Downing Street responds to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth after he comments at an event for US army cadets downplayed how much non-American countries contributed to the Afghanistan war. Multiple UK outlets report he suggested that “maybe five” countries other than America took part and that by the end only “one or two” were involved in direct, “kinetic” fighting.
The UK government’s position, as relayed by its spokesman, is that the facts show the UK and other NATO allies made a significant contribution and that it is “wrong to diminish” their role. The spokesman cites the scale of deaths among British personnel, stating that more than 450 British service members never returned, and describes their sacrifice as part of upholding collective security after the 2001 attacks on the US.
Some outlets also note that the dispute follows earlier controversy involving Donald Trump attempting to characterise allied participation in similar terms, after which he later walked back his comments. Across coverage, outlets agree the episode has been criticised on social media and framed as a lack of respect for allied forces who fought alongside Americans in Afghanistan.
