New fissure? After Greenland thaw, Trump-Europe tensions reignite — what triggered the row this time
(Photo credit: AP)
Fresh strains have erupted between US President Donald Trump and key European allies, just as relations appeared to steady after recent friction over Greenland. The latest rupture centres on Trump’s remarks questioning Nato allies’ frontline role in Afghanistan and whether the alliance would defend the United States in a crisis, comments that have sparked anger from London to Warsaw.In an interview with Fox News, Trump said of NATO partners: “They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan,” before adding, “And they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.” He also repeated doubts about NATO solidarity, saying he was “not sure” the alliance would meet the “ultimate test” of defending the US.
The remarks reopened old wounds in Europe, where Afghanistan is seen as the clearest demonstration of allied support for Washington. NATO’s Article 5 collective defence clause, the alliance’s core principle, was invoked for the first and only time after the September 11 attacks, leading European forces to join the US-led war.
Starmer leads backlash
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hit back at the 47th POTUS calling the comments “insulting and frankly, appalling”. In a video message, he said: “Let me start by paying tribute to 457 of our armed services who lost their lives in Afghanistan.”“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.”Starmer added that if he had misspoken in such a way, he “would certainly apologise”.British political figures across parties echoed the criticism. UK defence minister John Healey described the fallen as “heroes who gave their lives in service of our nation”, while Armed Forces minister Al Carns called the remarks “utterly ridiculous”. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch labelled them “complete nonsense”, and even Trump ally Nigel Farage said, “Donald Trump is wrong.”
Europe reminds Washington of sacrifices
Other European leaders pointed to their own losses. Poland’s defence minister said he expected respect for veterans “who have proven how much they serve this country and our commitments to allies”. France noted 90 of its soldiers died, saying, “We remember their sacrifice, which commands respect.”NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte directly countered Trump’s doubts: “You can be assured, absolutely, if ever the United States was under attack, your allies will be with you.” He reminded Washington that for every two Americans killed in Afghanistan, one soldier from another NATO country also died.457 British troops were killed, alongside personnel from Canada, Denmark, France, Germany and others. More than 150,000 UK personnel served during the 20-year mission.The Afghanistan dispute comes days after Trump again pressed Denmark over Greenland, warning Copenhagen to “say yes” to US ambitions. Combined with tariff threats and public criticism of allied leaders, the approach is reinforcing European concerns about a more transactional US foreign policy.Speaking in Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned middle powers must work together, saying: “If you are not at the table, you are on the menu.” His remarks were widely seen as a call for countries to hedge against US unpredictability.
