Washington, March 17
US President Donald Trump said countries dependent on energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz should be helping the United States, expressing disappointment that several allies were reluctant to step in.
"They should not only be thanking us, but they should be helping us," Trump said, pointing to nations that rely heavily on oil and energy shipments through the strategic waterway.
He named major economies, including China, Japan, and South Korea, as beneficiaries of secure passage through the Hormuz Strait. "China, as an example, should be thanking us," he said. "Japan gets 95 percent, China 91 percent. Many of the countries, South Korea gets a tremendous percentage of their oil and their -- therefore, their energy from the straits."
Trump said it was "a lot easier to get people today than it was two weeks ago", suggesting that some countries became more willing to engage only after the United States had already taken decisive military action.
"There are some countries that greatly disappointed me," he said. "One or two have been great. I'll tell you who the great ones are at the right time."
The president singled out Britain in particular, recounting a conversation with Prime Minister Keir Starmer in which he had asked for naval support. "It would be really helpful if you'd send over a couple of ships, and if you have some minesweepers, which they do, that would be very helpful," Trump said.
He described the response as hesitant. "The Prime Minister, he's a nice man, I think he's a very nice guy, he says, well, I'd like to ask my team," Trump said. "I said, you don't have to worry about a team. You don't have a team. You're the prime minister, you can make a decision."
Trump said the latter offer of support came too late. "I don't want them anymore. I don't want them after we win, I want them before we start. I don't need your aircraft carriers after we've already won."
He used the moment to revive a long-standing concern about burden-sharing within alliances. "I always said, you know, the problem with NATO is we'll always be there for them, but they'll never be there for us," he said.
Trump argued that the United States had carried the main burden while others hesitated. "We defend all these countries, and then, do you have any minesweepers? And they say, well, would it be possible for us not to get involved?"
At the same time, he acknowledged that some countries had been willing to support the US position. "There have been some that were right up there," Trump said. "They wanted to do it so much."
Trump also raised concerns about shipping risks in the region, even as he said there was no confirmed deployment of mines. "We don't know that any mines have even been dropped," he said, but added that "the thought that they would scares people that have billion dollar ships".
- IANS
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