As the Financial Times has learned, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has angered European leaders by unconditionally supporting US President Donald Trump's war against Iran.
Points of attention
- European allies feel uncomfortable with the idea of deploying naval forces to the Strait of Hormuz at Trump's behest, as they are not prepared for military intervention.
- Statements from Rutte have caused dissent and unease in European diplomatic circles, with concerns raised about the implications of getting involved in the Middle East conflict.
Europe does not share Rutte's position
Recently, NATO's Secretary General expressed hope that European allies would eventually unite to heed Trump's call to deploy naval forces to the Strait of Hormuz.
However, European leaders were outraged by these words, as they did not understand why Rutte was urging them to intervene in the war in the Middle East.
This puts us in a very awkward position… We want to demonstrate readiness, but the truth is that we are not in a position to intervene [in the conflict] in any way,” complained one European diplomat.
Official Brussels also notices discrepancies between Rutte's statements and the position of most European countries.
Most EU members do not risk publicly criticizing Donald Trump, but they are not going to support him either.
Still, some do not hide their indignation, for example, the president of Germany.
This war is also a politically catastrophic mistake for those involved in it, Frank-Walter Steinmeier recently stated.
