Nato’s secretary-general has riled European capitals with his unequivocal backing for Donald Trump’s war with Iran, as the continent grapples with an energy shock triggered by the conflict, further straining the transatlantic alliance.
Mark Rutte’s suggestion that European allies would eventually “come together” to heed the US president’s call to deploy naval assets in the Strait of Hormuz has irked officials in several European capitals, alliance diplomats told the FT, exacerbating tensions within Nato over how far to go in accommodating its largest member.
“It puts us in a really awkward and uncomfortable spot,” said one EU diplomat. “We want to show willing, but it’s also true that we are not in a position to get involved [in the conflict] in any way.”