German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has said that his country will not respond to US President Donald Trump’s call to send warships to ensure security in the Strait of Hormuz. His words were quoted by Tagesschau on 16 March.
“This is not our war, we did not start it. We want diplomatic solutions and a quick end (to the war), but additional warships in the region will certainly not help,” Pistorius said.
He emphasised that the US and Israel “chose this path”.
“We criticised it very moderately. But the next step now threatens to drag us into this conflict,” the minister added.
According to The Telegraph, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also refusing to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz at Trump’s urging. France and South Korea are also not ready to send warships, the publication wrote.
On 14 March, Trump expressed hope that China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and other countries would send warships to the area of the Strait of Hormuz so that the passage of ships through it would be safe.
In an interview with the Financial Times made public on 16 March, Trump warned that NATO faces a “very bad” future if member states do not help open the critical Strait of Hormuz, an oil transport route that Iran has effectively closed amid a war with the United States and Israel.