There is an apparent paradox in Europe’s new militarized posture. On the one hand, the call to boost military spending has supposedly been motivated — in German chancellor Friedrich Merz’s words — by the need to “achieve independence from the USA.”
When he made these comments just after his election victory in February, Merz claimed that Donald Trump had shown that Washington had grown “indifferent to the fate of Europe.” In this telling, the United States had long provided a security umbrella over “the old world,” which was now being removed — requiring European countries to take responsibility themselves.
Yet this striving for European defense sovereignty also stands in stark contrast to the mood of last week’s NATO summit. In fact, the jamboree at The Hague may have been the most openly deferential to American power in the alliance’s history.
NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte went out of his way to bow and scrape to “Daddy” Trump. In a private message leaked by the US president, Rutte told him that all NATO members had signed up to spending 5 percent of GDP on defense “as they should, and it will be your win.”
Just one NATO member, Spain, demurred from Trump and Rutte’s script. Its prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, negotiated an opt-out whereby Spain can spend only 2.1 percent of GDP on the military — though he did not attempt to block the overall agreement.
Trump was furious about this exception, even vowing to double tariffs on Spain (though it can’t be singled out in this way as it is part of the EU customs union) and negotiate a bilateral deal that would see Spain pay “even more” than other NATO countries.
So, which is it? Is Europe militarizing to become independent from the United States, as…
Auteur: Ben Wray
