Pavlos Xanthoulis
The European Union has effectively rejected a request by Donald Trump for European assistance in safeguarding the Strait of Hormuz, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas making clear that the conflict with Iran “is not a European war” and that “no one wants active involvement.”
According to three foreign diplomatic sources cited by Kathimerini, the atmosphere at the EU Foreign Affairs Council was “overwhelmingly negative” toward Trump’s proposal, reflecting what diplomats described as a largely unified European stance, despite minor differences in wording among member states.
While the EU appeared broadly aligned on Iran, divisions were far more pronounced over developments in Lebanon and Ukraine. Discussions on Lebanon exposed significant disagreements regarding the roles of both the Lebanese government and Israel, although member states shared a common concern over the risk of renewed migration flows toward Europe.
Hungary threatens new blockade over Ukraine
Even deeper cracks emerged on Ukraine. Hungary has already informed EU partners that it intends to block the conclusions of the European Council summit set to begin Thursday in Brussels.
Budapest warned that unanimous decisions among the 27 member states would not be possible and urged the remaining 26 countries to proceed without it, a move that could derail a proposed €90 billion EU loan package for Ukraine as well as the adoption of the bloc’s 20th sanctions package against Russia.
Hungary linked both issues to the restoration of oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline, which was damaged on Ukrainian territory.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa stepped in to defuse tensions, securing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s agreement for the EU to provide financial and technical assistance to repair the pipeline. Brussels hopes the move could persuade Hungary to reconsider its position.
Still, some diplomats believe Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán may maintain his veto at least until Hungary’s April 12 elections, viewing the stance largely through a domestic political lens.
Diplomatic tug-of-war over Lebanon wording
Diplomatic disagreements also surfaced during negotiations among EU permanent representatives (Coreper), where a fierce debate unfolded over whether responsibility for the crisis in Lebanon should be explicitly assigned.
Germany pushed for references to Israeli victims and sought language highlighting responsibility on the part of the Lebanese government. France strongly opposed the proposal, arguing that Beirut is doing everything possible to prevent the country from being dragged into a wider conflict.
Other countries joined the debate. Greece, Austria, Romania, the Netherlands and Bulgaria called for language affirming Israel’s “right to self-defense.” Spain, meanwhile, urged the EU to include a call for Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, while the Netherlands advocated stronger wording on the disarmament of Hezbollah.
Spain also called for recognition of potential violations of international law in the U.S.-Israeli confrontation with Iran, while France sought stronger references to the EU’s maritime security mission, Operation Aspides.
Slovakia aligns with Hungary’s concerns
Slovakia adopted a similar, though less confrontational, position to Hungary’s, expressing disappointment over the lack of progress in resolving issues surrounding Druzhba pipeline flows despite efforts by the European Commission.
Bratislava also requested that summit conclusions reference a controversial remark by Zelenskyy suggesting Ukrainian soldiers could “speak the language understood” by whoever was blocking the €90 billion loan, widely interpreted as a reference to Orbán.
The positions taken by Budapest and, to a lesser extent, Bratislava prompted renewed mediation efforts by von der Leyen and Costa, who offered Ukraine immediate support to accelerate pipeline repairs. Officials in Brussels hope this could ease tensions ahead of the summit, though skepticism remains.
Italy raises concerns over EU accession fairness
Italy also drew attention during discussions by requesting explicit language clarifying that Ukraine’s EU accession process must remain merit-based and applied equally to all candidate countries.
Meanwhile, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever stirred debate by calling for a “normalization of relations with Russia and a return to access to cheap energy,” arguing that many European leaders privately agree but hesitate to say so publicly.
Despite internal disagreements, Kallas reaffirmed that the EU’s overall stance remains unchanged, stressing that ending Russia’s invasion requires Moscow to have “less money, not more.” She also announced the renewal of sanctions targeting roughly 2,600 individuals linked to Russia’s war effort.
Cyprus’ Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos noted that the Cypriot presidency had worked toward renewing the sanctions regime, while emphasizing the importance of reaching agreement on both the new sanctions package and the €90 billion loan to Ukraine.
EU says “no” to Hormuz involvement
Kallas made clear that the conflict involving Iran does not justify European military engagement.
“No one wants the EU to become involved in an open-ended war,” she said following the Foreign Affairs Council meeting, summarizing the consensus among member states regarding Trump’s request for European participation in securing the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel.
While there is political concern over maritime security, she acknowledged there is no real appetite within the EU to expand the mandate of Operation Aspides or deploy European support in the region.
Diplomatic sources described the overall reaction among ministers as decisively negative, though Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen argued before the meeting that the EU should remain “open-minded” and explore whether it could contribute in ways that promote de-escalation.
Germany, however, led opposition to any form of involvement, firmly rejecting participation in the Iran conflict under any circumstances.
As a result, just 24 hours before the European Council summit, the prospect of institutional EU involvement appears closed, at least for now, despite expectations that Trump will continue pressing for support, potentially seeking backing from a coalition of willing countries or through NATO mechanisms, which would require unanimous approval.
Cyprus’ foreign minister emphasized the need for a coordinated approach between the EU and its strategic partners regarding developments in the Strait of Hormuz.
Concern over regional spillover
EU foreign ministers also warned that escalating tensions involving Iran risk diverting attention from Gaza and the West Bank. Kallas outlined three key concerns: the humanitarian situation is worsening, peace efforts have stalled, and developments are moving in the wrong direction.
On Lebanon, she said Hezbollah had dragged the country into conflict while also criticizing what she described as Israel’s disproportionate response, which has led to mass displacement and threatens further deterioration of the situation.
Kombos called for increased EU support to Lebanon through economic and social assistance tools, alongside targeted humanitarian aid.
