Video Loads BelowUpdate: Joint statement from the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan on Strait of Hormuz “We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait.” – @Bret McGurk
Peloni: The coordinated opposition to Trump’s request among allies in both Europe and Asia demonstrates the influence and threat able to be brought to bear by China as it blocks nearly all assistance for Trump in keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and the price of energy around the world low. Notably, Trump has often referred to his happy preference to repay betrayal in kind with interest, so as Stephen Bryen notes below, “One can be sure there will be a reckoning.” Arguably, this payback has already begun with Sec. Hegseth’s recent comment about arming Ukraine:
“We’re also still dealing with the environment that Joe Biden created, which was depleting those stockholds and not sending them to our own military, but to Ukraine!”
“Ultimately, we think these munitions are better spent in our OWN interests at this point, and this kind of funding bill is going to ensure that we’re properly funded going forward.”
The EU Policy is Damaging European Security
Stephen Bryen | Weapons & Strategy | Mar 17, 2026
Trump. Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0. Wikipedia
Along with refusing to help the United States escort oil tankers and other shipping through the Straits of Hormuz, the Europeans have also turned down President Trump’s request for minesweepers. “We defend all these countries, and then I ask them: “Do you have any minesweepers?
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