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Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at Europe<\/strong> rebuffing the White House<\/strong>\u2019s request for help, potential delays to a U.S.-China<\/strong> summit, and low voter turnout in the Republic of Congo<\/strong>.<\/p>\n U.S. President Donald Trump has spent much of his second term bashing the United States\u2019 trans-Atlantic partnerships<\/a>, threatening NATO members<\/a>, and shifting away from multilateral institutions<\/a>. Now, the White House is asking those same allies for help\u2014and so far, no one has come to Washington\u2019s rescue.<\/p>\n Trump told the Financial Times<\/em><\/a> on Sunday that he has urged roughly half a dozen nations to send warships and minesweepers to the Middle East to help U.S. forces reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Since the Iran war began on Feb. 28, Iranian strikes have effectively shut down the strategic waterway, where roughly one-fifth of the world\u2019s oil normally transits. This has upended global energy flows, concerned investors, and spiked oil costs<\/a> worldwide; Brent crude prices tipped back over $100 a barrel on Monday.<\/p>\n U.S. efforts to safeguard the strait<\/a> have so far failed, forcing Trump to seek assistance. \u201cIt\u2019s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,\u201d Trump said on Sunday. The White House has reportedly asked<\/a> China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom\u2014as well as NATO, as a whole\u2014to join a \u201cteam effort\u201d to reopen the choke point. Europe, in particular, possesses more minesweepers than the United States, making the continent a vital ally.<\/p>\n But Trump\u2019s request has been largely rebuffed. What does Trump \u201cexpect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful U.S. Navy cannot do?\u201d German \u200bDefense Minister Boris Pistorius<\/a> said on Monday. \u201cThis is not our war. We have not started it.\u201d<\/p>\n German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated<\/a> that stance later Monday, saying, \u201cNATO is a defensive alliance, not an interventionist one. And that is precisely why NATO has no place here at all.\u201d<\/p>\n British Prime Minister Keir Starmer<\/a> said that London \u201cwill not be drawn into the wider war.\u201d Spanish Foreign Minister Jos\u00e9 Manuel Albares<\/a> warned that \u201cwe mustn\u2019t do anything that \u200bwould add even more tension or cause \u200bthe \u2060situation to escalate further.\u201d And Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stressed that European Union naval missions in the Red Sea will not be expanded to include the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n Outside of Europe, the reaction has been similar. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reaffirmed Beijing\u2019s neutral stance on Monday, calling on \u201crelevant parties to immediately stop military operations.\u201d And Australian Transportation Minister Catherine King preemptively confirmed<\/a> that Canberra will not be sending a ship to Hormuz.<\/p>\n Only Denmark appeared open<\/a> to the possibility. \u201cEven if we don\u2019t like what\u2019s going on, I think it\u2019s wise to keep an open mind on whether Europe \u2026 in some way can contribute, but with a view towards de-escalation,\u201d Danish Foreign Minister Lars \u2060Lokke Rasmussen said.<\/p>\n Trump on Monday criticized<\/a> the lackluster response from U.S. allies, though he claimed that the United States does not need their help. \u201cWe don\u2019t need anybody. We\u2019re the strongest nation in the world. We have the strongest military by far in the world,\u201d Trump said. \u201cWe don\u2019t need them, but it\u2019s interesting. I\u2019m almost doing it in some cases, not because we need them, but because I want to find out how they react.\u201d<\/p>\n As for Tehran, Iran continued its strikes<\/a> on critical infrastructure in the region on Monday, hitting a fuel tank at Dubai International Airport. \u201cFrom our perspective, it is open,\u201d Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said of Hormuz. \u201cIt is only closed to our enemies, to those who carried out unjust aggression against our country and to their allies.\u201d<\/p>\n Tuesday, March 17:<\/strong> Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong begins a three-day trip to Japan.<\/p>\n Finnish President Alexander Stubb concludes a two-day trip to London.<\/p>\n Wednesday, March 18:<\/strong> European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hosts United Nations chief Ant\u00f3nio Guterres.<\/p>\n Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu begins a two-day trip to the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n Thursday, March 19:<\/strong> The European Council holds a leaders\u2019 summit in Brussels.<\/p>\n Trump hosts Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the White House.<\/p>\n Saturday, March 21:<\/strong> The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States holds a leaders\u2019 summit in Colombia.<\/p>\n Sunday, March 22:<\/strong> Slovenia holds parliamentary elections.<\/p>\n France holds runoff municipal elections.<\/p>\n Italy holds a two-day referendum on judicial reforms.<\/p>\n Potential delays. <\/strong>U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested<\/a> on Monday that Trump may delay his trip to China later this month due to the Iran war. \u201cThe postponement, if it happens, would be because the commander in chief of the United States \u200bmilitary believes that he should stay in the United States while this war is being prosecuted,\u201d Bessent said.<\/p>\n His comments come a day after Trump told the Financial Times<\/em><\/a> that Washington is trying to pressure Beijing to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz. \u201cI think China should help too because China gets 90 percent of its oil from the straits,\u201d Trump said. However, Bessent stressed on Monday that the trip\u2019s potential delay has nothing to do with oil concerns.<\/p>\n Trump was set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping from March 31 to April 2 to discuss economic competition and high tariffs. According to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, that includes the possible creation of a U.S.-China Board of Trade<\/a>, which would identify \u201cwhat kinds of things should we be importing from China, what kinds of things should we be exporting to China, to really make sure that we can focus on areas of mutual benefit.\u201d Bessent and Greer concluded two \u200bdays of talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Paris on Monday to prepare for the summit.<\/p>\n No significant challenge. <\/strong>The Republic of Congo\u2019s presidential election<\/a> on Sunday saw low voter turnout, with many Congolese seemingly unconvinced that Brazzaville would witness a leadership change. President Denis Sassou Nguesso, 82, is seeking a fifth consecutive term, and despite six other candidates challenging him for the job, analysts predict that none pose a significant threat. Results are expected later this month.<\/p>\n Nguesso has ruled the Republic of Congo for the past 42 years apart from a five-year hiatus in the 1990s; a constitutional referendum<\/a> in 2015 removed presidential term and age limits, allowing him to run again. Nguesso\u2019s administration has placed several restrictions<\/a> on the opposition to all but ensure his success. They include barring travel for vote-canvassing to everyone except the incumbent, shutting down internet access on election day, and restricting traffic in Brazzaville. Two major opposition parties boycotted Sunday\u2019s vote over accusations of unfair electoral practices.<\/p>\n \u201cPresident Denis Sassou Nguesso has maintained nearly uninterrupted power for over 40 years by severely repressing the opposition,\u201d according to Freedom House, which ranked the Republic of Congo as \u201cnot free\u201d in its 2025 Freedom in the World<\/a> index. Rights activists cite systemic corruption, political instability, and self-censorship as responsible for the country\u2019s poor economic standing<\/a> and high poverty rate.<\/p>\n Constitutional referendum. <\/strong>Voters in Kazakhstan on Sunday approved the most comprehensive overhaul of their country\u2019s constitution since its adoption in 1995. The referendum revamps around 80 percent<\/a> of the previous framework and strengthens President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev\u2019s grip on power.<\/p>\n Under the new constitution<\/a>, the country\u2019s two parliamentary chambers will merge into one; a new president-appointed body, the People\u2019s Council, will work alongside parliament to initiate legislation; and the office of the vice president, abolished in 1996, will be restored. Both the old and new constitutions limit presidents to one seven-year term\u2014a limit Tokayev himself introduced\u2014but some analysts suggested that he could try to use the new constitution to reset his term limit and extend his reign<\/a> beyond the end of his term in 2029.<\/p>\n Tokayev said<\/a> on Sunday that the next presidential election will take place in 2029, dismissing rumors of an early exit.<\/p>\n \u201cSome experts suggest that competition for power in Kazakhstan is reportedly intensifying, \u200band that various trends giving rise to concern are on the rise,\u201d Tokayev said. \u201cHowever, there are absolutely no grounds for \u200cworry \u2060that this will have a negative impact on society.\u201d More than 87 percent of voters cast their ballot in favor of the referendum, with turnout exceeding 73 percent.<\/p>\n Foreign movies made a big splash<\/a> at the Academy Awards on Sunday. After securing nine Oscar nominations, Norwegian drama Sentimental Value<\/em> took home Best International Feature Film. South Korean musical KPop Demon Hunters<\/em> clinched the awards for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song. And Russian documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin<\/em><\/a> won Best Documentary Feature Film\u2014a win made more poignant with U.S. actor Sean Penn skipping the ceremony<\/a> (and his Best Supporting Actor win for One Battle After Another<\/em>) to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Canadian stop-motion masterpiece The Girl Who Cried Pearls<\/em> won Best Animated Short, and the French-language film Two People Exchanging Saliva<\/em> tied for Best Live Action Short. Let the movie night marathon begin!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\u2018This Is Not Our War\u2019<\/h3>\n
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