But, the official said, that support will come at a cost to Washington. “We want more U.S. troops in the Baltics — the best brigade instead of battalion or at least more battalions and on a more permanent basis.”
And Ukraine insists that its offer to provide drone interceptors to the U.S. and Gulf countries still stands — especially if Kyiv gets weapons in return.
“We are ready to support those who support us,” said a Ukrainian official. “Ukraine has vast experience, modern technologies and expertise to build counter-drone systems. Both the United States and our partners in the Middle East are interested in cooperation with Ukraine, and this is mutual.”
The White House declined to comment on whether allies are stepping up to assist the U.S. in containing the spreading conflict in the Middle East. Instead it said in a statement: “Iran’s recklessness is on full display as they commit acts of terrorism against their neighbors – and they are more isolated than ever before as a result.”
The Iran conflict has compounded divisions among former rock-solid U.S. allies and partners still smarting from the Trump administration’s aggressive foreign and trade policies geared to high tariffs, threats to invade Greenland and a fixation with making Canada the 51st state.
The one area where European allies are most primed to help is in demining and providing security assistance in the strait, though the U.K. and France, among others, have informed Washington they will not send warships until there is a solid and working ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.
Other countries are just trying to keep their heads down to attempt to avoid Trump’s wrath, even though they’re fed up with the war and worried about further delays in U.S. arms sales.
“The main feeling in Europe is weariness toward the whack-a-mole dynamic of the war,” said Joel Linnainmäki, a former Finnish foreign ministry official. “Whenever there is a cessation of hostilities it is followed by an inevitable round of escalation by either side. At this point, European leaders are doing their best to fly under Trump’s radar to avoid new demands for Europeans to intervene in some way.”
