UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has heavily criticised Donald Trump’s comments on Afghanistan describing them as “insulting and frankly appalling”. President Trump caused outrage by saying Nato allies “stayed a little back, a little off the frontlines” in Afghanistan. “I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling and I’m not surprised they’ve caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured.” Starmer said. REPORTER: We’ve heard from some of your ministers, from opposition party leaders, very angry at the comments by President Trump about Afghanistan. Al Khans, for example, who served in Afghanistan. What is your response to the interview that the President gave talking about the British contribution in Afghanistan? UNITED KINGDOM PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER: Let me start by paying tribute to the 457 of our armed services who lost their lives in Afghanistan. I will never forget their courage, their bravery and the sacrifice that they made for their country. There are many also who were injured, some with life-changing injuries. And so I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling. And I’m not surprised they’ve caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured, and in fact, across the country. REPORTER: As well as politicians expressing a view, a lot of the relatives, some bereaved, others whose sons in particular suffered dreadful injuries. One is Diane Derney, mother of a man called Ben Parkinson. Dreadful injuries. She has said that you need to be tougher with President Trump and demand an apology from him. Will you call for an apology from the President? STARMER: Well, I’ve made my position clear. And what I say to Diane is, if I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologise and I’d apologise to her.

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