# Downing Street rejects Trump aide's claim on UK Afghanistan role

> Pete Hegseth, Trump's defence secretary, suggested only one or two countries actually fought in Afghanistan. No 10 says the facts show Britain's sacrifice was significant.
- Title: Downing Street rejects Trump aide's claim on UK Afghanistan…
- Summary: Pete Hegseth, Trump's defence secretary, suggested only one or two countries actually fought in Afghanistan. No 10 says the facts show Britain's sacrifice…
- Keywords: pete hegseth, downing street, afghanistan war, nato, british armed forces, donald trump, defence secretary, politics, news, Downing, Street, rejects
- Source: The Independent — https://independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/pete-hegseth-afghanistan-uk-nato-downing-street-b3069197.html
- Published: 2026-10-19T12:17:58+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: pete hegseth, downing street, afghanistan war, nato, british armed forces, donald trump, defence secretary, politics, news
## Hegseth plays down allied role
Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's defence secretary, told US army cadets that maybe five countries contributed to Afghanistan, with only one or two actually fighting.

> maybe five that contributed, it was actually closer to one or two that by the end were actually involved in kinetic operations
## Hegseth's joke about Nato flags
At Kabul headquarters, fifty flags represented different countries. Hegseth joked the acronym ISAF meant I Saw Americans Fighting, suggesting minimal allied involvement.

> I Saw Americans Fighting
## No 10 rejects the claims
Downing Street said on Monday that the facts speak for themselves about Britain's and Nato's contribution, and it is wrong to diminish the role of British troops.

> the facts speak for themselves when it comes to the UK's and Nato's contribution to Afghanistan
## Britain's heavy toll in Afghanistan
More than four hundred fifty British personnel never returned from Afghanistan. The UK suffered the second-highest number of military deaths behind the US.

> more than 450 British personnel never returned
## Broader coalition losses documented
More than one thousand one hundred non-US coalition fighters died in the conflict that began in two thousand one, the overwhelming majority from Nato countries.
## Key takeaway

Downing Street rejected defence secretary Pete Hegseth's claim that only one or two countries meaningfully fought in Afghanistan, citing Britain's 450 military deaths and significant contribution.