Downing Street says Pete Hegseth was wrong to claim that most non-US Nato forces in Afghanistan did not fight
A Downing Street spokesperson said US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was wrong to claim that most non-US Nato forces in Afghanistan did not fight, the Guardian, the Mirror and The News International report on Monday 19 October. The Guardian reports that the answer was given when asked at the lobby briefing and that Downing Street emphasised the sacrifices of UK troops. The Mirror and The News International put Mr Hegseth's remark as follows: as a captain in Afghanistan he saw about 50 flags at the Kabul headquarters, only a few countries contributed, and by the end only one or two were in kinetic operations. They add that he joked ISAF meant 'I Saw Americans Fighting'. The News International reports that more than 450 British personnel died in the conflict, alongside troops from over 30 other countries.
The 450-plus British deaths are a matter of record in the UK, so a claim that allies did not fight lands as a challenge to how that sacrifice is remembered. It also arrives while the US and its allies argue over burden-sharing in Nato, which is why Downing Street answered it publicly.
If you follow defence and transatlantic relations, this is a marker of tone between London and Washington rather than a policy change. Nothing in the reports alters UK military commitments.
Downing Street's view, as the Guardian reports it, is that diminishing the role of the UK and Nato is wrong and that its support for Ukraine remains 'unwavering'.
Mr Hegseth's remark, as the Mirror and The News International quote it, is an account of his own experience as a captain in Afghanistan: that few of the many flags at Kabul headquarters belonged to countries in combat roles. The News International notes it follows similar comments from Mr Trump earlier this year.
Confirmed: Downing Street called the claim wrong and the 450-plus British death toll as reported. Not confirmed: where and when Mr Hegseth made the remark, and whether Washington will respond. Watch for any reply from the US Defence Department or from Nato allies.
DailyDrop U.K. edition No. 16 · Morning · TUE., OCT. 20, 2026