ISTANBUL

Denmark is open to discussing possible contributions to safeguarding maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Monday.

Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Rasmussen said Copenhagen has not received a request from the US to join operations in the strategic waterway but stressed that Denmark should remain open to the idea.

“We have not wished for this war. From day one, we have called for de-escalation,” he said.

“With that said, we must keep an open mind about how we can contribute to keeping navigation free,” Rasmussen added, describing the situation in the Middle East as “very, very serious.”

He also warned that the escalation in the Middle East could affect the war in Ukraine.

“The war in the Middle East also has major significance for the war in Ukraine,” Rasmussen said.

“It de facto puts Russia in a much better position. Oil prices go up, Putin’s war chest is filled again, while the attention of the Americans and everyone else shifts away from Ukraine,” he added.

Rasmussen did not specify how Denmark might contribute to maritime security efforts or whether such involvement could take place through a strengthened mandate for the EU’s naval mission in the Red Sea.

According to the minister, Denmark currently makes only a limited contribution to the EU’s maritime Aspides mission.

“If you ask me, Denmark contributes rather modestly to the Aspides mission today,” he said, noting the country currently has “one staff officer at the headquarters.”

The EU launched Operation Aspides in February 2024 to protect international shipping in the Red Sea following repeated attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group on commercial vessels.

Rasmussen said he looked forward to discussing the issue with his European counterparts.

“As a small country but a major maritime nation, Denmark must remain open to this question,” he said.

Meanwhile, Finland said it would be unable to contribute naval assets to operations in the Strait of Hormuz due to technical limitations.

The Finnish Navy said its three mine countermeasure vessels are designed specifically for Baltic Sea conditions and cannot be deployed beyond the region, YLE news reported.

“They’re built for Finnish conditions,” navy spokesperson Annele Apajakari said, noting that the ships were originally intended for national defense before Finland joined NATO.

Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said Helsinki is coordinating closely with partners but emphasized that Europe’s main priority remains Ukraine.

“Defending Ukraine from Russia is Europe’s most important task and that requires a lot from all of us,” Valtonen said as she arrived for the EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels.