...
By Jack Royston and Gabe Whisnant
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Prince Harry criticized President Donald Trump over downplaying the role of NATO allies in the Afghanistan War.
Trump had told Fox News in an interview that the U.S. had "never really asked anything of" its NATO allies and questioned if they would come to America's aid if called.
The U.S. is the only NATO member ever to have invoked Article 5, which it did in response to the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001, and allies sent troops to support the resultant war in Afghanistan.
Read More on News
"They'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan," Trump said in the interview. "And they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines."
...
Speaking about the decision to invoke NATO’s Article 5 after the Sept. 11 attacks, the Duke of Sussex told Newsweek that allied nations answered the United States’ call and paid a lasting price. He pointed to the 457 British service members killed in Afghanistan and said thousands of families were permanently changed, urging that the war and its consequences be discussed “truthfully and with respect” in the pursuit of diplomacy and peace.
Prince 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. The United Kingdom alone had 457 service personnel killed.
He continued, "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 defense of diplomacy and peace.”
Prince Harry's Military Service: What to Know
Beginning in 2008, the Duke of Sussex served two tours in Afghanistan, and during the second flew an Apache attack helicopter. The duke's first tour saw him call in air strikes on enemy positions, a huge responsibility; however, he did so from the safety of a military base.
He went back to the front line again from September 2012 to January 2013 for a second tour in which he was in harm's way at the controls of an Apache attack helicopter, firing on enemy positions and killing members of the Taliban.
...
In his 2023 memoir, Spare, Prince Harry said he was always able to account for the number of enemy fighters he killed during his military service and believed it was important to be transparent about that figure, citing accountability as a core principle instilled in him by the Army.
He said the number — 25 — brought him neither pride nor shame, describing it instead as an unwanted consequence of war. Harry said he would have preferred never to carry such a figure with him, just as he would have preferred to live in a world without the Taliban or armed conflict, but acknowledged that some realities are unavoidable.
"While in the heat and fog of combat, I didn't think of those twenty-five as people. You can't kill people if you think of them as people. You can't really harm people if you think of them as people," the Duke of Sussex wrote. "They were chess pieces removed from the board, Bads taken away before they could kill Goods. I'd been trained to 'other-ize' them, trained well.
He continued, "On some level I recognized this learned detachment as problematic. But I also saw it as an unavoidable part of soldiering. Another reality that couldn't be changed."
...
PM Keir Starmer Blasts Trump's Remarks
It was not the first time Trump had downplayed the commitment of NATO countries in recent days. The criticism has been a central line of attack as he escalated threats to seize Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said President Trump should apologize for his remarks about the Afghanistan war, calling the comments “insulting” and “appalling.”
Starmer also honored the 457 British service members who were killed in the conflict and those who suffered life-altering injuries, noting the lasting toll the war has taken on military families.
“I will never forget their courage, their bravery and the sacrifice they made for their country,” Starmer said. “I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling and 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.”
Diane Dernie, whose son Ben Parkinson was severely injured when a British Army Land Rover struck a mine in Afghanistan in 2006, said Trump’s latest comments were “the ultimate insult” and urged Starmer to confront the president over the remarks.
“Call him out,” she said. “Make a stand for those who fought for this country and for our flag, because it’s just beyond belief."
Starmer replied, “What I say to Diane is, if I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologize, and I’d apologize to her.”
Updates: 1/23/26, 1:47 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Updates: 1/23/26, 1:58 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Updates: 1/23/26, 3:50 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it's not "both sides," it's sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.
When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines