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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prince Harry condemned the remarks by US President Donald Trump about sending troops to the Afghan frontlines, CNN reported.
Their reactions came after Trump, in an interview with Fox News, spoke about the US involvement in NATO and said that Washington received little in return when compared to its contributions. "Will they be there if we ever needed them?" Trump asked, "I'm not sure of that." With regards to NATO members sending troops to Afghanistan, CNN reported that Trump said, "We've never needed them. We have never really asked anything of them. You know, they'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that. And they did - they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines," he said. In a video message on X, the UK PM paid tributes to the 457 armed forces personnel who lost their lives in Afghanistan and recalled their courage, bravery and sacrifice and several of those injured with life-changing injuries. "I consider President Trump's remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling", he said. https://x.com/Keir_Starmer/status/2014755885826895898?s=20 A key principle of the NATO alliance is Article 5, under which all members agree to come to the defence of any member state if it is attacked. Article 5 has been invoked once, by the United States after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks. CNN reported that around 3,500 allied troops died in the conflict, of whom 2456 were Americans and 457 were British. The Duke of Sussex, who served in the British Army with two tours of Afghanistan, issued a strong statement via his spokesperson on January 23 in response to Trump, People reported. As per People, Harry said, "In 2001, NATO invoked Article 5 for the first--and only--time in history. It meant that every allied nation was obliged to stand with the United States in Afghanistan, in pursuit of our shared security. Allies answered that call. I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there". He further said, "Thousands of lives were changed forever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost...Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace." CNN reported that when asked to respond to Starmer's comments, the White House shrugged off his criticism and insisted Trump was correct. "President Trump is absolutely right - the United States of America has done more for NATO than any other country in the alliance has done combined," Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswoman, said as per CNN. (ANI)
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