The UK and Poland have strongly condemned U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after an October 17, 2026 speech in which he downplayed NATO allies' combat roles in Afghanistan, claiming only 'one or two' were fighting by the end. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham's office called it wrong to diminish the sacrifice of 457 British personnel killed in the war, while Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski cited 44 dead Polish troops. The dispute comes amid wider U.S.-European friction over Ukraine.
Pete Hegseth's remarks on NATO contributions
- ▪During an October 17, 2026 speech to ROTC cadets at the University of Tennessee, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that only five countries contributed to the Afghanistan war and only one or two were involved in kinetic operations by the end.
- ▪Pete Hegseth stated during an October 17, 2026 address in Knoxville that troops joked the ISAF acronym stood for 'I Saw Americans Fighting', describing the perceived lack of burden-sharing as demoralizing.
UK response to Pete Hegseth's comments
- ▪The spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham noted on October 19, 2026 that more than 450 British personnel died in Afghanistan while serving in response to an attack on a NATO ally.
- ▪A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated on October 19, 2026 that Pete Hegseth was wrong to diminish the service and sacrifice of British and allied forces in Afghanistan.
Polish reaction and military sacrifices
- ▪Polish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski publicly criticized Pete Hegseth on social platform X, stating Hegseth should repeat his remarks to the families of 44 Polish soldiers killed in Ghazni province.
- ▪More than 33,000 Polish soldiers and defense personnel served in Afghanistan until 2021, resulting in 43 Polish soldiers and one civilian paramedic killed and over 200 wounded.
Veterans criticize Hegseth's speech
- ▪U.S. Army veteran Fred Wellman criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's address, describing it as a despicable smearing of allies in Afghanistan.
- ▪Retired U.S. General Ben Hodges and former Marine pilot Amy McGrath criticized Pete Hegseth's speech, with Hodges calling it shameful and McGrath warning it damages trust with allies.
Allied casualties in Afghanistan
- ▪During the nearly 20-year conflict in Afghanistan, approximately 2,465 U.S. service members died, alongside more than 1,100 military personnel from NATO and partner nations.
- ▪National military fatalities in Afghanistan included 457 personnel from the UK, 165 from Canada, 90 from France, 44 from Denmark, and 25 from the Netherlands.
NATO mission and troop deployments
- ▪A total of 51 NATO and partner nations deployed troops to Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks after NATO activated Article 5 for the only time in its history.
- ▪The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force expanded to cover all of Afghanistan by late 2006 and peaked at more than 130,000 deployed personnel.
UK stance on Ukraine support and peace talks
- ▪Downing Street reaffirmed on October 19, 2026 that the UK's support for Ukraine remains unwavering following U.S. policy shifts regarding Russian sanctions and intelligence-sharing.
- ▪The UK Prime Minister's office distanced itself from mooted three-way peace talks involving the U.S., Russia, and China that would exclude Ukraine, stating Ukraine must speak for itself.
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