Reports said King Charles III of the United Kingdom expressed concern over U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks about the war in Afghanistan.
According to the British daily the Telegraph on the 25th (local time), Charles III, who is planning a visit to mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence in April, is said to have conveyed concerns to President Trump through an appropriate informal channel.
In a Fox Business interview on the 22nd, President Trump, referring to the role of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops during the war in Afghanistan, said, "We never needed their help. They say they sent troops to Afghanistan, but they were a little removed from the front lines."
Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom, which lost 457 service members in Afghanistan, criticized, saying, "President Trump's remarks are insulting and, frankly, appalling." European member countries within NATO also noted that President Trump's comments were "unacceptable."
The Telegraph analyzed that President Trump appeared to walk back his remarks after receiving the British monarch's concerns.
Starmer also noted in a call with President Trump the previous afternoon that "many of the brave and heroic British and U.S. service members who fought side by side in Afghanistan ultimately did not make it home."
Afterward, President Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social, saying, "The 'great' and very 'brave' British soldiers will always be with the United States."
He added, "In Afghanistan, 457 (British troops) were killed in action, and there were many seriously wounded," and "they were the greatest among all who fell."