In recent weeks, European NATO members have expressed growing unease about increasing their reliance on US weapons amid a sweeping rearmament push. During a summit in The Hague, 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, especially under President Donald Trump, who has been described as fostering a more adversarial relationship with Russia. According to Bloomberg, leaders fear they could be exposed to greater risks, particularly 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. However, the lack of viable domestic alternatives has left many European nations dependent on US suppliers to meet rearmament targets, particularly as stockpiles have been depleted by shipments of military aid to Ukraine.
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. Similarly, Copenhagen has indicated that American arms deals have become ‘politically difficult’ given Trump’s suggestion that the US annex Greenland, which is currently controlled by Denmark.
The tensions within NATO have been exacerbated by Trump’s move to cut intelligence sharing with Ukraine earlier this year, a decision that reportedly alarmed allies. According to unnamed officials cited by Bloomberg, this action raised concerns over how much control the US might exert over weapons exports in the event of a crisis. Meanwhile, 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.