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The US president’s remarks spark backlash in the UK and across Nato, with officials citing Article 5 and thousands of allied casualties after 9/11
Trump claims Nato allies stayed behind in Afghanistan, arguing that allied forces played a marginal role during the war and suggesting the United States never truly relied on its partners. Speaking in an interview with Fox News, President Donald Trump said that allied troops who were sent to Afghanistan remained far from the front lines and were not essential to US military operations.
“We never needed them, we never even asked them for anything,” Trump said. “They said they would send troops to Afghanistan, they did, but they stayed a little behind, a little away from the front.” The remarks echoed statements Trump made days earlier, when he claimed the United States had “never had and never asked anything from Nato,” using that argument to justify Washington’s current demands, including its position on Greenland.
The president’s comments were met with swift criticism, as they directly contradict the historical record of the war that followed the September 11 attacks. After 9/11, the United States invoked Article 5 of the Nato treaty for the first and only time in the alliance’s history, triggering the principle of collective defense under which an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
Trump claims Nato allies stayed behind in Afghanistan, but allied governments and veterans point to the human cost paid by non-US forces during two decades of conflict. A total of 3,486 military personnel from Nato countries were killed in Afghanistan, compared with 2,461 US service members. The United Kingdom alone lost 457 soldiers, making it one of the hardest-hit allies.
In London, the reaction was immediate. Downing Street said the president was wrong to diminish the role of Nato troops, including British forces, in Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed that Article 5 was invoked for the first time and that British forces served alongside other allies in sustained combat operations.
The spokesperson recalled that 457 British service members were killed and that many more were wounded, often with life-altering consequences. “We are incredibly proud of our armed forces, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” the statement said.
While the UK government stopped short of formally demanding an apology from Trump, officials did not rule out raising the issue diplomatically. The spokesperson declined to say whether Starmer would address the matter directly with the US president, despite calls from some ministers and opposition figures to do so. There is currently no indication that the US ambassador will be summoned, as requested by the Liberal Democrats.
Defense Secretary John Healey also alluded to the controversy without naming Trump directly. In a social media post, he noted that Article 5 had been activated only once, that the UK and Nato allies responded to a US request, and that more than 450 British soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan.
Political reactions went beyond the government. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described Trump’s statements as “a total absurdity,” saying that British, Canadian and Nato troops fought and died alongside US forces for decades. “That is a fact, not an opinion,” she said, adding that their sacrifice deserves respect, not dismissal.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey echoed that criticism, pointing out that 457 British troops were killed in Afghanistan and accusing Trump of questioning their sacrifice despite having avoided military service himself. Davey also criticized Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, for failing to challenge the US president’s remarks.
Tan Dhesi, chair of the UK Parliament’s Defense Committee, called Trump’s comments “an insult to our brave men and women in uniform who risked their lives to help our allies, up to the ultimate sacrifice.”
Trump claims Nato allies stayed behind in Afghanistan at a time when tensions with some allies are already high. In recent days, Danish veterans have protested similar remarks. Denmark, which lost 44 soldiers in Afghanistan, has the highest number of casualties relative to population among Nato members. The country has also been targeted by Trump’s criticism for opposing the idea of transferring Greenland to the United States.
Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Danish veteran Martin Tamm Andersen said he felt betrayed by the president’s words. Andersen served in Iraq and Afghanistan and, as a lieutenant in the Danish Royal Guard, commanded US Marines during operations in Helmand province. “I have nothing personal against the people I fought with,” he said, “but I feel betrayed. It is extremely unpleasant.”
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