Trump urges NATO, China to deploy warships to Hormuz
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- President Trump demanded on Saturday that China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and others dispatch warships to protect the Strait of Hormuz, warning that failure would be "very bad for the future of NATO."
- Keir Starmer rejected the request, stating the UK would work with allies on a plan to reopen the strait but would not join a NATO mission or be drawn into a wider war.
- Stefan Kornelius and Boris Pistorius said Germany sees no role for NATO in policing the strait, emphasizing diplomatic solutions and that it is not Germany’s war.
- Matteo Salvini said Italy would not send ships because it is not at war and deploying naval forces in a war zone would constitute entering the conflict.
- Lin Jian called for an end to hostilities and de‑escalation but stopped short of committing Chinese warships to the strait.
- South Korea indicated it needed "adequate time for deliberation" before deciding on Trump’s request, while Sanae Takaichi noted legal limits on overseas deployments and said no decision had been made.
- Kaja Kallas said she had spoken with UN Secretary‑General António Guterres about measures to keep the strait open, indicating a European side discussion.
Why it matters: The U.S. seeks to bolster security of the Hormuz shipping lane, but the refusal of the UK, Germany, Italy and others to commit naval forces leaves the United States without the multilateral backing it demanded, preserving the status quo of limited NATO involvement and keeping the strait’s openness dependent on diplomatic talks.
