Sir Keir Starmer has slammed Donald Trump’s false claims that Nato troops stayed away from the front line in the conflict in Afghanistan as “insulting and frankly appalling” and demanded an apology.
The prime minister joined veterans and politicians from across the political spectrum in his condemnation of Mr Trump, who has enraged Nato allies by claiming he is not sure the alliance would “be there if we ever needed them”.
And he was joined by Prince Harry, who said the “sacrifices” of British soldiers who served and died in Afghanistan “deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect”.
Sir Keir said: “I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling, and I am not surprised they have caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured”.
The White House responded to the criticism on Friday night, without issuing an apology.
“President Trump is absolutely right — the United States of America has done more for NATO than any other country in the alliance has done combined,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told The Independent in a statement.
It came after the prime minister paid tribute to the 457 British personnel who died in the conflict, saying he would never forget “their courage, their bravery and the sacrifice they made for their country”.
In response to comments from Diane Dernie, the mother of severely injured veteran Ben Parkinson, Sir Keir said: “I’ve made my position clear, and what I say to Diane is, if I...
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