UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday commended the valour of British forces who perished in Afghanistan and Iraq, affirming their alliance with other nations.
This served as a subtle critique of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who recently cast doubt on the effectiveness of a potential European peacekeeping mission in Ukraine after a peace accord with Russia.
During the initial address at this week’s parliamentary question session, Starmer specifically honoured six British soldiers killed in Afghanistan when their patrol vehicle was hit by an explosive. Thursday will mark the 13-year commemoration of their sacrifice.
“These brave individuals gave their lives for their country, our country,” Starmer stated in the House of Commons. He reminded the assembly of the 642 British lives lost in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, with many more wounded.
Although he did not mention Vance directly, the Prime Minister expressed a collective remembrance of their courage and ultimate sacrifice.
In a recent Fox News interview, Vance commented on an economic agreement with Kyiv proposed by former President Donald Trump, suggesting it offers greater security assurance than “20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t waged war in 30 or 40 years.”
Despite Vance later clarifying that he had not targeted any specific countries, his remark about a “random country” sparked discontent, especially within the UK and France.
Both nations had troops fighting alongside the U.S. following the September 11 attacks in 2001, with British forces participating in both Afghan and Iraqi conflicts and French forces in Afghanistan.
Amidst intense diplomatic efforts, both Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have shown readiness to deploy peacekeeping forces in Ukraine post-peace agreement but stressed the need for additional support from the U.S.
