Is Europe too dependent on the US for military hardware...?
While Trump's transactional tactics in relation to negotiating a peace deal with Russia and Ukraine may seem unpalatable, it probably is the case that America 'has more cards' than Ukraine, and most European nations too.
Washington's abrupt foreign policy turnabout has reminded European nations just how dependent they are on America for the continued effectiveness of their military hardware: 55% of their imports of defence machinery, including more than half their advanced combat aircraft, are from the US.
Without ongoing software and US spare part updates, a lot of European military equipment is useless; Most European nations' US Reaper drones are useless in the absence of satellite communication links and software provided by the US; Britain's Trident missiles, a focal point of our nuclear deterrent, need to be tested and serviced on American soil.
But does this mean Europe is too dependent on the US...?
Possibly....
I mean take the case of Trump's threat to invade Greenland... If he went through with this then Denmark could deploy F-35 jets to protect Greenland, but then the US can actually make them obsolete by refusing to provide parts for repairs and service.
If America did start to get aggressive then we are screwed, in a more direct way than we are already.
I mean we're already being indirectly screwed... the very fact that Trump is leading on Ukraine-Russia negotiations shows how much we are dependent on US military aid to keep up the defence of Ukraine, and he is completely within his rights to say 'make a deal, or we remove our military support'
Maybe we need to wean ourselves off this support. With this new era of doubt, it might be sensible for European nations to take a more independent line when it comes to defence!
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It’s a good idea, Trump or no Trump. I get the sense that Europe is reluctant to seriously commit to military buildup given its history. But there is a big difference between being armless and harmless, and armed and peaceful. Europe as a whole has a larger population than the USA with wealth, not a 3rd world region that relies on external generosity. Clearly, the current situation puts the region at a disadvantage should American resources be called away to another conflict.
I read that EU is debating about compulsory military service.
https://www.reddit.com/r/geopolitics/comments/1jg0hbs/is_europe_too_dependent_on_the_us_for_military/
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I hope that step is taken. In my country, only one political party is formally against the military support of Ukraine, and in the reinforcement and reinvestment in Military infrastructures/weapons/etc. We walk far away from a security point. We thought that USA will always stand with NATO/OTAN for Atlantic protection and European peace border control.
I think UK gave the right "tone" when it concerns to what direction EU should take. If we reinforce our self investment in Military, our internal politics like social politics will suffer for sure. It's a price that every nation has to take to the will of the continuity of the European original plans.
I think weaning off the States is a great idea, I have a feeling Trump's general policy direction is going to harm the US in the long run!
Curiously, I have the same feeling. All the investment that has been made in such important areas as clinical trials is being brought to a minimum or even canceled. All the tariffs will do is make the USA even more susceptible to variations in its own economy, making it more attainable (in terms of resection).
Those $5K stim cheques will keep people happy for 6 months then it's all screwed!
Exactly. Just a simple "band aid"... and after that who knows what they will get
Better to invest in diplomats than in weapons.
100% agree with that!
Not too sure if hoping towards setting up more military superpowers is a great idea. NATO could be considered a military force and they seem to have played a large part in aggravating the Ukrainian/Russian dispute. Adding an EU military force, independent and maybe some day opposed to the US, seems like tempting fate. Maybe if the governments of the world weren’t so corrupt this could work, but if they weren’t so corrupt then we’d probably not be in this mess in the first place.
It's a grim situation isn't it?!?
Hard to see a happy ending to all this but I guess thats why revolutions seem to be an inevitable part of the larger political/societal cycle. However, not sure if there's ever been one on a global scale. Should be interesting 🤔
The EU's militaries are utterly pathetic with less combat troops than Hamas & Hizbollah had before Israel destroyed them. Their hardware has performed poorly in Ukraine and their troops have poor morale, training, skills and operational readiness.
Reports of only 10-20% of European tanks and aircraft being operational at any one time are rife.
Even worse, the population's willingness to fight is very low as is the number of young people to fight with, because of low fertility.
The EU countries can't even control their own borders.
Europeans are not interested in war. But unfortunately war is interested in them.
The return to the Hobsian real world from the utopian fantasies of the last 40 years is going to be very painful for Europe.
The only upside I can think of this is that those with a sense of entitlement are in the rudest awakening!
I'm truly hoping this is not even a doubt anymore; but given Europe's current leadership...
It'll probably be a case of too little too late!
We need to wean off getting involved in other people's wars.. actuality I read a article today that China will soon catch up.. and they're not stupid enough to spread themselves so thin so we are with all our arrogance
I agree it makes little sense for the US to be involved so far away!