The British Prime Minister's Office spoke out on the 19th to criticize US Secretary of Defense Hegseth's remarks about the limited “role” of America's allies in the war in Afghanistan. Hegseth said on the 17th that when the NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan carried out operations, only a few of those US allied forces participated in the battle, and most of the rest “only watched from the sidelines.” This remark once again caused an uproar in public opinion and drew criticism from allies. A spokesman for the British Prime Minister's Office issued a statement on the 19th in response to Hegseth's remarks. The statement said: “Thousands of British and Allied forces and their families played an important role in that war, and more than 450 British military personnel never returned... it is wrong to downplay their role.” US President Trump has made similar remarks before, saying that America's allies “hid behind and avoided the front line” during the war in Afghanistan. This remark also provoked criticism from allies. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said at the time that talking about soldiers whose allies died in the war “was wrong and lacking respect; they all sided with the US at the time.” Australian Prime Minister Albanis said that the US statement was “completely inappropriate and completely unacceptable.” The US launched the war in Afghanistan after the “9/11” incident, and countries such as Britain, Germany, and Australia all sent troops to participate in the operation.

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