British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Friday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments about NATO troops in Afghanistan were offensive. Speaking to reporters in London, Starmer described Trump’s remarks downplaying NATO forces’ role as alarming and said the U.S. president should apologize. He added that if he had made such a mistake, he would have apologized himself.

Starmer reaffirmed the deep relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States, emphasizing its importance for security and defense. Earlier on Friday, the British government had stated that Trump’s claim—that NATO troops avoided Afghanistan’s frontlines—was incorrect. Trump had said on Thursday that NATO soldiers stayed somewhat behind the frontlines during the war in Afghanistan.

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United Kingdom joined the United States and other allies in Afghanistan under NATO’s collective defense clause. The conflict resulted in the deaths of 457 British soldiers.