U.S. President Donald Trump posted praise Saturday for British soldiers killed and injured in Afghanistan, calling them “among the greatest of all warriors.” The message appeared to partially address controversy sparked by Trump’s remarks earlier in the week questioning whether NATO allies would support the U.S., comments that drew criticism from British officials and families of fallen soldiers.

Trump’s Saturday Message

Trump said on Truth Social that the “great and very brave soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United States of America.” He described the bond between the two countries’ militaries as “too strong to ever be broken” and characterized the U.K. as having “tremendous heart and soul” and being “second to none (except for the USA).”

Trump’s Saturday post did not include a direct apology or retraction of his earlier NATO comments, which suggested troops from other alliance members stayed “a little off the front lines.” Yet the omission highlights tension between the U.S. and longstanding allies over Trump’s approach to military commitments and alliance obligations.

The praise came after a conversation Saturday between Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who had previously described Trump’s NATO remarks as “insulting and frankly appalling.” During the call, Starmer’s office said he raised “the brave and heroic British and American soldiers who fought side by side in Afghanistan, many of whom never returned home.”

The Davos Controversy

Trump’s initial remarks came Thursday at a business conference in Davos, Switzerland, where he questioned whether the other 31 NATO nations would support the U.S. if requested and suggested their troops had played a diminished role in Afghanistan. Those comments drew swift criticism in Britain and across Europe.

The Cost to Britain

More than 150,000 British troops served in Afghanistan after the October 2001 invasion led by the United States, representing the largest foreign contingent after American forces. The 457 British servicemembers who died in the conflict represent a significant loss for the U.K., with additional thousands wounded.

The Italian and French governments also expressed disapproval of Trump’s remarks, describing them as “unacceptable.”