EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized the importance of ensuring that attention to the Middle East does not distract from Ukraine, while also stating that it is in Europe's interest to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, and member states will discuss what they can do, as she announced on Monday before the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, UNN reports.
Details
"First, we will start by discussing the European Security Strategy. It is important that member states agree, because member states must be on board with what it should contain. So we will have a broad discussion about what different aspects member states want to see in this Security Strategy," Kallas noted.
Then we will move on to discussing Ukraine. Of course, it is important that attention to the Middle East does not distract from Ukraine. So that attention there does not disappear. We see that the easing of sanctions on oil, on Russia, by the US is a dangerous precedent, because now we need them to have less money to wage war, not more. And, of course, you know that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is also beneficial for Russia to finance this war. We need to do more about this
"And then, of course, we will discuss the Middle East. And everything that happens in the Middle East also affects Ukraine. It affects other partners. And the main topic there will be how to keep the Strait of Hormuz open," Kallas said.
Trump predicts "bad future" for NATO over refusal to help with Iran16.03.26, 05:06
Asked to comment on the words of US President Donald Trump, who said that NATO would face a "very bad future" if US allies did not help open the Strait of Hormuz, and whether the EU was concerned that the war in the Middle East would be more connected to Ukraine and NATO, Kallas said: "It is clear that all these security theaters are very closely linked when it comes to the capabilities needed in Ukraine or the Middle East, when it also comes to our attention."
"This is very, very clear. And players or our adversaries also use this. So, this is very, very clear," she noted.
"It is now in our interest to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, and that is why we are also discussing what we can do in this regard from the European side," Kallas said.
"We have communicated with our American colleagues at various levels on this matter. But, of course, the situation is very unstable," added the EU foreign policy chief.
Trump announces new security system in Strait of Hormuz14.03.26, 23:33
Addition
Earlier, Trump warned NATO of a "very bad future" if allies did not help open the Strait of Hormuz, and said he might also postpone a planned summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, in comments published by the Financial Times on Sunday.
But, as the newspaper writes, despite his warning, Trump is pessimistic that US allies will heed his requests for help.
"We have an organization like NATO," Trump said, who has often criticized the alliance. "We have been very kind. We didn't have to help them with Ukraine. Ukraine is thousands of miles away from us... But we helped them. Now we'll see if they help us. Because I've been saying for a long time that we'll be there for them, and they won't be there for us. And I'm not sure they'll be there."
Asked to clarify what kind of help he needed, Trump replied: "Anything." He added that allies should send mine countermeasures, of which Europe has many more than the US.