Prince Harry Rebukes Trump Over NATO Afghanistan Remarks

On January 23, 2026, a transatlantic diplomatic rift widened as Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, delivered a pointed rebuke to U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial remarks about NATO’s role in the war in Afghanistan. The prince, who served two tours in Afghanistan and lost friends in the conflict, called for the sacrifices of NATO troops to be "spoken about truthfully and with respect"—a direct response to Trump’s claim that allied soldiers had stayed "a little back" from the front lines.

Trump’s comments, made during a Fox Business interview on January 22, 2026, sent shockwaves through Europe. The president asserted, "We've never needed them. We have never really asked anything of them. They'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan... and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines." He further questioned whether NATO would support the U.S. if the tables were turned, saying he was "not sure" the alliance would be there "if we ever needed them." According to NBC News, these statements compounded already strained relations with European allies, many of whom were still reeling from Trump’s recent push to acquire Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark, and his public criticisms of European countries at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Prince Harry’s response was swift and unequivocal. In his statement, he reflected on the gravity of the 20-year conflict: "I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there," Harry said, according to BBC. He paid tribute to the 457 UK service personnel killed in Afghanistan, most of whom died in Helmand province, the site of some of the war’s fiercest fighting. "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," he continued. "Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defense of diplomacy and peace."

The prince’s words echoed the unique historical context of the conflict. Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, NATO invoked Article 5—the alliance’s mutual defense pact—for the first and only time in its history, obliging member states to stand with the United States in Afghanistan. As Harry put it, "Allies answered that call." The UK alone deployed more than 150,000 troops over the course of the war, with the coalition as a whole suffering over 3,500 fatalities by 2021, about two-thirds of them American, as reported by the BBC.

Trump’s remarks provoked a chorus of condemnation from across the UK political spectrum. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking on January 23, described the comments as "insulting and frankly appalling." He added, "I will never forget their courage, their bravery and the sacrifice they made for their country. There were many also who were injured, some with life-changing injuries." Starmer emphasized the pain Trump’s words caused: "I am not surprised they have caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured and, in fact, across the country." When pressed on whether Trump should apologize, Starmer said, "If I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologize."

Other UK leaders were equally forthright. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch declared, "It is a disgrace to denigrate their memory like that. There is too much careless talk from President Trump. He clearly doesn't know the history of what happened." Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey pointed to Trump’s own record, saying, "Trump avoided military service five times. How dare he question their sacrifice." Reform UK leader Nigel Farage simply stated, "Donald Trump is wrong. For 20 years our armed forces fought bravely alongside America's in Afghanistan."

The outrage was not limited to politicians. Cpl Andy Reid, who lost both his legs and his right arm after stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED) in Afghanistan, told BBC Breakfast, "Not a day goes by when we're not in some kind of pain, physically or mentally reflecting on that conflict." Reid emphasized the camaraderie and shared danger with American soldiers: "If they were on the front line and I was stood next to them, clearly we were on the front line as well." Diane Dernie, whose son Ben Parkinson was severely injured in 2006, described Trump’s words as "so insulting" and called on Starmer to confront the U.S. president directly. "His words were exactly what we wanted to hear, but we need those words to be addressed directly to the president," she said in a BBC interview.

International reaction was similarly fierce. Poland’s foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski, among the 33,000 Polish troops who served in Afghanistan, insisted, "No one has the right to mock the service of our soldiers." Canada’s Minister of National Defence, David J McGuinty, reminded the world that Canadian "men and women were on the ground from the beginning, not because we had to, but because it was the right thing to do," and noted that 158 Canadian troops "paid the ultimate price." Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, former secretary general of NATO during the Afghanistan War, told BBC World Service, "No American president should have the liberty to belittle their legacy and to insult the ones who are still grieving the fact that they didn't come back alive from Afghanistan. What I would expect is a sincere apology from the president of the United States."

Former U.S. national security adviser Herbert Raymond McMaster, who served as a senior officer in Afghanistan, also weighed in, telling the BBC, "I think it's insulting to those who were fighting alongside of us. What I would like him to say is to make amends by affirming our gratitude for our allies who fought alongside us, and especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice in a war that I think was important, obviously, to the future of all humanity."

Amid the escalating backlash, the White House stood by Trump’s position. Spokeswoman Taylor Rogers stated, "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." On January 23, the White House further emphasized that "America's contributions to NATO dwarf that of other countries, and his success in delivering a 5% spending pledge from NATO allies is helping Europe take greater responsibility for its own defense. The United States is the only NATO partner who can protect Greenland, and the president is advancing NATO interests in doing so." The administration has yet to comment on calls for a presidential apology.

Trump’s repeated criticisms of NATO and his unpredictable foreign policy moves have left European leaders wary, further straining the alliance’s unity at a time of rising global uncertainty. As the debate continues, the voices of those who served—and those who lost—insist that the sacrifices made in Afghanistan must be remembered honestly, and with the respect they deserve.