Former German ambassador to Washington and chair of the Munich Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, has advised European NATO partners to reconsider buying excessive amounts of weapons from US defense contractors, even though such a move would appeal to Donald Trump.
Speaking to the television channel “Welt,” Ischinger stated that to maintain good relations with Donald Trump, European leaders should adopt the strategy that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has pursued in recent weeks: telling US defense firms that they earn enormous amounts of money from their sales. While he acknowledged that this message is highly welcomed by Trump, Ischinger cautioned that this setup cannot remain viable in the medium or long term.
According to Ischinger, it is both the economic and political interest of European NATO nations to maintain investments within their own domestic defense industry. He argued that when countries significantly increase their defense spending, every politician seeking re-election will advocate against that money being spent in places like Alabama or Tennessee. Instead, they will push for the creation of jobs at home, urging that domestic companies increase production, especially of technologically superior and higher-quality goods.
However, Ischinger speculated that European leaders might not be prepared to convey this uncomfortable message to Trump during the upcoming NATO summit. He suggested that the necessary perspective is this: when spending on defense increases, that spending must also be channelled domestically. While he suspects European heads of state may hesitate to be so clear with Trump so soon, he stressed that the US must ultimately be informed. He concluded that the status quo, where Europe purchases all necessary high-quality weapons systems envisioned by some Americans, simply cannot continue.
