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The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.

Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come.  This is one of them.

Trump praises 'very brave' UK soldiers after anger over Afghanistan troops remarks

Mr Trump made his original comments at the World Economic Forum earlier this week as he questioned if NATO would "be there if we ever needed them".

Saturday 24 January 2026

Donald Trump has praised "very brave" British soldiers who served in Afghanistan after fierce criticism of his claim non-US troops had stayed back from the frontline.

He said Britons "were among the greatest of all warriors" as he acknowledged the 457 who died and many "badly injured".

"The GREAT and very BRAVE soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United States of America!" Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"It's a bond too strong to ever be broken," the president added.

"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!"


President Trump's post comes after he falsely claimed NATO troops in Afghanistan had "stayed a little back, a little off the frontlines".

Sir Keir Starmer had called the remarks "insulting and frankly appalling", while Prince Harry also defended the bravery of UK troops.

The prince - who served two tours of Afghanistan - said British "sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect".

Downing Street said Sir Keir had spoken to Mr Trump shortly before the president's social media post 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. We must never forget their sacrifice," said a statement.

Mr Trump made his original comments to Fox News at the World Economic Forum earlier this week, as he questioned if NATO would "be there if we ever needed them".

"We've never needed them," the US president said.

"They'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan… and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the frontlines."

Criticism from UK veterans, their families, and politicians was swift and severe.

Al Carns, the armed forces minister, who was with the Royal Marines in Afghanistan, called the claims "utterly ridiculous".

Tory MP Ben Obese-Jecty, who served there with the Royal Yorkshire Regiment, said it was "sad to see our nation's sacrifice, and that of our NATO partners, held so cheaply by the president of the United States".

Diane Dernie, whose son Ben Parkinson suffered horrific injuries in Afghanistan, called the comments "the ultimate insult" and urged the prime minister to stand up to Mr Trump.

The president's U-turn was welcomed by Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch.

"I'm pleased President Trump has now acknowledged the role of the British armed forces and those brave men and women who gave their lives fighting alongside the US and our allies," she wrote on X.

"It should never have been questioned in the first place."

Over 1,000 non-US NATO troops died in Afghanistan and at least double that number were seriously wounded.

At 457, the UK had the second-highest number of military deaths during the near 20-year campaign. The US suffered 2,461 deaths.

The American-led invasion came shortly after 9/11 as it invoked NATO's Article 5 clause that an attack against one member is an attack on all.

President Trump has been a frequent critic of NATO, saying the alliance is too reliant on US power and urging members to increase their defence spending.

Trump says UK soldiers in Afghanistan 'among greatest of all warriors'

Thomas Mackintosh

Donald Trump has praised UK soldiers who fought in Afghanistan after his claim that allied forces avoided the front lines prompted criticism from veterans and politicians.

Earlier this week Trump angered US allies by downplaying the role of Nato troops in the war and doubted whether the military alliance would be there for the US "if we ever needed them".

Trump's words drew condemnation from international allies, while Sir Keir Starmer called them "insulting and frankly appalling".

The UK prime minister spoke to Trump on Saturday, after which the US president used his Truth Social platform to praise UK troops as being "among the greatest of all warriors".

Trump was criticised for remarks he made during an interview with Fox News on Thursday in which the president said of Nato troops: "We've never needed them. We have never really asked anything of them.

"They'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan... and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines."

That triggered a huge backlash from the families of soldiers who served in Afghanistan, as well as veterans and politicians from across the Westminster and international spectrum who called for Trump to apologise.

Prince Harry said the sacrifices of troops needed to be respected as he pointed out Nato's collective security clause had been invoked once - following the 9/11 attacks.

In October 2001 the US invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban, whom they said were harbouring Osama Bin Laden and other al-Qaeda figures linked to the 9/11 attacks the previous month. Nato nations contributed troops and military equipment to the US-led war.

More than 3,500 coalition soldiers died, about two-thirds of them Americans, as of 2021 when the US withdrew from the country. The UK suffered the second-highest number of military deaths in the conflict behind the US, which suffered 2,461 fatalities.

On Saturday, Downing Street said the prime minister and US president spoke about the UK's involvement alongside US and Nato forces in the conflict.

A spokesperson said: "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. We must never forget their sacrifice".

Shortly after the conversation, Trump posted fresh comments on his Truth Social platform - appearing to step back from his critical comments but stopping short of directly apologising for the words he used in Thursday's interview.

He wrote: "The great and very brave soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United States of America.

"In Afghanistan, 457 died, many were badly injured, and they were among the greatest of all warriors.

"It's a bond too strong to ever be broken. The UK military, with tremendous heart and soul, is second to none (except for the USA). We love you all, and always will!"

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she was pleased Trump had acknowledged the UK's role in fighting alongside the US and Nato allies in Afghanistan.

"It should never have been questioned in the first place," she said.

On Friday, the Duke of Sussex released a statement in which he praised the contributions of Nato troops who were in Afghanistan.

"I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there," the prince said.

"In 2001, Nato invoked Article 5 for the first - and only - time in history. It meant that every allied nation was obliged to stand with the United States in Afghanistan, in pursuit of our shared security. Allies answered that call.

"Thousands of lives were changed forever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost.

"Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace."

Most of the 457 British troops who died serving in Afghanistan over a period of nearly 20 years were killed in Helmand - the scene of the heaviest fighting.

Hundreds more suffered injuries and lost limbs - including Cpl Andy Reid who lost both his legs and his right arm after stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED) in Afghanistan.

"Not a day goes by when we're not in some kind of pain, physically or mentally reflecting on that conflict," he told BBC Breakfast on Friday.

Reid recalled working with American soldiers, adding: "If they were on the front line and I was stood next to them, clearly we were on the front line as well."

Badenoch, Sir Ed Davey and Nigel Farage were among the Westminster leaders to call out the US president for his comments; while outside the UK, ministers from foreign governments also criticised Trump's remarks.

Canada's Minister of National Defence David J McGuinty said Canadian "men and women were on the ground from the beginning, not because we had to, but because it was the right thing to do."

American political and military figures have also expressed their anger and frustration over Trump's Nato comments.

"I think it's insulting to those who were fighting alongside of us," former national security adviser Herbery Raymond McMaster told the BBC.

Trump's new comments on Saturday did not mention any of the other Nato allies who sent troops into Afghanistan.

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her government "was astonished" to hear Trump's first statement and added "our nation paid a cost that is beyond dispute: 53 Italian soldiers killed and more than 700 wounded".

She said on X: "For this reason, statements that downplay the contribution of Nato countries in Afghanistan are unacceptable, especially when they come from an allied nation".