from breakfastmtn@piefed.ca to world@lemmy.world on 20 Feb 2026 08:26
https://piefed.ca/c/world/p/538343/pentagon-aggressively-lobbies-eu-against-buy-european-weapons-push
In previously unreported remarks, the U.S. administration warned Brussels that it will retaliate if Europeans “strong-arm American companies out of the market.”
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has threatened to retaliate against European countries if the EU favors domestic weapons-makers in a drive to rearm the continent.
The U.S. Department of Defense objected to any EU effort to limit American arms-manufacturers’ access to the European market and warned that would trigger a reciprocal response.
The administration made the previously unreported remarks in a contribution to a European Commission consultation earlier this month, after the EU’s executive branch requested feedback from governments and industry on European weapons procurement rules.
#world
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«You need to become more self reliant, and take more responsibility…» «NOOO, not like that 😭»
The “… with USA arms so buy buy buy” was always strongly suggested and the whole point of the exercise.
“you have to spend 2% of your GPD on OUR weapons!!”
This should just reinforce our [!BuyFromEU@lemmy.dbzer0.com motivations as European individuals !
There are five asses to suck, get at it…lol
Another classic case of extortion and threats from American markets.
Expect hostile reaction if you exercise your right to free choice of suppliers. /s
Fucking bullies.
Edit: also - politico bad.
So let me get this straight. From the US admin we hear.
-NATO countries cannot rely on USA to help them if they need us.
-NATO countries should be ensuring they can defend themselves.
But also
-You'd also still better buy all your shit from us!
They're like the stereotypical bully.. "Stop hitting yourself"
It’s more like “buy more stuff, also buy it from us”.
No surprise. This is why they want counties to increase their military spending. To increase the money pouring into the military industrial complex.
Yes.
I mean it’s great if the NATO members spend equally to their abilities, but specifically Trump wanted to get his buddies from the military industry complex to benefit, that’s why he kept bringing it up constantly, to the detriment of the alliance.
fuck you and buy my shit
Certainly is some sort of tactic
Lol. Isnt this just capitalism?
If only there was some warning…
youtu.be/cyZoUfNsUl8
Well it’s time for EU to assume our decisions and not backtrack on that question.
Okay, but a bunch of highly paid lobbyists just showed up to bribe and browbeat us into caving immediately
Hopefully voters will punish any Quisling who caves to American pressure.
Why? To have a kill switch or an inferior grade in every advanced weapon as Trump himself said?
Isn’t this the free market they love so much?
Uhm, no. The EU specifically excluding providers based on their location is very much not the free market at work.
(They can get fucked tho, euro products all the way baby)
I’d argue that the Trumps implication that the US can disable many of these weapons remotely is already a perfectly valid free market reason to not buy them, I mean who wants a back door built into your self defence apparatus?
Agreed. Trump has made it clear that Europe needs weapons primarily to defend itself from the USA.
It wasn’t Iran that threatened to invade Greenland. Wasn’t russia financing Canadian separatists and threatening to annex a Nato member.
America is a gangster state. Boycotting the USA is a free-market decision, and the ONLY rational one.
Thats a free market reason not to buy them, but not what is happening. The EU arming initiative stipulates specifically that x% of the procurement must be from EU producers, no? Not free market then.
Did the president allude to the kill switches in the gear? I missed that, I believe in the kill switches though.
It’s the EU making the purchase though. Voting with its wallet so to speak. Nobody forces anyone to do anything.
Me not buying McDonald’s is not a distortion of the free market either, just a healthy dietary and monetary decision.
The usa: “Buy our stuff and there may be a tween in it for you somewhere down the line! Trust us!”
So it’s a tribute they want
“I hate you all”, said the fat orange paedo, “but, you know, buy our weapons. And tech. And food. And films. And other things…but, remember, I hate you all. BUY OUR WEAPONS THOUGH!”
“Fuck you money now, now money now, or I hurt you money give, smile or hurt. We friend, more money now”
Of course they do. There will be nothing of substance attached, but of course they do, it’s staffed by fucking imbeciles.
It is way past time to put the industrial military complex to rest. We can solve our problems without blowing each other up. At this point I suspect they are the ones manufacturing conflicts.
Problem with arms races is you can’t end them unless everyone agrees to end them, otherwise you just forfeit.
I think the majority agree wars/conflicts should end. It is the monied minority keeping it going. How long will we let them pit human against each other to line their pocket books?
Oh I agree, but as long as they can find people to buy their weapons (even on credit that depends on successfully using them) or weild them for them, they won’t be going anywhere. And automation is quickly approaching the point where they won’t even need others to choose to fight.
Realistically, the average person against cashed up arms dealers who can hire mercenaries at the drop of a hat aren’t really in a position to ‘let’ anyone do anything.
Oh yeah of course. I was more speaking to the psychological factors of why we fall for the artificial hate.
Unless there was a record-setting gofundme, and we could hire the most mercenaries …
The pentagon and their arms contractors probably don’t appreciate us going around endorsing the rumours that they have kills switches in a lot of their gear. Tough shit should’ve thought of that before you endorsed Israel’s bullshit to cancel the first amendment and retaliate against american citizens for exercising an opinion.
Here is my Canadian reaction.
Bwahahahahaha… No.
Et le reaction en francais pour les Quebecois:
Ahhhonhonhohohhon… Non, tabernak ostie.
What is the difference between USA and Russia at this point ?
Borscht.
To be fair, the US still has the best smoked beef products.
But making us suffer the consequences of our own actions is unfair!
The Trump administration: No ability to negotiate, only threaten and bully. The diplomatic equivalent of little dick energy.
I wonder where the little dick energy comes from 🍊 🍆 🤏
US weapons are unreliable, because the US is unreliable. They’ve made that very clear over the last 10 years.
Why should anyone in Europe invest further into US weapons, when the US have threaten to annex part of EU territory?
This is so psychotic.
They’re essentially saying “If you don’t by your weapons from us instead of being self-reliant, then you’re strong-arming us out if your market, so we’re going to strong-arm you into buying our weapons even though you don’t want to. GIVE US YOUR MONEY OR ELSE WE’LL RETALIATE AGAINST YOU!”
I’m so tired of this abusive mentality.
I wonder what the US MIC is really thinking. More stupid threats dissuade the Europeans from purchasing US made weapons. For every US Dollar spent on NATO, $10.00 returned to the USA. MAGA fucked it all up, tough shit and we will build our own weapon systems with European currency.
If Americans want to isolate, let them fucking isolate. Don’t fall for their bullshit.