The British newspaper the Financial Times reported on April 1, citing sources, that US President Donald Trump threatened European allies that he would stop arms supplies to Ukraine to force them to join the defense of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump demanded in March that NATO fleets help the United States resume shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran. European countries refused, and after that Trump threatened to withdraw from the NATO initiative program to purchase American weapons for Ukraine, which is funded by European countries.
Shortly after, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte pushed the alliance’s key countries – France, Germany and the United Kingdom – to issue a joint statement on March 19 saying they were ready to do their part to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
“It was Rutte who insisted on issuing a joint statement because Trump was threatening to withdraw and withdraw support for Ukraine completely,” one official told the Financial Times. Two sources said that two days before the statement was issued, Rutte participated in several phone conversations with Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Another source said that during a phone call with representatives of France, Germany and Britain, Mark Rutte said that Trump was “angry” about the Europeans’ refusal to help defend the Strait of Hormuz.
The Declaration on Safe Passage through the Strait of Hormuz, adopted on March 19, has already been signed by 35 countries. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on April 1 that he intends to hold talks this week with the countries that signed the statement about forming an alliance to open the Strait of Hormuz “after the cessation of hostilities.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 27 that US military aid supplies to Ukraine through the PURL mechanism have not been affected by the war in the Middle East. At the same time, he admitted that the United States could redirect weapons intended for Ukraine for use in the war with Iran. Kiev said on March 29 that it had received guarantees from the United States that American weapons destined for Ukraine would not be redirected to the Middle East.
The Strait of Hormuz is an important route through which a fifth of the world’s oil supplies usually pass. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump told his aides that he was ready to end the war with Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remained closed.