Can Europe Defend Itself Without US Military Support?

Europe’s increased defense spending may please the US and enrich its defense industry, but it risks militarization without genuine autonomy, reinforcing transatlantic dependence rather than fostering European self-sufficiency.

This article appeared in The National Interest on July 31, 2025

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In an unexpected turn of events, a celebratory atmosphere prevailed at this year’s NATO summit. “You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done. Europe is going to pay in a big way,” Secretary General Mark Rutte told Trump in a private message, which the president then posted on Truth Social.  

Rutte was referring to Trump’s request that European allies spend 5 percent of GDP on defense, part of a longstanding effort to push Europe to take more responsibility for its security. For now, the new pledges have appeased Trump, but they are not likely to make Europe self-sufficient. Instead, spending for its own sake will militarize Europe while maintaining dependence on the American defense industry.

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Read more of Eloise’s article in The National Interest

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