A top EU defense official insisted Europe is ready to ramp up defense spending to become less reliant on the US while dealing with “clear and present danger” from Russia.
The US has “the right and the reason” to turn away from European conflicts and “to shift more and more towards the Indo-Pacific, in order to mitigate Chinese rising military power,” European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said at the EU Defense Night Monday evening.
Kubilius’ visit — his first to Washington as commissioner, a new role — also comes at a time of heightened transatlantic trade tensions.
“It does not help,” he told Semafor when asked about trade conflicts’ effects on broader relations.
“Allies are allies, and allies should also be treated in a different way when it comes to trade,” David McAllister, a member of the European Parliament, said during one panel discussion.