During an interview with Europe Today, Hayer stated that it would be inappropriate for the US to link military aid to Ukraine with Iran, as Ukrainian security must not be treated as a «bargaining chip».
«Ukraine cannot be used as a bargaining chip, and the conflict involving Iran is not ours,» Renew Europe’s President Valérie Hayer told Euronews from Helsinki on Friday, where she leads a parliamentary mission focused on security.
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The French liberal figure opposed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s assertion that Washington would reduce its involvement in arranging a peace settlement in Ukraine if Europe fails to support the US in confronting Iran.
Representatives from both Europe and Ukraine concur that a US-led guarantee will be crucial to finalize security assurances for Kyiv. The absence of US engagement would weaken the deterrent effect against potential future Russian hostility.
Prior to a trip to France for a G7 summit, Rubio expressed the US administration’s dissatisfaction with European partners’ reluctance to assist in the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, urging them to contribute to reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
“It was reportedly a few European leaders who declared this was not Europe’s conflict. Yet, Ukraine is not America’s war,” Rubio commented.
For Hayer, diverting focus away from Ukraine would represent «a major error.”
«Russia stands as the primary threat to us,» Hayer emphasized, stressing that defending Ukraine must stay the «highest priority» for Europe’s leadership.
When questioned about European support for the Trump administration’s efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, she highlighted that the priority lies in securing energy supplies and ensuring access to the maritime route for European necessities rather than solely responding to US demands. The Strait channels approximately one fifth of the world’s oil.
«This is not about aiding the US but addressing energy security. Our current actions […] also include advancing environmental transitions. Europe is overly reliant on fossil fuels, and greater independence is essential.»