The United States has told European allies it wants them to continue buying American-made weapons, the response comes amid recent moves by the European Union to limit the participation of American manufacturers in arms tenders, Reuters News Agency reports.
The messages sent by Washington in recent weeks come as the EU is taking steps to boost the development of Europe’s arms industry, potentially limiting purchases of certain types of American weapons. The Trump administration’s early foreign policy moves, including cutting military aid to Ukraine and easing pressure on Moscow, have deeply unnerved European allies, leading many to question whether the United States is a reliable partner.
In mid-March, the European Commission, the EU's executive body, proposed increasing military spending and pooling resources on joint defense projects, as Europe worries about the reduction of U.S. military engagement under the presidency of Donald Trump.
Some of the proposed measures could mean a smaller role for non-EU companies, including those based in the US and UK, experts say, Reuters quotes.
In a March 25 meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the foreign ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia that the United States wants to continue participating in EU defense procurement, Reuters sources said. According to two sources who spoke to Reuters, Rubio said that any exclusion of American companies from European tenders would be viewed negatively by Washington, which the two sources interpreted as a reference to the proposed EU rules. A northern European diplomat who was not part of the Baltic meeting said they had also been told recently by US officials that any exclusion from EU arms procurement would be viewed as inappropriate. (A2 Televizion)
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