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JD Vance has been condemned for disrespecting British veterans after he appeared to describe the UK as “some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years”.
The US vice president has been accused of erasing the experiences of Britons who served in Iraq and Afghanistan after his latest tirade against America’s European allies.
Some 636 British troops died fighting alongside the US in Iraq and Afghanistan, and an ex-soldier MP who served in Iraq said Mr Vance had made “a sinister attempt to deny that reality”.
Keir Starmer hit back that he was “full of admiration” for the “courage and bravery” of British troops who had fought alongside the US, many of whom had been killed in action.
Liberal Democrat defence spokesman 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.”
Ms Maguire called on Lord Mandelson, Britain’s ambassador to the US, to force an apology from the vice president.
In an interview with Fox News, Mr Vance warned Volodymyr Zelensky that if he wanted “real security guarantees” to deter future attacks by Vladimir Putin, he would have 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 has not fought a war in 30 or 40 years,” Mr Vance added.
Britain and France have said they are prepared to put troops on the ground as part of a peacekeeping force in the event of a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
Australian PM Anthony Albanese also said this week he would be “open to consideration” of a similar proposal. Canadian premier Justin Trudeau meanwhile has said everything is “on the table”, including sending troops to keep the peace in Ukraine as part of a “coalition of the willing” brought together by Sir Keir.
Australia committed troops to operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, while 159 Canadians were killed during the War in Afghanistan.
But the US vice president said on Tuesday it was “absurdly dishonest” to suggest he was referring to the UK or France. “Both of whom have fought bravely alongside the US over the last 20 years, and beyond,” he wrote on X.
He did not clarify which nations he was referring to specifically, but added: “But let’s be direct: there are many countries who are volunteering (privately or publicly) support who have neither the battlefield experience nor the military equipment to do anything meaningful”.
Kemi Badenoch sought to play down Mr Vance’s comments, claiming they were taken out of context. “I don’t think he actually said that, a lot of people are getting carried away… let’s keep cool heads,” the Tory leader said, despite her own shadow defence secretary having criticised the vice president’s remarks.
But, piling in to condemn Mr Vance, Tory former veterans minister Johnny Mercer, who served three tours in Afghanistan, called the vice president a “clown” who needs to “check his privilege”.
He added: “I read JD Vance’s 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.”
Tory shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: “Nato Article 5 has been invoked once – on 12/9/01 by the USA, after 9/11.
“Britain and France came to their aid deploying thousands of personnel to Afghanistan, including numerous parliamentary colleagues, past and present. It’s deeply disrespectful to ignore such service and sacrifice.”
And Labour MP David Taylor added: “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 this nation has for their defence of British values.”
Princes William and Harry served in the British Army, and while the Prince of Wales never saw combat, the Duke of Sussex was an officer and completed two tours of Afghanistan.
Former Republican US president George W Bush has also previously praised Britain’s role in the Iraq War.
“He is deeply grateful for the service and sacrifice of American and coalition forces in the war on terror. And there was no stronger ally than the United Kingdom under the leadership of prime minister Tony Blair,” Mr Bush’s spokesman Freddy Ford said after the publication of the damning Chilcot report into the conflict.
It is only the most recent instance of Mr Vance sparking fury with comments about America’s European partners, after he used a speech at the Munich Security Conference to attack leaders over immigration and free speech.
