Donald Trump’s sidekick JD Vance is facing fury from British MPs and former ministers after calling the UK as ‘some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 years’
Keir Starmer has defended British troops who have fought in recent decades after Donald Trump’s sidekick JD Vance suggested the UK was “some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 years”.
MPs and former ministers branded the US Vice President a “clown” and accused him of forgetting about the UK fighting alongside the US in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent decades. After fierce criticism Mr Vance claimed he was not talking about the UK and said such accusations were “absurdly dishonest”.
Keir Starmer’s official spokesman declined to characterise Mr Vance’s comments as disrespectful when asked. But he said: “The PM and I think the whole country is full of admiration for all British troops who have served for instance in Iraq and Afghanistan, many of whom have lost their lives in the process and fought obviously alongside allies including the United States.
“We’re very clear that their courage and bravery has helped ensure global security, defend our values, defend our national interest. Our focus is once again how we protect our national interests and global security by progressing the discussions to secure a lasting peace in Ukraine.” Asked whether JD Vance was disrespectful, the spokesman repeated the PM’s admiration for British troops serving in armed conflicts.
The row erupted on Monday night after Mr Vance said in a Fox News interview: “If you want real security guarantees, if you want to actually ensure that Vladimir Putin does not invade Ukraine again, the very best security guarantee is to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine. That is a way better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years.”
After a huge backlash the Republican politician tried to roll back and say he didn’t mention the UK or France in the clip, “both of whom have fought bravely alongside the US over the last 20 years, and beyond”. But it is widely believed he was referring to the two countries, as they are the only two nations who have officially pledged to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine.
Former Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer said: “This clown needs to check his privilege. I read JD Vance book making the mistake of finding him quite interesting. By his own admission he spent his time in the Marines ‘writing articles and taking pictures’. Perhaps if he had got his hands dirty serving his country like so many of his fellow American and British veterans, chasing his own country’s crazy foreign policy ideas, he might not be so quick to dismiss their sacrifice.”
Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge said Nato Article 5, which says if one Nato ally is attacked, all members will consider this an act of violence, has been invoked once by the USA after 9/11. “Great Britain & France came to their aid deploying 1,000s of personnel to Afghanistan, including my own brother & numerous parliamentary colleagues, past & present,” he said. “It’s deeply disrespectful to ignore such service & sacrifice.”
Ex Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said: “Serving with the USA & France were defining moments of my military career… Sad to hear the relationship reduced to this.”
Former British Army Officer and Tory MP Ben Obese-Jecty said: “‘I was lucky to escape any real fighting,’ JD Vance wrote in his 2016 memoir about his time as a Marine Corps journalist in Iraq. I was part of British forces fighting in highly kinetic operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the latter in response to Article 5 following 9/11. The disrespect shown by the new US Vice President to the sacrifices of our service personnel is unacceptable.”
Labour MP David Taylor, who is on the Commons’ international development policy committee, said: “This great nation has proudly fought shoulder to shoulder with our US allies, with 457 service men and women killed defending freedom in Afghanistan alone. These shameful remarks will never undo their sacrifice or the gratitude we have for their defence of British values.”
Liberal Democrat Defence spokeswoman Helen Maguire, a former Captain in the Royal Military Police who served in Iraq, said: “JD Vance is erasing from history the hundreds of British troops who gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. I saw firsthand how American and British soldiers fought bravely together shoulder to shoulder.
“Six of my own regiment, the Royal Military Police, didn’t return home from Iraq. This is a sinister attempt to deny that reality. As the UK’s representative to the US, Peter Mandelson should call on Vance to apologise for these comments.”
