Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the “sacrifice” of the UK’s armed forces after US vice president JD Vance was accused of “disrespecting” British troops.
Beginning Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir said Thursday will be 13 years since six young British soldiers died while on patrol in Afghanistan and 18 years since Royal Marine Benjamin Reddy was killed in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
He said 642 people died in Afghanistan and Iraq “fighting for Britain alongside our allies”, adding: “We will never forget their bravery and their sacrifice.”
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His pointed remarks – without mentioning the US directly – about the conflicts fought alongside the US following the 9/11 attack in 2001 came after Mr Vance was accused of “disrespecting” UK forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mr Vance told Fox News on Tuesday a potential peacekeeping force in Ukraine would be “20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years”.
The UK and France are the only countries to have pledged troops to a potential peacekeeping force.
However, Mr Vance later said the suggestion he was referring to those two allies is “absurdly dishonest”.
