The European Union (EU) is facing the risk of the US cutting off important software updates for US-made military equipment, according to an article in a major US newspaper, cited by RT.
This concern stems from uncertainty surrounding the future of NATO and US President Donald Trump's foreign policy.
Despite committing to investing nearly €14,000 billion in defense in the next decade, Europe still lacks a technological foundation to meet that ambition. The European Commission has recently allowed the use of about €335 billion from the post-pandemic recovery fund for military purposes and launched a €150 billion debt fund to support defense efforts.
Ukraine also has access to these subsidies like EU member states. Russia has criticized the above steps, considering them hostile actions by Europe.
However, the US newspaper said that the EU is still not yet capable of developing advanced military systems to replace US-supplied technologies, such as the F-35 stealth fighter with a price of about $80 million per fighter.
The EU's heavy reliance on the US platform - from missile defense systems, missile launchers to cyber warfare tools - has forced it to rely on periodic software updates from Washington.
Some officials are concerned that the US may stop providing these essential updates, especially in the context of Mr. Trump resuming relations with Russia and expressing skepticism about NATO commitments.
While NATO members have agreed to spend 3.5% of their budget on core military spending and 1.5% on areas such as cybersecurity and civil infrastructure, the question of the EU's strategic independence remains unanswered.
These concerns became more urgent after the Trump administration suspended the transfer of some weapons to Ukraine, forcing EU countries to make up for the shortfall. Russia has welcomed the move and said it could be a stepping stone to end the conflict.
The EU's internal debate on whether to build its own defense industry or continue to rely on US technology is ongoing. Many experts say that, in order to increase autonomy, Europe will find it difficult to escape the military technological dominance of Washington soon.
