Multiple European nations and the European Union (EU) on Monday voiced reluctance or outright opposition to US President Donald Trump’s call for a military mission to ensure safe shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Stressing the need for diplomatic solutions and warning against further regional escalation, European leaders underscored that the current conflict should not evolve into a NATO mission or draw the continent into a broader war.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ruled out any military involvement in protecting oil tankers in the strait, emphasizing that NATO is a “defence alliance” rather than an “intervention alliance”.
Merz said Germany will not participate in military measures to ensure freedom of navigation as long as the conflict continues, adding that no viable concept for such an operation has been presented so far. His remarks were echoed in Brussels by EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas. After a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Kallas stated the bloc has no appetite for expanding its existing naval mission “Aspides” to the Strait of Hormuz.
“We are working on the diplomatic solutions for the Strait of Hormuz,” she said, adding, “This is not Europe’s war.”
In Southern Europe, Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel said Portugal “is not and will not be involved in this conflict.”
Rangel also dismissed threats from the Trump administration regarding NATO members unwilling to back Washington, saying they deserved “absolutely no reaction”. Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also expressed doubts, noting that existing missions like “Aspides” and “Atalanta” are primarily designed for defensive escort and anti-piracy operations, making their extension to the highrisk Strait of Hormuz difficult. — Xinhua