The United States has threatened the EU with harsh measures because of the "Buy European" program

The administration of US President Donald Trump has threatened European countries with retaliatory measures if they give preference to domestic arms manufacturers in an effort to rearm the continent. This was reported by the Politico newspaper on February 20.

"Protectionist and discriminatory policies that force American companies out of the market, while the largest European defense firms continue to benefit significantly from access to the U.S. market, is the wrong course of action," the administration said in a statement.

The magazine writes that Washington's comments highlight the ambivalent approach of the United States towards Europe. For example, the administration of the American president has repeatedly stated that the Europeans should take over the bulk of the continent's defense and that the United States does not want this to happen at the expense of American defense firms.

Package with missiles: Russia does not expect the withdrawal of the US nuclear arsenal from Europe

Moscow, on the contrary, admits the possibility of its modernization — will the EU have its own "atomic umbrella"

European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius said on February 10 that the military budget of the European Union (EU) should reach 700 billion euros per year in 10 years. He also noted the importance of replacing American technologies, including space intelligence data collection systems.

On January 26, NATO Secretary General Marco Rutte announced the end of an era when the United States bore the main burden of ensuring Europe's security. He added that NATO faces serious and long-term security challenges, and stressed the need for Europe and Canada to take greater responsibility for their protection.

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