Red Sea Dangers Grow for America's Wary Allies
Europeans aren’t doing enough to prepare for more conflict and a less dependable US.
An Israeli navy missile boat patrols in the Red Sea off the coast of Israel's southern port city of Eliat on December 26, 2023.
Photographer: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFPLast week, America’s allies put up a united front against the Houthis in the Red Sea. Well — not quite. France, which has the European Union’s biggest navy, and Spain were both absent from the US-led “ final warning” to rebels to stop firing missiles and drones at cargo ships sailing through the vital trade corridor.
A transatlantic rift? More like a wrinkle. The EU has strongly condemned these attacks before, and other members like Germany and Italy were signatories. But maritime coalitions are highly political and complex to structure. Like the UK and US, France hasn’t been afraid to engage the Houthis directly on the Red Sea, but it also has a de-Gaulle-style preference for navigating its own path independent of NATO. President Emmanuel Macron reportedly sees a more muscular response as likely if disruption grows.