Pete Hegseth speaks at a Turning Point USA political event in Nashville, Tennessee, in May 2023. Hegseth recently accused US allies of refusing to fight in Afghanistan; in reality, around one-third of all coalition combat deaths were from non-American NATO nations. (Wikimedia Commons/Gage Skidmore)
Pete Hegseth Attacks Allied Commitment in Afghanistan—Again
The Secretary of Defense claimed that the United States was the only nation that saw combat in Afghanistan, despite nominal participation from others. The reality is somewhat different.
In a speech at the University of Tennessee, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth downplayed the role NATO played in the war in Afghanistan. Hegseth, who served as a Minnesota Army National Guard instructor in Afghanistan, made the claim that only a handful of NATO members actively participated in combat operations.
“I was a Captain in Afghanistan, and we would go to the headquarters in Kabul, and there would be 50 flags at the headquarters,” Hegseth said. “It was a beautiful thing to see 50 different countries contributing to the NATO alliance and the ISAF mission there. Except there were maybe five that contributed—and it was actually closer to one or two that, by the end, were involved in kinetic operations. In fact, the ISAF patch had the joke that it meant ‘I saw Americans fighting,’ which is sort of a joke, but it’s demoralizing when you feel like it’s not burden sharing—it’s actually a burden.”
A video clip of the speech has gone viral on social media, where it also earned a community note: “Over 1,100 non-American soldiers from 31 US-allied countries were killed fighting in Afghanistan, approximately one-third of the total combat deaths.”
Dozens of posts subsequently lambasted Hegseth, including photos and videos of many US-allied nations’ flag-draped coffins for fallen servicemembers on the journey home.
US Allies Attack Hegseth for Distortion
It wasn’t just the commentary on social media that is now making headlines. On Monday, the leaders of the UK and Poland officially responded.
“Frankly, the facts speak for themselves when it comes to the UK’s and NATO’s contribution to Afghanistan,” a spokesperson from UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s office told The Guardian. “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. 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.”
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski—a periodic foil of the Trump administration—was equally critical of Hegseth’s comments, writing in a post on X, “Tell that, Mr @SecWar, to the families of 44 Polish soldiers who died securing the tough Ghazni province.”
Hegseth and Trump Are Well-Known NATO Skeptics
In the 77-year history of NATO, Article 5—the load-bearing clause of the North Atlantic Treaty, declaring that an attack on one nation is an attack on all and providing for collective defense—has been invoked only once, following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States. On September 12, 2001, NATO announced that the attacks would be covered under Article 5 if it was proven the attack came from abroad. The North Atlantic Council formally invoked Article 5 after reviewing the investigation results.
This isn’t the only time during President Donald Trump’s second term that this has been an issue.
Trump, who never served in the US military, angered allies in January when he said that non-US forces “stayed a little back, a little off the front lines,” a claim that commentators were quick to note was egregiously false.
The comments were made as the US was preparing to use force against Iran. After the United States launched that conflict in late February, Trump and his political allies have suggested that NATO and Europe let America down by not providing military support. In June 2026, Hegseth launched a six-month Pentagon review of US forces stationed across Europe, after he accused allies of “free riding” on American military power. Hegseth also called the refusal by some allies to grant access to joint airbases and overflight rights for military operations against Iran as being “shameful.”
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines, and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author at Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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