Several US allies have already rejected US President Donald Trump's request for military support in unblocking the Strait of Hormuz, because "it is not their war". This was reported by Reuters on Monday, March 16.
Germany, Italy and Spain refused to support the US actions and stressed that they have no plans to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz. Britain and Denmark noted that they would consider ways to help, but called for de-escalation of the situation in the Middle East.
"What (...) Donald Trump expects a few or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz what the powerful US Navy cannot do?" the article says.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that "This is not our war, we did not start it".
German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius stressed that the conflict had nothing to do with NATO, so Germany had no plans to get involved.
"Neither the United States nor Israel consulted us before the war, and... Washington made it clear at the start of the war that European help was neither necessary nor desirable," Kornelius said.
Italian Vice Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said that sending warships to the war zone would be interpreted as joining the conflict, so Spain would not do anything that could escalate the conflict.
Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said that if NATO agreed to any mission in the Persian Gulf, it would take time to develop a framework. He said no decision was currently under consideration.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain would work with allies on a collective plan to ensure freedom of navigation through the strait. However, Starmer also stressed that Britain would not be drawn into a wider war.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on March 16, US President Donald Trump hinted that he might postpone a planned visit to China at the end of the month so that it could help restore shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
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