In his latest barb at European allies, US President Donald Trump on Thursday suggested that troops from other NATO countries stayed away from the frontline in Afghanistan in the ‘War on Terror’ after the 9/11 attacks.
“They'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan,” Trump said, referring to NATO allies, in an interview aired on Fox News on Thursday. "And they did; they stayed a little back, a little off the frontlines," he added.
Following the 9/11 attacks, the UK and other allies joined the US from 2001 in Afghanistan after it invoked NATO's collective security clause.
‘Will they be there’
Trump questioned whether NATO would be there if the US ever needed them. “I've always said: will they be there if we ever need them? And that's really the ultimate test, and I'm not sure of that,” Trump said.
Trump said that US “never needed them". “We have never really asked anything of them,” he said, hoping that the situation never comes.
This statement sparked outrage in Britain, with several ministers criticising Trump.
{{/usCountry}}This statement sparked outrage in Britain, with several ministers criticising Trump.
{{/usCountry}}PM Kier Starmer's spokesperson said that Trump was "wrong to diminish" the role of NATO troops in Afghanistan, as per news agency AFP.
UK PM spokesperson says wrong to diminish NATO's role
"The President was wrong to diminish the role of NATO troops, including British forces, in Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks on the US," the spokesman said.
He added that 457 British service personnel lost their lives in Afghanistan alongside other NATO allies, and many more were injured. "We are incredibly proud of our armed forces and their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten," he reportedly said.
The spokesperson noted that NATO's response was after an attack on their ally, referring to the US.
Care Minister Stephen Kinnock said earlier that he expected PM Starmer to bring up the issue with Trump. “I think he will, I'm sure, be raising this issue with the president... He (Starmer) is incredibly proud of our armed forces,” AFP quoted the minister as saying.
Defence Minister John Healey highlighted that NATO's Article 5 has only been triggered once — at the call of the US. The troops who died were "heroes who gave their lives in service of our nation", he added.
What is Article 5 of NATO
NATO's Article 5 states that an armed attack against one NATO member shall be considered an attack against them all. It falls under the collective defence principle of the organisation. The US invoked this after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the country.
Latest in US-Europe tensions
This latest controversy around Trump's comments comes at the end of a week when he has faced pushback for his threats to acquire Greenland.
Trump also threatened to slap tariffs on European nations until a deal is reached for the US to ‘purchase’ Greenland, which also raised questions over the future of NATO. Though Trump backed down after a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in which he said they formed the “framework” for a deal over Arctic security, the US-Europe relations have taken a hit.