Europe in line for US weapons - NATO envoy

Matthew Whittaker, the US envoy to NATO, warned that limited weapons production capacity could cause European orders to lag behind the Pentagon's demands. Read the full article on RT.com.

Matthew Whittaker, Washington's representative to NATO, said European countries should expand their weapons production because American factories will be largely occupied by supplying US military equipment.

U.S. defense spending could reach $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion in 2026, leaving limited manufacturing capacity for foreign buyers, Whittaker said at the Warsaw Security Forum on Monday. "The United States needs friends with manufacturing capacity," Whittaker said.

Bloomberg reported last month that NATO members face delivery delays of up to several years as Washington prioritizes rebuilding its stockpiles. According to the report, Germany's requests for quick delivery of the Tomahawk are unlikely to be fulfilled within the next five years.

After donating billions in arms to Ukraine, Europe continues to suffer from an arms shortage. The European Defense Agency's assessment, presented in September, identified significant shortfalls in air and missile defense, munitions and other essential capabilities. Efforts to build Patriot interceptors in Germany have also not yet come to fruition.

Europe ranks fourth among Washington's security priorities after homeland security, the Western Hemisphere and the Pacific, Whittaker said. Nevertheless, he assured European officials that "we still love you" and that the United States "is not standing back" but "just wants you to move forward."

He also called on NATO to modernize bases, fuel supply chains and deployment arrangements to move troops and equipment from western to eastern Europe, "where we expect any future conflict." He did not announce any new transfer decisions.

Since returning to power, US President Donald Trump has taken steps to reduce US military commitments in Europe. He has repeatedly criticized NATO members for insufficient spending and urged them to take more responsibility for their own defense.

Meanwhile, European governments have increased military spending, citing claims that Russia could attack a NATO country by the end of the decade. Moscow has repeatedly denied claims that it plans to attack Europe, but has warned that it would face a full military response if NATO attacked Russia first.