Trump calls UK troops 'very brave' after criticism of his NATO remarks

Donald Trump has publicly commended British military personnel as "very brave" while asserting the enduring strength of the Washington-London alliance, one day after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized his earlier comments about NATO's Afghanistan mission as insulting.

In a Saturday post on his Truth Social platform, the former US president described soldiers from the United Kingdom as "among the greatest of all warriors," acknowledging hundreds who lost their lives and many more injured during the conflict. He characterized the bilateral relationship as "too strong to ever be broken" and positioned Britain's military capabilities as exceptional, though notably adding "except for the U.S.A."

Response to Diplomatic Criticism

Trump's laudatory statements appear responsive to diplomatic friction generated by his Thursday interview remarks where he suggested NATO allies maintained distance from frontline operations in Afghanistan and claimed Washington never required allied support. Starmer had explicitly condemned those comments Friday as "insulting and frankly appalling," reflecting broader European unease about rhetoric perceived as undermining alliance solidarity and shared sacrifice.

Praising Military Sacrifice

The social media message contained specific recognition of British casualties sustained during the two-decade engagement in Afghanistan, stating "great and very brave soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United States of America." Trump concluded with an emphatic declaration of enduring affection: "We love you all, and always will." This represents a tonal shift from his previous questioning of NATO allies' contributions during the Davos interview that sparked the initial controversy.

Context of Transatlantic Relations

This exchange occurs amid ongoing discussions about burden-sharing within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the future of US-European security cooperation. Trump's latest attempt to affirm special ties with Britain follows a pattern where critical comments about alliance members are sometimes followed by conciliatory gestures toward specific countries, particularly the United Kingdom with which multiple US administrations have historically emphasized a "special relationship." The episode highlights the ongoing sensitivity surrounding acknowledgment of military sacrifices within multinational coalitions.