World


its military spending, and Wash- ington provides the missiles for its nuclear submarines. An effort to double or triple the


number of nuclear weapons would take years and divert funds for a simultaneous conventional buildup. The most vexing challenge of all


is leadership: Can Europe muster the political will to make such changes? There are promising signs.


In 2024, six European countries agreed to develop ground-launched cruise missiles and work together to increase their munitions production capacity and diversify their suppli- ers, seeking weapons from Brazil, Israel, and South Korea. But Europe’s military buildup


would require buy-in at the national level among states long suspicious of each other. Europe has no defense union yet,


and skeptics say the European Union has proven unable to forge such unity and joint action. The EU has so far been unwilling


to fully integrate their nonmilitary economies. The largest commercial enterprises — banks, automakers, oil companies — remain strictly nation- al enterprises. There have been surprisingly few cross-border mergers despite the existence of a European Parliament, a European central bank, a common currency that includes most Euro- pean members, open borders, and a hugely expensive army of European bureaucrats. “Our industry is still too


small . . . too fragmented, and to be honest, it is too slow,” NATO Sec- retary General Mark Rutte told the European Parliament last year. While Europeans are scrambling


to boost their military production, Vershbow estimates that Europe would need about a decade to pro- duce what it needs for a military confrontation, while Russia could do so in about two or three years. Yet even in Brussels there are signs


of change. 50 NEWSMAX | MAY 2025


RUSSIA vs. NATO (Without U.S.) Russia


NATO


Military Expenditures in U.S. Dollars $86.4 billion


$422.7 billion Active Personnel 1 million 2 million Tanks 12,267 24,172 Artillery 18,266 4,331 Total Aircraft 4,418 653 1 Destroyers 14 Frigates 11 Submarines 66 5,580 79 Nuclear Warheads* 515**


*ESTIMATED. **These belong to the U.K. and France. In addition, the U.S. has nuclear warheads under its control currently deployed at several locations in Europe.


Since Trump’s inauguration, the


EU has created a 150 billion euro supranational loan facility for mili- tary purchases, and loosened rules that prevent the European Invest-


120 23 7,944 Total Navy Ships 1,907 Aircraft Carriers 10 9,564 Rocket Artillery 1,191 6,854 Armored Vehicles 47,750 0.9 million Reserves 1.9 million


Britain’s small nuclear deterrent already consumes a fiſth of all its military spending, and Washington provides the missiles for its nuclear submarines.


ment Bank from investing in the defense sector. A rare successful example of cross-border industrial integration in defense is MBDA, a missile man- ufacturer jointly owned by Britain, France, and Italy. In effect, Trump, says Zanny Min-


ton Beddoes, The Economist’s chief editor, is forcing Europe to become more “Trumpian.” Bremmer says that European


defense integration is likely to be affected by factors beyond its con- trol, such as the nature of the U.S.- Russia relationship. If they become partners, the secu-


rity challenges Europeans face will only grow. Similarly, if populist, right-wing


parties such as the Alternative for Germany come to power, “it’s hard to see the EU holding together as a strong, independent, and inte- grated defense and economic actor,” he said.


Finally, Trump’s own politi-


cal fortunes matter. While Trump accomplished an extraordinary amount during his initial months in office, Bremmer wonders whether he can sustain such momentum for an entire term.


Judith Miller is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and an expert on U.S. foreign policy.


FP CREATIVE STOCK/SHUTTERSTOCK


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