UK backlash grows over Trump’s NATO Afghanistan remarks (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: The White House has made its first comment since President Trump sparked a row by saying that NATO troops had stayed a little off the front lines during the war in Afghanistan. Britain's Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said the words were insulting and appalling. Prince Harry, who served in Afghanistan, has called for the sacrifices of NATO soldiers to be spoken about truthfully and with respect. While the White House's Deputy Press Secretary said that Mr Trump was right to have stressed that America's contribution to NATO dwarfed those of other countries, there was no direct response to the outrage caused. Lee Milner reports.

[00:00:38] Speaker 2: From the Times to the Express. Newspapers across the nation led this morning with a single demand, an apology from President Trump. It comes after his comments sparked outrage and offence, belittling the sacrifices made by NATO and British troops during the Afghanistan war in 2006.

[00:00:57] Speaker 3: We have never really asked anything of them, you know, they'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan or this or that, and they did, they stayed a little back.

[00:01:08] Speaker 2: The conflict was triggered after the US asked for NATO allies to help battle the Taliban in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks. Robert Dicketts from Kent lost his only child, Oliver, who was based in Helmand, the scene of the heaviest fighting. He was one of the 457 British service personnel who died.

[00:01:29] Speaker 4: President Trump needs to get his history right. His knowledge of history is completely farcical. I think our son had a wonderful saying which said, no, engage brain before opening mouth. And I think President Trump should do the same thing.

[00:01:46] Speaker 2: It prompted a strong response from the Prime Minister, Sakir Starmer, who called the president's remarks insulting and appalling and was not surprised that they have caused such hurt. Prince Harry, who did two tours of Helmand, said those sacrifices deserve to be spoken of truthfully and with respect. US veterans who fought alongside NATO forces on the front line say President Trump's comments couldn't be further from the truth.

[00:02:13] Speaker 5: UK troops were fighting and dying by the dozens and hundreds in tough fights in Helmand province long before the US made that province a focus and long before US troops surged into that province, the UK was there in some tough fights.

[00:02:30] Speaker 2: The White House has since released a statement sticking by the US president's view on NATO. It said President Trump is right. America's contributions to NATO dwarf that of other countries. The president himself has not commented directly and calls for him to apologise. Lee Milner, BBC News.

[00:02:49] Speaker 1: Our North America correspondent David Willis says that an apology from President Trump is unlikely.

[00:02:56] Speaker 6: The question really, I think, is will there be some sort of apology, as Sakir Starmer has hinted he would like to see, from Donald Trump? The answer being very unlikely, I think. You know him as well as I do, and this is a man who doesn't back down. He likes to perhaps change position, to pivot, if you like, but he regards backing down as something that losers do, and he refuses to regard himself as a loser. His mantra has long been, of course, never apologise, never back down. So I don't think we're going to see much in the way of contrition from President Trump, but there is, of course, a suggestion here, as I'm sure there is on your side of the pond, that perhaps King Charles postponed, cancelled whatever his planned visit or proposed visit to the United States, planned or proposed for some time in the spring, and that, of course, visit with Queen Camilla was to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. That would definitely be a snub to Donald Trump, something that would, if you like, affect his ego and his reputation. He wouldn't like it at all, I don't think, but in the meantime, there is a lot of bridge building to be done. The so-called special relationship doesn't look quite so special this morning.

[00:04:27] Speaker 1: Well, that was our North America correspondent, David Willis.