Poland criticises US defence chief over remarks on its role in Afghanistan

Poland’s foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, has objected to recent remarks by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who appeared to downplay the contribution of allied forces in the war in Afghanistan. Hegseth, while referring to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), made a joke that has drawn widespread criticism.

In a post on the social media platform X, Sikorski urged Hegseth to repeat the comments in front of the families of 44 Polish soldiers who died during the Afghanistan mission. Many of those troops had served in Ghazni province.

Jan Grabiec, head of the Polish prime minister’s office, also stressed that allied countries should not mock one another’s sacrifices and the deaths of their military personnel.

Poland took part in the Afghanistan mission from 2001 until the full withdrawal of international forces in 2021. According to reports, more than 33,000 Polish soldiers and defence staff served in Afghanistan over nearly two decades. During that period, 43 Polish soldiers and one civilian aid worker were killed, and more than 200 others were wounded.