The US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off arms supplies to Ukraine to force European allies to join a coalition to open the Strait of Hormuz, through which almost 20% of the worldʼs oil passes, which Iran has blocked after the US and Israel launched a war against it.
This is reported by the Financial Times, citing sources among officials familiar with the negotiations.
The US president asked NATO navies to help him in March, but European countries refused. They said it was impossible while fighting was ongoing, and some also pointed out that it was “not our war”.
Three sources said Trump responded by threatening to halt deliveries under the PURL program, a NATO initiative to purchase American weapons for Ukraine at European expense.
Finally, at the insistence of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, a group of seven countries issued a statement on March 19 stating their willingness to contribute to unblocking the strait (some of them later clarified that this was only for post-ceasefire actions).
One source said that it was Secretary General Rutte who pushed for the joint statement because Trump had threatened to withdraw from the PURL. Another source said that Rutte explained in a call with France, Germany, and the United Kingdom that Trump was “quite hysterical” about the Europeans’ refusal to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump will deliver a State of the Union address on the evening of April 1, Washington time. In an interview with Reuters, he said he would express “disgust” at NATO for not supporting the United States in Iran and said he was considering withdrawing the United States from the organization.
On April 1, in a comment to the NewsMax TV channel, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker stated that Trump is now reviewing everything — US participation in NATO, support for European efforts in Ukraine, or any other actions by the United States.
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