But Trump's claim in a Fox News interview that NATO sent "some troops" but "stayed a little back, a little off the front lines" brought fresh condemnation Saturday.
He offered an olive branch to Britain after an angry response to his comments earlier in the week, praising British soldiers.
On Saturday, a day after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned his remarks as "appalling", he appeared to have changed position -- at least as far as British troops were concerned.
"The GREAT and very BRAVE soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United States of America!" Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
"In Afghanistan, 457 died, many were badly injured, and they were among the greatest of all warriors. It's a bond too strong to ever be broken."
As Trump released his latest statement, in London a Downing Street spokesperson said Starmer had discussed the issue during a call with Trump on Saturday.
"The Prime Minister raised the brave and heroic British and American soldiers who fought side by side in Afghanistan, many of whom never returned home," said a Downing Street spokesperson. "We must never forget their sacrifice."
- 'Unacceptable': Meloni -
But Britain was not the only NATO ally to express anger at Trump's earlier remarks, as other European leaders reacted sharply Saturday, recalling the sacrifices their soldiers had made.
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her government's astonishment at Trump's comments.
During the nearly 20 years of NATO operations in Afghanistan, "our nation paid a cost that is beyond dispute: 53 Italian soldiers killed and more than 700 wounded", she said in a statement.
"For this reason, statements that downplay the contribution of NATO countries in Afghanistan are unacceptable, especially when they come from an allied Nation," she added.
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk recalled attending a farewell ceremony for five fallen Polish soldiers in Afghanistan in 2011.
"The American officers who accompanied me then, told me that America would never forget the Polish heroes," he wrote in a post on X.
"Perhaps they will remind President Trump of that fact."
The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday: "These unacceptable comments are not worthy of response.
"It is to the families of fallen soldiers that the Head of State wishes to offer comfort and reiterate the nation's gratitude."
Some 90 French soldiers died in Afghanistan, according to the French government.
- 'Unacceptable' -
Danish Prime Minister Mette said Saturday on Facebook: "I fully understand that Danish veterans have said no words can describe how much this hurts.
"It is unacceptable that the American president questions the commitment of allied soldiers in Afghanistan," she added.
"Denmark is one of the NATO countries that has suffered the highest losses per capita," the Danish prime minister pointed out.
The country's population was about 5.4 million in 2003 and, according to the Danish news agency Ritzau, around 12,000 Danish soldiers and civilians were sent to Afghanistan over the years.
Danish veterans have called for a silent march in Copenhagen on January 31 to protest Trump's remarks.
On Friday, Starmer had said: "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."
The White House had initially rejected Starmer's comments.
"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 in a statement sent to AFP.
- A 'heavy price' -
Following the 9/11 attacks, Britain and a number of other allies joined the United States from 2001 in Afghanistan after Washington -- for the first time -- invoked NATO's collective security clause.
As well as Britain, France, Denmark, Italy and Poland, troops from other NATO ally countries including Canada, the Netherlands and Germany were also killed.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius recalled the "heavy price" his country paid, stressing that "our army was ready when our American allies asked for support" in 2001.
"Many wounded are still suffering today from the physical and psychological consequences of that period," he added.
Trump's comments follow a bruising transatlantic crisis over his threats to seize Greenland -- an autonomous Danish territory -- now seemingly defused.
The US president on Wednesday backed away from threatened tariffs on Europe for opposing his claims on the Arctic island.
UK PM slams Trump for saying NATO troops avoided Afghan front line
London (AFP) Jan 23, 2026 -
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Friday denounced as "insulting" President Donald Trump's claim that troops from NATO allies avoided the front line in Afghanistan, as anger grows at the US president's remarks.
In an interview with Fox News aired on Thursday, Trump appeared unaware that 457 British soldiers were among NATO troops who died during the conflict in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
"They'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan," Trump told the US outlet, referring to NATO allies.
"And they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines," he added, triggering outrage across the political divide in Britain.
Trump also repeated his suggestion that NATO would not come to the aid of the US if asked to do so.
In fact, following the 9/11 attacks, the UK and several European countries joined the US in Afghanistan after it invoked NATO's collective security clause for the first and only time.
Soldiers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark and others also died in the conflict.
"Let me start by paying tribute to 457 of our armed services who lost their lives in Afghanistan," Starmer said in a video message.
"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."
He said that if he had misspoken in such a way, he "would certainly apologise".
The White House rejected Starmer's comments and defended the president.
"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 in a statement sent to AFP.
- 'Heroes' -
Poland's Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said he expected respect for Polish veterans "who have proven how much they serve this country and our commitments to allies".
Poland lost 43 soldiers in the conflict in Afghanistan.
French armed forces minister Catherine Vautrin said 90 French soldiers died in Afghanistan on operations alongside NATO allies and "many others" were wounded.
"We remember their sacrifice, which commands respect."
UK defence minister John Healey posted on X that the British troops who died were "heroes who gave their lives in service of our nation".
UK Armed forces minister Al Carns, who served five tours in Afghanistan, said Trump's comments were "utterly ridiculous".
The leader of the opposition Conservatives, Kemi Badenoch, said Trump's comments were "complete nonsense" which could weaken the NATO alliance.
Even Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-immigration Reform UK party and a long-time Trump supporter rebuked the American leader.
"Donald Trump is wrong," he said on X. "For 20 years our armed forces fought bravely alongside America's in Afghanistan."
Lucy Aldridge, whose son William died aged 18 in Afghanistan, told The Mirror newspaper that Trump's remarks were "extremely upsetting".
Mark Atkinson, Director General of the veterans' charity, The Royal British Legion, said the service and sacrifice of British troops in Afghanistan "cannot be called into question".
Prince Harry, who undertook two frontline tours to Afghanistan with the Army Air Corps, also weighed in.
"I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there," he 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."
According to official UK figures, 405 of the 457 British casualties who died in Afghanistan were killed in hostile military action.
The US reportedly lost more than 2,400 soldiers.
More than 150,000 UK armed forces personnel served in Afghanistan between September 2001 and August 2021, the Ministry of Defence said, making the UK the second-largest contributor to the US-led force there.
Meloni joins criticism of Trump's NATO Afghanistan remarks
Rome (AFP) Jan 24, 2026 -
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday joined criticism of US President Donald Trump's comments on the role of non-US NATO troops in Afghanistan, defending the memory of Italian soldiers killed and wounded there.
In an interview with Fox News aired on Thursday, Trump had claimed NATO had sent "some troops" but "stayed a little back, a little off the front lines".
"The Italian government was astonished to hear President Trump's statement claiming that NATO allies 'fell behind' during operations in Afghanistan," Meloni posted on X.
During the nearly 20 years of NATO operations in Afghanistan, she said, "our nation paid a cost that is beyond dispute: 53 Italian soldiers killed and more than 700 wounded".
"For this reason, statements that downplay the contribution of NATO countries in Afghanistan are unacceptable, especially when they come from an allied Nation," she added.
Meloni noted that NATO had invoked Article Five after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the country that killed 3,000 people, effectively launching the Afghanistan campaign.
Article Five requires member states to defend any of their number who come under attack.
Meloni acknowledged the strong ties between Italy and the United States.
"But friendship requires respect, a fundamental condition for continuing to ensure the solidarity at the core of the Atlantic Alliance," she added.
Earlier Saturday, Italy's Foreign Minister also paid tribute to Italy's dead and wounded in Afghanistan in a post online.
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