Germany fears breaking dependence on US weapons could strain transatlantic ties
BERLIN — Germany's defense ministry has privately warned that moving too quickly to reduce the country's dependence on American weapons could jeopardize relations with Washington, according to internal briefing materials obtained by POLITICO.
The internal assessment offers an unusually frank look at Berlin’s dilemma. Germany gets more than a third of its major arms imports from the U.S., but parts of Berlin's defense establishment increasingly doubt Washington’s reliability. The briefing warns that visibly pulling away could damage the partnership and cost German industry a role in producing American weapons.
The briefing notes were prepared ahead of Wednesday’s meeting of the German parliament’s defense committee, where parliamentary officials said lawmakers discussed German-American defense cooperation. In the notes, the ministry itself cautioned that “a publicly expressed German desire for autonomy in arms projects is therefore viewed critically by the United States. Germany cannot afford abrupt changes of course without jeopardizing the partnership.”
The concerns come amid mounting uncertainty about Washington's willingness and ability to supply weapons to European allies.
The U.S. supplied 37% of Germany’s major arms imports between 2021 and 2025, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The purchases include F-35 fighter jets, CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters and Patriot air defense systems.
The war in Iran has disrupted American arms deliveries to European countries, while U.S. Patriot missile shortages have complicated efforts to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian attacks.
Washington's support for Kyiv is uncertain, even as European countries finance American weapons deliveries through a NATO-coordinated purchasing scheme. In October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the Pentagon of delaying missiles already paid for by allies. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that Washington was deliberately withholding military support.
Those episodes have added urgency to Europe's long debate over reducing its reliance on American weapons.
The European Commission wants EU countries to spend at least half of their defense procurement budgets on European-made equipment by 2030; the figure is about 15% now. The continent remains heavily reliant on American suppliers, particularly for sophisticated weapons systems.
As a whole, U.S. manufacturers accounted for 58% of major arms imported by European NATO members between 2021 and 2025, according to SIPRI.
Washington has pushed back against efforts to favor European suppliers. In February, the Trump administration threatened retaliatory measures if EU procurement rules restricted American arms manufacturers' access to the European market.
Washington wants European countries to shoulder more responsibility for their defense, while also seeking to “protect its economic interests” by ensuring American companies remain in contention for European arms contracts, the notes say.
The ministry concludes that developing other strategic defense partnerships, including with Canada, “can therefore only take place in parallel” with existing cooperation with Washington.
Keeping close defense sector ties with the U.S. also has potential economic benefits for Germany.
The ministry notes identify several American weapons programs as potential areas for closer industrial cooperation, including Patriot air-defense ammunition, SM-2 and SM-6 missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles and AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.
The notes also identify opportunities to expand maintenance facilities, potentially giving German companies a larger role in producing and servicing American military equipment.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his American counterpart Pete Hegseth signed a declaration of intent in September to deepen industrial cooperation, including through joint production.
The ministry's internal evaluation says Washington has also held out the prospect of preferential treatment for cooperating allies in U.S. government-to-government weapons sales, potentially giving them priority when purchasing American equipment.
However, it remains unclear how such arrangements would work or which countries might benefit.
German Defense State Secretary Jens Plötner discussed delivery schedules, possible export easements and industrial cooperation with senior U.S. State Department official Thomas DiNanno on Oct. 16, according to the briefing.
Asked whether Washington had expressed concerns about greater German defense independence, a defense ministry spokesperson did not directly address the question, saying weapons purchases were driven primarily by military requirements, technical considerations, delivery schedules and costs.
An American defense industry source familiar with the issue argued that Europe's ambitions for greater independence need to be weighed against the advantages offered by American manufacturers.
“Buying U.S. has a time advantage, a performance advantage, an economic advantage,” the industry source said. “This is worth a little bit of uncertainty when it comes to political leadership in Washington.”
