European capitals moved to strengthen their defense and reduce dependence on Washington after the return of US President Donald Trump and his plan to annex Greenland, between a bet on a "European pillar" within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and a jump in military spending and arms projects hampered by disputes.

Published on: 02/16/2026 - 01:16 Last updated: 02/16/2026 - 08:00

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed that the positions of European leaders had changed significantly at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, when she said that they had "crossed lines that can no longer be reversed."

Relations between Europe and the United States were subject to a degree of tension over the past year after Donald Trump returned to the presidency. The US President's plan to annex Greenland also increased Europeans' doubts about Washington's commitment to defending the continent through NATO.

For his part, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio provided limited reassurances in his speech at the conference, and stressed Washington's desire to cooperate with Europe, speaking in a calmer tone than that used by Vice President J.D. Vance last year.

Rubio also expressed his criticism of the European political track in the recent period, but in his speech he did not address NATO, Russia, or the war in Ukraine, which are issues that deepen the dispute between the United States and its European partners in the alliance.

As the war in Ukraine approaches its fifth year, Russia's neighbors in Europe see Moscow as a growing threat, so a number of the continent's leaders announced their intention to accelerate efforts to strengthen their defenses and reduce their dependence on the United States.

According to the scenarios presented, this plan is supposed to come close to Trump's own position, as the US administration expects Europe to bear the primary responsibility for the continent's conventional defense in the coming years, while Washington maintains its nuclear umbrella and continues to support the mutual defense treaty in NATO.

Read also: “Anti-coercion tool”: The last European card to discourage Trump from acquiring Greenland?

A "European pillar" of NATO

During the Munich conference, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer affirmed their commitment to supporting a stronger “European pillar” within the alliance, while strengthening Europe’s defense capabilities was also considered a kind of hedge in the event that Trump or any subsequent American president decided not to defend the continent.

Meretz pointed out in his speech on Friday that "this new beginning is correct in any case, whether the United States continues to move away or remains able to guarantee our security, because we are still unable to provide our security ourselves."

In a move that reflects concern about the future of American guarantees, Mertz explained that he had begun talks with Macron about establishing a European nuclear deterrent.

Today, France has the only independent nuclear deterrent force in Europe, while Britain relies on the Trident nuclear missiles that the United States manufactures and maintains.

Will the actions match the words?

A major question for the Europeans is the extent to which they are able to transform statements into practical steps, through purchasing and developing new weapons systems to fill gaps in areas such as long-range missiles and coordinating efforts between countries.

The indicators at this stage appear inconclusive.

Several European countries increased their military spending due to fear of Russia and Trump's sharp statements. NATO members also agreed last year to increase basic defense spending from 2 percent to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product, with an additional 1.5 percent allocated to other security areas.

According to von der Leyen at the Munich conference, European defense spending rose by about 80 percent compared to the period before the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

Countries on the continent are also working to form alliances to develop advanced weapons systems, as the defense ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden signed a letter of intent on Thursday to strengthen the “European Long-Range Strike Approach” (ELSA) project to develop missiles capable of carrying out “deep strikes.”

In a related development, groups of European countries, on the sidelines of the NATO Defense Ministers’ meeting on Thursday, reached an agreement to cooperate in four projects, including ballistic missile defense and the development of air-launched munitions.

Projects falter due to disagreements

Some major European defense projects are facing difficulties in launching, as the future of the joint Franco-German-Spanish fighter project (FCAS) has been pending for months due to a dispute over the distribution of roles between the participating companies.

Discussions about defense programs within the European Union also led to the emergence of disagreements over whether these projects should be limited to European companies only, or open the door to companies from outside the bloc.

France adheres to a strong position calling for the “Buy European” principle, while countries such as Germany and the Netherlands prefer to adopt a more open policy.

France 24/Reuters

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