UK criticises Hegseth for downplaying NATO allies’ role in Afghanistan war

The British government has criticised US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth for downplaying the contributions of NATO allies to combat operations in Afghanistan, saying his remarks diminish the sacrifices made by British and other allied forces.

The UK government said the contributions of the UK and NATO forces in Afghanistan were well documented, stressing that thousands of British and allied families had made significant sacrifices during the war.

“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,” a spokesperson for the British prime minister said, adding that it was wrong to diminish their role.

The spokesperson noted that more than 450 British military personnel had died in Afghanistan and said their service and sacrifice would never be forgotten.

Hegseth, who served as an instructor with the Minnesota Army National Guard in Afghanistan, made the remarks in a speech on Saturday. He said that although 50 countries were represented at the NATO-led coalition headquarters in Kabul, only a small number had participated in combat operations.

He jokingly described the acronym ISAF, referring to the International Security Assistance Force, as meaning “I Saw Americans Fighting”, arguing that the mission had placed a disproportionate burden on US forces.

Nearly 2,500 US service members died during the Afghanistan war, while military personnel from more than 30 other countries also lost their lives, including 457 British troops.

The UK’s response echoed Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s criticism of US President Donald Trump in January, after Trump suggested that NATO troops had stayed away from the front lines in Afghanistan. Starmer described those remarks as “insulting and frankly appalling” and called for an apology.