British politicians have accused President Trump of dodging military service during the Vietnam War.
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Published January 23, 2026
US President Donald Trump has drawn criticism from British politicians for claiming that NATO troops were kept away from the front lines during the war in Afghanistan.
The US president made the remarks in an interview with US broadcaster Fox News, once again questioning the value of the military alliance and suggesting that NATO allies would not respond to US aid if requested.
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In a speech Thursday, President Trump said the United States “never needed” NATO and claimed that the alliance’s forces remained “a little bit removed from the front lines” during the Afghanistan conflict.
The comments sparked a backlash across British politics, with critics pointing to the scale of NATO casualties during the 20-year war and questioning Trump’s own war record.
Allied losses
Britain lost 457 servicemen in Afghanistan. More than 150 Canadian soldiers were killed, as were 90 French soldiers. Denmark recently lost 44 soldiers, one of the highest per capita death rates among NATO members, despite continued pressure from President Trump to sell semi-autonomous Greenland to the United States.
British Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Kinnock called Trump’s comments “deeply disappointing” and said European forces had paid a heavy price in support of the U.S.-led operation.
“So many British soldiers, and many from other European NATO allies, have given their lives in support of American-led missions in places like Afghanistan and Iraq,” Kinnock told Britain’s Sky News broadcaster on Friday.
“I think anyone who tries to criticize what[our military]has done and the sacrifices they have made is clearly wrong,” he added.
“Well, he is.”
Kinnock also noted that the United States remains the only NATO member to invoke Article 5, the collective defense clause for allies, after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, urging allies to rally behind Washington.
He said NATO was the most successful international security alliance “in the history of the world”, with European partners including the United States and the United Kingdom playing a central role.
Other British politicians highlighted Trump’s history of avoiding military service during the Vietnam War. President Trump has received multiple draft deferments, including one based on a diagnosis of bone spurs in his heel, which has long been called into question.
Ed Davey, leader of the British Liberal Democrats, wrote of X: “Mr Trump has avoided military service five times. Why question their sacrifice?”
