'Any weapon Europe buys from the US is a liability', rearmament expert says

European NATO allies are diversifying their weapons procurement away from U.S. suppliers while simultaneously boosting defense budgets, according to recent spending patterns. Guntram Wolff, a Senior Fellow at the Bruegel think tank, argues that purchasing American military equipment carries strategic risks, warning that U.S. weapons create technological dependence and undermine Europe's ability to develop its own domestic defense industrial capacity. The shift reflects broader European concerns about long-term reliance on American military support and a desire to build independent military capabilities within the continent. This trend accelerated following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which prompted NATO members to recalibrate defense priorities and reduce vulnerabilities tied to external suppliers.