Angry Sir Keir Starmer loses patience with Donald Trump over ‘insulting’ NATO troops remarks
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I have rarely seen Sir Keir Starmer angry.
He is a politician who keeps his emotions buttoned up – in public, at least.
But he was clearly brimming with anger as he called US President Donald Trump out for his “insulting and frankly appalling” remarks over non-US troops that served in Afghanistan.
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Mette Frederiksen and Sir Keir Starmer
Sir Keir had been in Chequers overnight after hosting his Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, for bilateral talks over Greenland and NATO, coming back to Downing Street on Friday morning amid growing national fury over Mr Trump’s disgraceful slur about NATO troops.
The prime minister, in his strongest rebuke yet to Mr Trump, was highly critical of his claim that NATO troops in Afghanistan “stayed a little off the front lines”.
For the record, 1,160 non-US coalition soldiers were killed in Afghanistan, and thousands more were wounded, some suffering life-changing injuries.
A total of 457 British troops died in combat alongside US forces.
That Mr Trump casually belittled those sacrifices has provoked an outpouring of anger and universal condemnation.
It is an insult not just to our forces, but to a relationship forged from common language, and exceptionally close cultural, political, military and economic ties over decades.
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In making such offensive remarks, on the heels of threats over sanctions and invasions of a Nato ally, the so-called special relationship is fast becoming a toxic one.
For a prime minister, whose first job is the security of this nation and people, a fellow leader insulting his armed forces is a low blow, and I’m told that Mr Starmer wanted to make his position very clear and to speak up for the UK’s armed forces.
Up until now, he has only ever condemned Mr Trump’s comments or actions as wrong.
The spell has ‘been broken’
His comments on Friday were a clear step change as he strongly criticised Mr Trump personally and suggested the US president should apologise.
As for the fallout, Downing Street’s approach will be to try to continue along as it was, sticking to Britain’s principles and values and co-operating with the US on defence, security and intelligence.
But there is no doubt that this past week has broken the spell.
Increasingly erratic and outlandish behaviour
Mr Trump’s increasingly erratic and outlandish behaviour has left Sir Keir with no other option than to shift away from an approach of ‘Trump containment’ to calling him out.
In other circumstances, a prime minister who has made a great play of Trump management only to see relations sour so badly could be in the firing line.
Where he has cover is in the universal condemnation of Mr Trump from all political leaders
If anything, Sir Keir will come under more pressure to increase his hostility towards our increasingly toxic partner, the US.
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Allies of his were at pains to stress this is not the beginning of the end of the special relationship, but it is equally true that the events of the past week have made that bond feel far less stable.
Sir Keir was already looking to deepen and tighten ties with Europe.
After the behaviour of the Trump White House this week, he perhaps wants to turbocharge it.
