‘Trust has been eroded’: Trump’s NATO troop remarks have shaken allied veterans
Backlash
In Britain, Starmer – generally deliberately cautious in his dealings with Trump – called the comments “insulting and frankly appalling”, saying he was not surprised they had caused “such harm to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured”.
Prince Harry, who served two tours of Afghanistan, said the sacrifices of allied troops “deserve to be remembered with truth and respect,” adding: “I served there. I lost friends there. »
Nikki Scott’s husband Corp. Lee Scott, was killed in Afghanistan while serving with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, leaving behind his wife and two children.
Holding a black book of briefing notes her husband had taken, she said in a video posted on LinkedIn: “I believe in the difference he and all of our armed forces have made, and no one should tell us otherwise.” »
The drastic response speaks to broader concerns about the possible consequences of Trump’s stance for the future of NATO and its relationship with the United States, already under increasing tension as Russia seeks to test the alliance’s resolve.
“Washington’s prevarication weakens deterrence, emboldens Moscow and risks persuading soldiers on the ground that NATO no longer has the importance or seriousness it once had,” said HA Hellyer, a senior research associate at the Royal United Services Institute, a defense and security think tank in London.
“While the remarks change little for the soldiers fighting in Ukraine,” he said, “strategically they are deeply corrosive.”
Little remembers the commitment of NATO forces after the attacks on the United States in 2001, and the contrast between that reality and the political rhetoric gives him pause.
“For the rest of us who were at the front, separated, losing fathers, brothers and husbands, we heard the call, we came running and we went there with joy,” he said.
“Confidence in America’s support for NATO has not been eroded. What has been eroded here is confidence in America’s support.”
