Europe's dilemma: Why it can't take a step without the US

Washington (The Uttam Hindu): In his second term, US President Donald Trump has adopted a tough stance towards his allies and has imposed a 10 percent tariff on eight European countries. Trump has taken this step due to his long-standing desire to acquire Greenland, even though all these countries are NATO members. Along with imposing the tariff, President Trump bluntly said that for the past several years, America has been providing free security to all the countries of the European Union, including Denmark, but now the time has come for these countries to repay this debt to America.

Without America, NATO will become a 'paper tiger'

Despite Trump's aggressive decision, the lack of any concrete retaliatory action from the European Union is proof of how much Europe depends on the US for its security. According to defense experts, the US is the backbone of NATO, as it alone provides more than 70 percent of the organization's military capabilities. Europe's nuclear deterrence rests primarily on the US, Britain, and France. Furthermore, the US possesses crucial technologies such as missile defense, satellite intelligence, and logistics to counter powerful countries like Russia. If the US withdraws from NATO, the organization will be reduced to mere paper.

Europe lags far behind in modern warfare capabilities

European countries have sufficient tanks and troops, but they lack the resources necessary for modern warfare. These requirements, such as air dominance, drone warfare, long-range missile systems, and global military logistics, are largely met by the United States. Even during the Ukraine war, Europe remained dependent on Washington for its defense needs.

Dependent on America for economy and energy too

America also has the upper hand on the economic front. According to 2025 projections, while the combined economy of Europe is $19.99 trillion, America's economy alone has reached $30.5 trillion. Furthermore, most European countries do not spend even 2% of their GDP on defense. If America were to relinquish its security responsibilities, Europe would have to increase its defense budget two to three times, which would directly impact its citizens in the form of tax burdens and cuts to welfare programs.

Europe is also increasingly looking to the United States for energy security since the imposition of sanctions on Russia. Europe has now become the largest importer of American LNG and crude oil. Countries like Germany, France, and Italy have even built new terminals for American gas. Furthermore, Europe is dependent on the United States for the supply of high-tech chips needed for defense, AI, and missile systems. Experts believe that it may take 15 to 20 years for Europe to become self-sufficient again, requiring it to take drastic steps such as building a joint military and investing heavily in the defense industry.