British politicians have accused Trump of avoiding military service during the Vietnam War.
Published on January 23, 2026
US President Donald Trump NATO troops have come under fire from British politicians after claiming they stayed away from the front lines during the war in Afghanistan.
The US president made the comments in an interview with US broadcaster Fox News, where he again questioned the value of the military alliance and suggested that NATO allies would not come to Washington’s aid if requested.
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Speaking Thursday, Trump said the U.S. “never needed” NATO and that allied forces remained “a little off” during the Afghanistan conflict.
The comments sparked reactions across the UK political spectrum, with critics raising questions about the scale of NATO casualties in the 20-year war and Trump’s own military record.
loss of allies
The United Kingdom lost 457 service personnel in Afghanistan. More than 150 Canadian soldiers were killed, including 90 French soldiers. Denmark lost 44 soldiers – one of the highest per capita death rates among NATO members – recently despite continuing pressure from Trump to sell the semi-autonomous region of Greenland to the US.
Stephen Kinnock, a junior British minister, described Trump’s comments as “very disappointing” and said European forces had paid a heavy price in supporting US-led operations.
“Many, many British soldiers and many soldiers from other European NATO allies have given their lives in support of US-led missions in places like Afghanistan and Iraq,” Kinnock told the UK’s Sky News broadcaster on Friday.
“I think anyone who tries to criticize what (our armed forces) have done and the sacrifices they have made is clearly wrong,” he added.
‘How dare he’
Kinnock also noted that the U.S. is the only NATO member to invoke Article 5, the alliance’s collective-defense clause, after the September 11, 2001 attacks, prompting allies to rally behind Washington.
He said NATO was the most successful international security alliance “in the history of the world”, with its European partners, including the US and the UK, playing a central role.
Other UK politicians highlighted Trump’s history of avoiding military service during the Vietnam War. Trump received several draft deferments, including one based on a diagnosis of bone spurs in his heels — a medical claim that has previously been questioned.
“Trump has avoided military service 5 times,” Ed Davey, leader of the UK’s Liberal Democrats, wrote on X. “How dare they question their sacrifice.”