European Leaders Harden Stance Against Trump’s ‘Pointless’ War

Friedrich Merz, left, and Pedro Sanchez, in Brussels, on March 19.Photographer: Simon Wohlfahrt/Bloomberg

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By Andrea Palasciano, Jan Bratanic, and Max Ramsay

March 19, 2026 at 10:45 AM UTC

Leaders from the European Union stepped up criticism of Donald Trump’s war in Iran in a clear indication they don’t plan to heed the US president’s demand for allies to help America’s military secure the Strait of Hormuz while fighting continues.

At an EU summit in Brussels, leaders from the 27 member states will discuss the situation in the Middle East and the fallout it’s had on markets, with European gas futures surging as much as 35% on Thursday and Brent crude rising as high as $117 a barrel.