Days after US President Donald Trump asked Europe and other allies to send their warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz “open and safe”, Europe made it clear it would not help him secure the narrow waterway, which is responsible for 20% of the world’s oil reserves.
According to a Politico report, the foreign ministers of 27 European countries met in Brussels on Monday to discuss Trump’s appeal to Europe, asking them to help him secure Hormuz, which has been blockaded by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) since the conflict broke out.
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Europe denies involvement in the conflict
While one of the proposals in the closed-door talks was to expand the mandate of the European Union’s naval mission Aspides, which would allow European warships to patrol the strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, the bloc’s foreign envoys later agreed that this was an American problem that needed to be solved.
Kaja Kallas, the bloc’s top diplomat, said Monday (local time): “Europe is not interested in an open-ended war,” adding that while it is not a European war, its interests are directly at stake. She also said that while there was a “clear desire” among leaders to strengthen the bloc’s naval mission in the Middle East, she had “no desire to change the mandate,” referring to sending warships to the Strait of Hormuz. Kallas noted that “no one wants to go actively into this war.”
The Americans chose this path, says Germany
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that the Americans chose this path together with the Israelis. He added that the main responsibility of the country is the defense of the territory of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO). Pistorius emphasized that they did not start this war.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also rejected the idea of involving Berlin in the conflict sparked by US and Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28 that reportedly killed Iran’s supreme leader. Merz reiterated that NATO is a defensive alliance, not an interventionist one, adding that it has no role in the situation. In an apparent rebuke to Trump’s complaints, Merz said: “I hope we will treat each other with the necessary respect within the alliance.”
Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel took his rebuke even further, stressing that his country would not give in to “blackmail” from Washington.
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Trump again criticizes the British government
Trump has again criticized the UK government for its response to the conflict in Iran, according to a BBC report. This comes after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would not be drawn into a “wider war”.
On Monday (local time), Trump said he was “not happy” with the UK, adding that Britain should be enthusiastic about reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump’s call to allies makes no promises
On March 14, Washington asked its allies such as France, Japan, China, Britain and South Korea to send their warships. According to a report in the Financial Times, Trump said it would be “very bad for the future of NATO” if countries in Europe did not respond to his calls for help.
Trump expressed confidence on Monday that France would support the US, adding that Emmanuel Macron could help.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time that the European Union has rejected Trump’s plan. Earlier this January, Trump said the US would invade Greenland, a move that drew sharp rebuke from the European Union and its member states.
