00:00Donald Trump wants NATO allies to help open the Strait of Hormuz militarily.
00:04If not, he says, the alliance faces a very bad future.
00:08His words were ringing in the ears of EU foreign ministers at a meeting in Brussels.
00:13It is in our interest to keep the Strait of Hormuz open,
00:16and that's why we are also discussing what we can do in this regard from the European side.
00:23Some EU countries have ruled out sending their military into the region for the moment.
00:28We are ready to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz diplomatically.
00:33However, there will be no military participation.
00:37France is working on an international mission to escort ships with partner countries.
00:42But President Emmanuel Macron says it would only happen when the fighting has diminished.
00:48What else can Europe do?
00:49The EU already has a mission which monitors the maritime situation in the region.
00:54EU states could decide to broaden the capacity to also protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
01:00What about NATO?
01:01NATO did not immediately comment on Donald Trump's warning.
01:05The German government made clear that they don't see it as NATO's war.
01:10And the US's traditional ally in Europe, the UK, says any action in the Strait would not be NATO-led.
01:17Will this provoke the next transatlantic crisis?
01:20It's too early to say.
01:22Analysts say this could all just be tactics from Donald Trump.
01:27He's doing everything he can to try to exercise leverage against the countries that he'd like to bring in to
01:34the conflict.
01:34It's unlikely that the United States would leave NATO.
01:38That would be the end, essentially, of NATO.
01:42So far, the European response has been measured.
01:45Countries are trying to not upset an important ally while not being drawn into a war they don't see as
01:52theirs.
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