European Union leaders rejected President Trump’s call for allies to assist in opening the Strait of Hormuz. Foreign ministers from the 27 EU countries met in Brussels to discuss Trump’s message to help secure the waterway that plays a strategic role in global oil markets. “This is not Europe’s war,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. She said there was “no appetite” from the member states to expand the EU naval mission in the Middle East to the Strait of Hormuz. “Nobody wants to go actively in this war,” she added. Footage below: The European Union has rejected President Trump’s call for allied naval support to secure the Strait of Hormuz. The European Union says, “This is not Europe’s war,” and is basically telling the United States, “You’re on your own.” “Nobody wants to go actively into this war.” pic.twitter.com/B2vFgmk54I — Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) March 16, 2026 More from The Times of Israel: US President Donald Trump has called on other nations to help police the strait after Iran responded to US-Israeli attacks by using drones, missiles and mines to ‌effectively close the channel for tankers that normally transport a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas. The EU’s Aspides mission — named after the Greek word for “shields” — was established in 2024 to protect ships from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group in the Red Sea. “There was in our discussions a clear wish to strengthen this operation, but for the time being, there was no appetite in changing the mandate of the operation,” Kallas tells reporters after a meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels. Trump warned NATO would have a “very bad” future if U.S. allies did not assist in opening the strait. “Very Bad” – President Trump Issues Warning On NATO “It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,” Trump told the Financial Times. “If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO,” he added. POLITICO shared further: He wrote on social media that he was in contact with seven countries about securing the strait, without naming which countries he was referring to. And on Monday, Trump told reporters that he was confident France would assist the U.S. "I think he's gonna help. I mean, I'll let you know, I spoke to him yesterday," the American president said, referring to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. Trump also said he was “not happy” with the response from the U.K. and “very surprised” after Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would not be drawn into a "wider war" over Iran. Trump was adamant that "we don't need anybody" and "we're the strongest nation in the world," but his request for assistance was a test of solidarity, to see how European countries would react, as Iran's closure of the strait drives up oil prices. "I've been saying for years that if we ever did need them, they won't be there," the U.S. president said. European capitals clearly don't want to get involved, though — and wish Trump would stop asking.