Starmer praises sacrifice of British troops in Afghanistan and Iraq in oblique rebuke to Vance

LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday praised the hundreds of British troops who died fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq “alongside our allies,” in an oblique rebuke of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who has questioned the merits of a potential European peacekeeping force in Ukraine following the signing of any peace agreement between the country and Russia.

In his opening remarks before the start of a weekly parliamentary question session, Starmer specifically paid tribute to six British soldiers who died on patrol in Afghanistan when their vehicle was struck by an explosive. Thursday marks the 13-year anniversary of their deaths.

“These men fought and died for their country, our country," Starmer told the House of Commons. “And across the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, 642 individuals died fighting for Britain alongside our allies, many more were wounded.”

Without directly referencing Vance, the prime minister said he and all lawmakers will “never forget their bravery and their sacrifice.”

Vance said in an interview with Fox News this week that an economic pact with Kyiv sought by President Donald Trump “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.”

Though Vance has subsequently sought to head off criticism by noting that he did not specifically name any countries, his “random country” comment prompted anger, particularly in the U.K. and France.

Peacekeeping mission

British troops fought alongside the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the U.S., while French troops were deployed to Afghanistan though not during the 2003 U.S.-led war in Iraq.

Both Starmer, who has been careful not to criticize Trump over the past few days of frantic diplomacy, and French President Emmanuel Macron, have said that they are ready to deploy troops in a peacekeeping capacity in Ukraine after any peace deal, but have said that they would require further support from the U.S.

No other countries have yet indicated they will be sending troops to any peacekeeping mission.

Trump has offered no U.S. security guarantee and has, like Vance, indicated that an economic deal with Ukraine, that sees American money and people in the country but no forces, would be enough to fend off any future attack by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Minerals deal

In his overnight address to Congress, Trump appeared to soften his tone with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following last Friday's fractious meeting in the Oval Office.

Trump and Zelenskyy had been expected to sign off on a minerals deal, intended in part to pay back the U.S. for aid it has sent Kyiv since the start of the war. But that plan was scrapped as the visit was ended abruptly after their meeting.

Starmer said he is doing “everything he can” to ensure the U.S. and Europe are “working together on lasting peace” for Ukraine.

Vance’s interview with Fox News was recorded hours before a White House official confirmed on Monday evening that Trump had directed a pause of U.S. assistance to Ukraine as he seeks to Zelenskyy to engage in negotiations to end the war which Russia launched in Feb. 2022.