UK reasserts ‘unwavering’ Ukraine backing as US engages Russia
Downing Street publicly rebuked U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday for suggesting that most NATO allies did not share combat operations in Afghanistan, with a No 10 spokesperson calling his characterization “wrong.” The exchange marks the second time in less than a year that a senior British official has publicly disputed comparable claims about NATO’s contribution to the two-decade Afghanistan mission.
Hegseth, who served as a Minnesota Army National Guard instructor in Afghanistan, delivered the remarks in a Saturday speech, recalling visits to the coalition base in Kabul. “There would be 50 flags at the headquarters,” he said. “And it was a beautiful thing to see, 50 different countries contributing to the Nato alliance and the Isaf [International Security Assistance Force] mission there. Except there were maybe five that contributed. It was actually closer to one or two that actually … by the end were actually involved in kinetic operations.”
“In fact, the patch ‘Isaf’ — we joked that it meant ‘I Saw Americans Fighting’,” Hegseth said. “Which is sort of a joke but it’s demoralising when you feel like it’s not burden-sharing, it’s actually a burden.”
The picture Hegseth sketched leaves out the documented combat and casualty record of NATO’s other contingents. While almost 2,500 U.S. service members died in Afghanistan — roughly two-thirds of the coalition’s total death toll — personnel from more than 30 nations also died on duty there, including 457 from the United Kingdom.
Asked about Hegseth’s comments, a No 10 spokesperson told reporters: “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 part in that war and uphold our values, and more than 450 British personnel never returned.”
“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,” the spokesperson added. “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.”
The rebuke echoes an even more direct dispute earlier this year. In January, then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Trump should apologize for “insulting and frankly appalling” remarks in which Trump claimed NATO troops had stayed “a little back, a little off the frontlines” in Afghanistan.
The transatlantic disagreement also surfaced on Ukraine. Trump has recently renewed his criticisms of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, eased U.S. sanctions on Russia, and limited intelligence-sharing that helps Ukraine counter Russian missile and drone strikes, The Guardian reported.
Asked about reports that Trump wanted to convene a peace summit involving the United States, Russia and China — but not Ukraine — the No 10 spokesperson declined to address the specific format but stressed the United Kingdom’s distinct position.
“Our position on Ukraine has been consistent since the conflict broke out, and that is that we want Ukraine to secure a just and lasting peace,” the spokesperson said. Asked whether Kyiv would have a seat at any such talks, the spokesperson added: “Well, obviously that’s a matter for those countries, and obviously for Ukraine to speak for itself.”
“Our support for Ukraine is unwavering, and I think you saw that in the prime minister’s meeting with President Zelenskyy last week,” the spokesperson said.