It really did not mean that -- it meant to increase spending to the targets set by NATO and to meet realistic defense needs.

A lot of EU weaponry was and is produced in the EU and the US has known that all along, cooperated and fostered it. The Leopard tank, the Eurofighter, the Rafale, the Lynx, the FV432, the Gazelle -- there is a long list of domestic weapons systems. I'm not sure if they still can do it, but the English made nuclear submarines. The US has at various times partnered with Europe on the development of these systems, and Europe has been able to produce almost all major weapons systems continuously since the end of World War 2.

Europe's much weakened defense posture -- and weakened defense industry -- are their own fault and the result of their own choices. At one time, European countries had much, much larger militaries and could sustain manufacturing of their specific weapon systems -- their own tanks, APCs -- but not after the military drawdowns following the end of the Cold War. There are at least 3 major domestic European tank types -- the Leopard, the Challenger and the Leclerc -- but only the Leopard is manufactured anymore. Europe should probably have consolidated on the Leopard a long time ago.

The US weapons are not "overpriced", and certainly not compared to European weapons, beyond the sense in which basically all western weapons are overpriced. One reason we see consolidation on US weapons in Europe is that the US weapons are frequently very good, having received a lot of use, but also because the US still has some scale in its manufacturing capabilities.

Don‘t forget the kill switches

Watch Trump's meetings with NATO from 2016-2019 on Youtube. He's saying exactly the same things about Europe, but nicer.

Nice didn't work. Even Russia invading a European county didn't work. Europe's head has been firmly planted in the sand for too long.

If the EU can find a path to a balanced deal with China, great -- but becoming a Chinese vassal would not improve the situation.

EU aligning heavily with China is a fantasy.

You really think EU is going to ally with China over japan, south korea, philipines, and Australia?

You really think Russia's current number 1 ally is all of a sudden going to be best friends with EU?

China and North korea are ACTIVELY supporting a war in Europe! China has openly threatened Australia. There are literal north korean troops shooting Europeans right now. Who is north korea's number 1 supporter?

The whole point is the USA has been complaining that the EU was/is reducing itself to a vassal. No matter what the USA said or did before they didn't seem to care that they had no power anymore because the USA was there to take care of them.

The EU can't realign itself with China because that would destroy the last fragile bits of the EU economy that are left. They are already having issues with the excess supply lands on their shores even since the USA started tariffs with China. They can't deal with this long term.

If you look at actions and results the western alliance is the strongest it has ever been and going to be significantly stronger over the next decade.

Again my point is a theory that either EU and US found a way to make EU citizens get behind military spending or the US found a way to manipulate EU to do it.

You'll know if US and EU are actually not aligned if EU sides with China over USA (which would be suprising to say the least)

The EU's actions over the last 30 years have undermined it almost perfectly.

Twitter can think what it wants.

The western alliance as of today is about as strong as its ever been. They are actively dismantling and destroying their enemies together one by one.

Words matter little when US's alternative is actively supporting a war in europe.

I would like to think US has EU interest at heart, a kind of tough love you would hope. But even if they don't all of their reactions have actively helped the US geopolitical goals.

> You appear to be suggesting that the US has the EU's best interests at heart.

The US might or might not have Europe's best interest at heart or the European peoples' best interest at heart. But certainly not the European Union's best interest.

The US wants us to spend more on military but not on our own weapons but to spend all our money buying US made stuff.

To underline this point:

https://www.newsweek.com/europes-plan-ditch-us-weapons-spook...

And a few innovative Europeans look on EU regulation with disgust and leave, taking their companies with them.

Honestly so often I take my EU consumer and worker rights for granted, only to hear that they simply don't exist for 90+% of Americans. Amd then I wonder how they even live over there.