Trump challenges NATO narratives, igniting UK outrage while forcing allies to confront uncomfortable truths about defense dependence.
US President Donald Trump sparked sharp criticism from British politicians after asserting that NATO forces largely avoided frontline combat during the war in Afghanistan.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump again questioned the alliance’s strategic value, arguing that the United States “never needed” NATO and casting doubt on whether allies would come to Washington’s aid if called upon. He claimed that during Afghanistan, allied troops remained “a little off the front lines,” comments that reverberated across the UK political establishment.
British officials reacted angrily, citing the human cost paid by NATO partners during the two-decade conflict. The United Kingdom lost 457 service members; Canada more than 150; France around 90; and Denmark 44—one of the highest per-capita casualty rates among alliance members, even as Copenhagen faces continued US pressure over Greenland’s strategic future.
Junior UK minister Stephen Kinnock called Trump’s remarks “deeply disappointing,” telling Sky News that European forces had paid a heavy price supporting American-led missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. He emphasized that the United States remains the only NATO member to invoke Article 5 after the September 11 attacks—prompting allies to rally behind Washington.
Others went further, attacking Trump personally. Ed Davey highlighted Trump’s Vietnam-era draft deferments, accusing him of disrespecting allied sacrifices.
Yet Trump’s critics sidestep his core point: NATO’s imbalance. The United States still shoulders roughly two-thirds of alliance defense spending, while many European members lag on commitments. Trump’s blunt rhetoric—however abrasive—presses allies to confront reliance, readiness, and credibility in an era of renewed great-power competition.
