remarks as "absurd." She wrote on X: "The UK, Canada, and NATO forces fought shoulder to shoulder with the US for 20 years, blood and sweat. This is a fact, not an opinion. Their sacrifices should be respected, not denigrated."
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1855130426222603/
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