USA

‘We are not part of it’

The Czech leader this week pushed back against President Trump’s accusations that Europe is not doing its part to support ongoing US military operations against Iran.

“I believe Europe can do a lot more, but we are not part of it,” Czech President Petr Pavel told CNN’s Christine Amanpour at a conference in Prague earlier this week. “European countries were accused of not coming to help, but how could we come when we were not invited to begin with?”

The United States and Israel launched joint military operations against Iran at the end of February, and the conflict has now been ongoing for several months. The two sides are currently in a temporary ceasefire during negotiations over a new nuclear deal and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump attacked NATO allies for their criticism of military efforts and threatened to withdraw U.S. troops from Germany, Italy and Spain after those countries’ leaders spoke out against his handling of the war.

On Friday, the US president ordered the Pentagon to withdraw nearly 5,000 of its troops from Germany over a public disagreement with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees rebuked the administration’s decision, writing in a joint statement that they were “very concerned” by the move.

Trump also threatened to completely remove the United States from the international military alliance.

Pavel told CNN this week that Trump needs to understand that European allies “are not enemies” even though they “have a different view.”

“We are on the same side,” he told Amanpour. “What we want is fair treatment and I believe that if European countries had been involved from the beginning, they would have been much more willing to participate.”

European leaders called on the United States to return to the negotiating table and halt military operations.

Separately, leaders of France and Britain met with more than 50 countries last month to discuss joint efforts to ensure free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical trade corridor for global energy trade.

“I completely understand that when European countries were not initially treated as allies and now they are accused of being cowards, they consider it unfair… We want to be fair allies,” Pavel said. “We must talk to each other as equals, not as dependent children.”

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