United Kingdom government has pushed back against US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s remarks downplaying the contribution of British and other NATO forces to the Afghanistan war, with No. 10 Downing Street defending the troops’ sacrifices and insisting their role in the conflict must not be diminished.
Downing Street issued the response after US Defence Secretary suggested that only a handful of NATO countries meaningfully contributed to the military campaign, claiming that just one or two were involved in combat operations by the later stages of the war.
The remarks have drawn renewed attention to the contributions of NATO allies during the conflict, which began in 2001 following the September 11 attacks.
Responding to the comments, UK Prime Minister’s Spokesperson noted that the historical record demonstrated the significant role played by British personnel and other allied forces in supporting the military operation.
“Look, frankly, the facts speak for themselves when it comes to the UK’s and NATO’s contribution to Afghanistan; thousands of British and allied families made huge sacrifices to play their significant parts in that war and uphold our values.”
UK Prime Minister’s Spokesperson
The British government strongly rejected Peter Hegseth’s characterisation of NATO’s involvement.
The Prime Minister’s spokesperson disclosed that more than 450 British military personnel never returned from Afghanistan, stressing that their sacrifice and that of other NATO forces was made in the service of collective security and in response to an attack on our ally.”
“We are incredibly proud of our armed forces, and their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten, and it is wrong to diminish their role.”
UK Prime Minister’s Spokesperson
Figures cited by veterans’ charity Help for Heroes indicate that more than 1,100 non-US coalition personnel died during the conflict, with the overwhelming majority coming from NATO countries. More than 2,300 members of the US Armed Forces were also killed.
US Defence Secretary Questions NATO Allies’ Combat Contributions
US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth made the remarks while addressing US Army cadets, drawing on his experience serving as a captain in Afghanistan.
Recalling his visits to military headquarters in Kabul, the US Defence Secretary described seeing flags representing approximately 50 countries participating in the NATO alliance and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission.
“Except there were maybe five that contributed, it was actually closer to one or two that by the end were actually involved in kinetic operations.”
US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth
Pete Hegseth also recalled a joke among American personnel about the ISAF acronym, claiming they interpreted it as “I Saw Americans Fighting.”
Although the United States suffered the highest number of military fatalities, British forces sustained the second-highest toll, while other NATO countries also lost personnel during the campaign.
US President’s Previous Remarks Add to NATO Tensions
Pete Hegseth’s comments follow earlier criticism of NATO allies by US President Donald Trump, who questioned whether member states would support Washington if called upon and downplayed their involvement in Afghanistan.
Earlier this year, the US President faced criticism over claims that NATO allies had not been willing to fight alongside American forces.
He subsequently acknowledged that allied countries had deployed troops but suggested they had remained away from the front lines.
“We’ve never needed them,” Trump noted when discussing whether the United States could rely on NATO allies for military support.
“They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.”
US President Donald Trump
The remarks have placed renewed scrutiny on the burden-sharing arrangements underpinning the NATO alliance and the recognition afforded to countries that participated in its military operations.
While Downing Street generally avoids publicly challenging the Donald Trump administration, the defence of British military personnel appears to be a notable exception.
Former Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer demonstrated this distinction when he condemned Donald Trump’s earlier suggestion that NATO allies had stayed away from Afghanistan’s frontline as “insulting and frankly appalling.”
His response reflected the sensitivity surrounding the sacrifices made by British troops during a conflict launched after the September 11, 2001 attacks, which prompted the United States to invoke NATO’s Article 5.
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