US defence secretary's Afghanistan remarks anger UK and Poland
Pete Hegseth said only a handful of NATO allies were truly involved in Afghanistan combat, prompting rebukes from London and Warsaw.
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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said only a handful of NATO allies were "really involved" in combat operations during the war in Afghanistan, remarks that drew criticism from Britain and Poland, Croatian outlet Index.hr and Macedonian outlet Makfax reported.
Speaking at the University of Tennessee last weekend, Hegseth recalled seeing 50 flags at the ISAF headquarters in Kabul representing allied contributors, but said perhaps only five countries were truly contributing, narrowing to one or two by the end of the mission. He said troops joked that the mission's acronym, ISAF, really stood for "I Saw Americans Fighting."
All 28 NATO members at the time took part in the US-led war in Afghanistan after the alliance invoked Article 5, its collective-defence clause, on 12 September 2001, the day after the 11 September attacks, the only time the article has been invoked in the alliance's history.
A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said British and allied sacrifices, like those of other NATO forces, were made in service of collective security after an attack on an ally, and that the government remained extremely proud of its armed forces. More than 450 British service members never came home from Afghanistan, the spokesperson said. "It is wrong to diminish their role," the spokesperson added, according to Index.hr.
Poland's foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, said on social media that Hegseth should repeat his comments to the families of the 44 Polish soldiers who died securing Ghazni province.
It is not the first time a senior US official has questioned non-American NATO allies' contribution to the Afghanistan war. President Donald Trump caused anger in London in January when he said non-American forces had stayed to the side, away from the front line, during the campaign against the Taliban.
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What we know
- 1 outlet · Index.hr US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said only a handful of NATO allies were really involved in Afghanistan combat operations, speaking at the University of Tennessee.
- 1 outlet · Index.hr All 28 NATO members took part in the Afghanistan war after the alliance invoked Article 5 on 12 September 2001, the only time it has done so.
- 1 outlet · Index.hr A UK government spokesperson said more than 450 British service members died in Afghanistan and called it wrong to diminish allies' role.
- 2+ outlets · Index.hr, Makfax Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Hegseth should repeat his remarks to the families of the 44 Polish soldiers who died securing Ghazni province.
- 1 outlet · Index.hr Donald Trump made similar comments about non-American NATO forces in Afghanistan in January, angering London.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
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Why it matters for Europe
The remarks test cohesion within NATO at a moment when the alliance is already navigating disagreements over Ukraine support and defence spending. Article 5, the collective-defence clause invoked for the Afghanistan mission, underpins the same guarantee that covers European members today, including Poland and the UK, both of which lost soldiers in the campaign.
Sources
Reported by 2 reports from 2 independent outlets in 2 countries.
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Questions and answers
- What did Pete Hegseth say about NATO allies in Afghanistan?
- He said only a handful of NATO allies were really involved in combat operations, narrowing to one or two countries by the end of the mission.
- How did the UK respond?
- A government spokesperson said more than 450 British service members died in Afghanistan and called it wrong to diminish allies' sacrifice.
- How did Poland respond?
- Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Hegseth should repeat his comments to the families of the 44 Polish soldiers killed securing Ghazni province.
This article was written with AI assistance from 2 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.