During a summit in The Hague this week, NATO states committed to raising military spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 to counter what they described as a “long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security” – a claim that Moscow has repeatedly denied.
Concerns have reportedly emerged about deepening dependence on the American defense industry, particularly under the leadership of President Donald Trump.
According to Bloomberg, leaders fear they could be exposed to greater risks, especially in light of Trump’s efforts to improve ties with Russia and past threats to annex allied territory. Boosting reliance on US arms has become “an increasingly hard sell at home,” the outlet noted.
French President Emmanuel Macron has long championed the idea of securing greater defense autonomy for European NATO states, urging the development of a self-sufficient military industrial base.
Canada, a key NATO ally, is reportedly reconsidering its involvement in the US-led F-35 fighter jet program and may switch to Swedish alternatives.
“We should no longer send three-quarters of our defense capital spending to America,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated earlier this month.
Copenhagen has also displayed some resistance, telling Washington that American arms deals have become “politically difficult” given Trump’s suggestion that the US annex Greenland, which is currently controlled by Denmark, Bloomberg reported.
Unease in the alliance has also been stoked by Trump’s move to cut intelligence sharing with Ukraine earlier this year. According to unnamed officials cited by Bloomberg, this decision “alarmed allies,” as it raised concerns over how much control the US might wield over weapons exports in the event of a crisis.
Nevertheless, a lack of viable domestic alternatives continues to bind European nations to US suppliers, according to the outlet. Decades of underinvestment have left Europe’s defense manufacturing capacity underdeveloped. As a result, countries will likely keep buying American equipment to meet rearmament targets, particularly as stockpiles have been depleted by shipments of military aid to Ukraine.
Moscow has condemned the EU’s militarization trend and arms transfers to Kiev, characterizing the conflict as a NATO proxy war. President Vladimir Putin has dismissed NATO’s concerns of Russian aggression as “nonsense,” instead blaming the alliance’s expansion and “aggressive behavior” for escalating tensions.
