Washington is unhappy that some European arms programs limit U.S. participation.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Wednesday slammed European NATO allies for prioritizing their own defense industry over American arms suppliers, according to three NATO diplomats.

The intervention came during Wednesday’s meeting of NATO foreign ministers — which was skipped by Landau’s boss Marco Rubio.

Landau, a longtime NATO skeptic who spoke first at the closed-door meeting, told ministers not to “bully” his country’s defense firms out of participating in Europe’s rearmament.

  • MehBlah@lemmy.world
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    10 hours ago

    The whole point of Europe handing our defense companies to the rear view mirror is to get away from relying on us. I as a american hope they do. The more they do the smaller US defense companies become and that is a good thing for america and its citizens.

  • SabinStargem@lemmy.today
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    12 hours ago

    Considering that we may have WW3 started by the United States, I very much approve of Europe and friends cutting out America. It would be preferable if they had fully vetted and stockpiled arms, rather than makeshift drones made out of bedframes.

  • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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    10 hours ago

    Biggest global rearming since WW1 and people are cheering about it like they don’t understand what happens next.

    • Humanius@lemmy.world
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      38 minutes ago

      Most people aren’t cheering that we are rearming, but they understand that it is a necessary evil.

      Russia is right at our doorsteps and is increasingly aggressive. So we either rearm in the hope that that threat keeps Russia at bay, or we don’t and will hopelessly lose if Russia invades.

      Personally I prefer the first option.

  • perestroika@slrpnk.net
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    18 hours ago

    Quick, bring out the bicycle meme.

    The US has a president who’s gone to great length in demonstrating that the US is unreliable and could be treacherous.

    For example, why should Denmark or its allies (the entire EU and NATO) buy weapons from a country whose president has indicated that he dreams of annexing Greenland?

    The situation currently is such: Ukraine needs weapons right now, and will happily use European money to buy US weapons. But purchases where multiple alternatives are viable, and there’s no hurry? Countries have started preferring their own weapons, or those of countries that are in the same boat. Depending solely on the US is seen as a vulnerability now.

    Here in Eastern Europe, if offered a choice between a hypothetic identical US missile and a Swedish missile, I would consider it likely that supplies of the US missile may be absent at a critical time, while supplies of a Swedish missile will surely increase at a critical time. They’re under the same umbrella and will help patch it if someone tries breaking it.

  • BeBopALouie@lemmy.ca
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    21 hours ago

    Good. Give nothing to the us of fascistland. Even Canada is going to switch to Europe for planes etc.

  • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Just wait until the post-tariff trade deals start hitting in a year or two.

    America doesn’t have any idea yet the scope of disaster that Donald has created, and the worst part is that he and the other billionaires are insulated from it.

  • k0e3@lemmy.ca
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    2 days ago

    The US just needs to pull itself up by the bootstraps and keep applying to more countries to land a contract.

    • forrgott@lemmy.zip
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      2 days ago

      They literally cannot even imagine the idea that their own actions have consequences. Watching these brainless fucks mesmerize so many people around me is absolutely terrifying.

      And whether you intended that strictly as sarcasm or not - you’re not wrong… We really do need to just sort our shit out as a country already. But there’s still some stubborn idiots like me that refuse to give up. Will it be enough to even give us a chance? I dunno

    • ms.lane@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Yep, America doesn’t like ‘hand outs’ anyway. So they’re honestly doing them a favor.

      • forrgott@lemmy.zip
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        2 days ago

        But you see, we don’t have to earn it - y’all do! Or something. Fuck if I know…

  • tomiant@piefed.social
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    2 days ago

    Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Wednesday slammed European NATO allies for prioritizing their own defense industry over American arms suppliers

    BITCH YOU LITERALLY TOLD US THAT IS WHAT YOU WANTED.

    Get fucked. I don’t consider the US allies anyway, we don’t ally with fascists.

    Edit: i have been informed that I am to ease on the hyperbole, so correction: read the former through a lens of less hyperbole, violence is bad

    • Ninjasftw@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      I think you’ll find that what they wanted was Europe to increase their defences spending by buying US made weapons not make their own.

    • Squizzy@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      They want us to fend for ourselves by buying their stuff.

      They are idots but it is the reasonable position from their point of view. What is completely unreasonable is the move away from Europe and toward authoitarianism.

        • cecilkorik@piefed.ca
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          1 day ago

          “A few turns away” until suddenly the meme of the kid riding a bike shoving a stick in his own spokes.

          Well I guess this game is going to be keeping me up all night after all.

  • DaddleDew@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    It’s like they’re not trusting the US for the defence of their sovereignty. That’s weird. I wonder why.

  • MyBrainHurts@piefed.ca
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    2 days ago

    Tarriftopia complaining about “protectionist and exclusionary policies that bully American companies out of the market” is amazing.