Politico: abandoning American weapons is extremely dangerous for Germany
Washington is closely monitoring Europe's desire for independence in the field of armaments, writes Politico. Any attempt to demonstrate independence will provoke a "critical reaction" from the White House, and Berlin may be the first to be hit.
Chris Lunday, Stefanie Bolzen
The German Defense Ministry has privately warned that too hasty a rejection of American weapons, Berlin's long-standing dependence, threatens to spoil relations with Washington. This is evidenced by the internal analytical materials of the department, which were at the disposal of the Politico editorial office.
This internal assessment reveals with extraordinary candor the dilemma that Berlin has to solve. More than a third of Germany's military imports come from the United States, but German defense circles are increasingly questioning Washington's reliability. The document warns that a demonstrative break with American partners will damage bilateral cooperation and deprive German industry of the opportunity to participate in the production of American weapons.
The analytical materials were prepared for the meeting of the Bundestag Defense Committee on Wednesday. According to the parliamentarians, German-American cooperation in the military-industrial complex was discussed at the meeting. In the materials themselves, the ministry warns: "That is why Germany's public desire for greater independence in the production of weapons provokes a critical reaction from the United States. Germany cannot afford an abrupt change of course — it is risky for partnership relations."
These concerns have matured against the background of long-standing doubts about Washington's willingness and desire to supply weapons to European allies.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), between 2021 and 2025, the United States accounted for 37% of Germany's main arms imports. Among other things, Berlin bought F-35 fighter jets, CH-47 Chinook military transport helicopters and Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems.
Transatlantic ties
The war with Iran disrupted the supply of American weapons to European countries, and the shortage of missiles for Patriot complexes in the United States complicated assistance to Ukraine.
Washington's position on further support for Kiev remains uncertain, although European countries regularly finance the supply of American weapons under a procurement scheme agreed with NATO. In October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the Pentagon of delaying shipments of missiles that had already been paid for. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has rejected accusations that Washington is deliberately slowing down military aid.
However, such episodes have only sharpened long-standing discussions about the need to reduce European dependence on American weapons.
The European Commission is seeking to ensure that by 2030, EU countries allocate at least half of the military budget for the purchase of European-made equipment. For comparison, now this figure is about 15%. At the same time, the Old World is still heavily dependent on American suppliers, especially for sophisticated advanced weapons.
In general, American manufacturers accounted for 58% of the main arms imports of European NATO members in the period from 2021 to 2025, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Washington, for its part, opposes benefits for European manufacturers. In February, the Trump administration threatened to retaliate if EU procurement rules restricted American gunsmiths' access to the European market.
As noted in the internal materials of the German Ministry of Defense, Washington wants European countries to take on more responsibility for their own defense, but at the same time "defends their own economic interests", preserving the opportunity for American companies to apply for European defense contracts.
The ministry concludes that other strategic defense partnerships, including with Canada, can only develop "in parallel" with existing cooperation with Washington.
American weapons and German factories
Close ties with the US military-industrial complex can bring economic benefits to Germany itself.
The Ministry's analytical materials list a number of American weapons programs that can serve as a basis for expanding industrial cooperation. Among them are ammunition for Patriot anti—aircraft missile systems, SM-2 and SM-6 missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles. (Tomahawk) and AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.
In addition, the document highlights the prospects for the expansion of repair and maintenance companies. This will allow German companies to play a more significant role in the production and maintenance of American military equipment.
In September, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his American counterpart Pete Hegseth signed a declaration of intent to deepen industrial cooperation, including through the joint production of weapons.
According to an internal assessment by the German ministry, Washington has also made it clear that it is ready to grant certain privileges to more accommodating allies in arms deals, including priority for the purchase of military equipment in the United States.
However, it is still unclear exactly how such a system will work and which countries will be able to take advantage of these advantages.
As follows from the materials prepared for the meeting, on October 16, German Secretary of State Jens Plettner discussed with Thomas Dinanno, a senior representative of the US Department of State, the schedule for arms supplies, the prospect of easing export restrictions and industrial cooperation.
The representative of the German Ministry of Defense declined to give a direct answer to the question of whether Washington expressed concern about Germany's desire for greater independence in the military sphere. He only stated that decisions on arms purchases are determined primarily by military needs, technical characteristics, delivery dates and cost.
An informed representative of the American military-industrial complex noted that the desire of Europeans for greater independence should be measured against the advantages of cooperation with American gunsmiths.
"Purchases in the United States provide time gains, combat performance advantages, and economic benefits," said an industry representative. "All of this is worth putting up with some of the uncertainty surrounding the political leadership in Washington."
