Trump used Ukraine support to push Europe to join Hormuz coalition – FT

US President Donald Trump threatened to stop supplying weapons for Ukraine to pressure European allies into joining a “coalition of the willing” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported, citing people briefed on the discussions.

The report cited officials familiar with the discussions as saying Trump responded by threatening to stop supplies to PURL, NATO’s weapons procurement initiative for Ukraine funded by European countries.

At the urging of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, France, Germany, the UK and other countries then issued a March 19 statement saying: “We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait [of Hormuz].”

“It was Rutte who insisted on the joint statement because Trump had threatened to withdraw from PURL and from Ukraine in general,” the report quoted one official briefed on the discussions as saying.

Another official said Rutte told France, Germany and the UK that Trump was “rather hysterical” over Europe’s refusal to help protect the strait.

British officials also said the UK and the US had been discussing options for securing the strait on a “military to military basis” before March 19.