Overview
- Trump posted on Truth Social that U.K. soldiers are “among the greatest of all warriors,” noting 457 British deaths in Afghanistan and calling the U.S.–U.K. military bond unbreakable.
- Downing Street said Starmer spoke with Trump on Saturday and highlighted the sacrifice of British and American forces who fought side by side in Afghanistan.
- Trump did not issue a formal apology for earlier remarks suggesting non-U.S. NATO troops stayed off the front lines, a point that veterans and bereaved families said left their hurt unaddressed.
- Leaders across Europe, including Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Poland’s Donald Tusk and France’s Emmanuel Macron, condemned Trump’s characterization and underscored their countries’ losses.
- Multiple outlets reported, citing unnamed sources, that King Charles conveyed concern to the White House, a claim not confirmed by Buckingham Palace or U.S. officials.