Europe Charts a Course for Independent Deterrence

Europe is embarking on a profound strategic reorientation, marking its most substantial shift in defense policy since the Cold War. While U.S. President Donald Trump's public pronouncements dominated the NATO summit in Ankara, significant decisions were made behind the scenes regarding Europe's independent defense capabilities.

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incredible unity and love in the room

Germany, in particular, is taking a leading role in this transformation. Following Canada's accession to a German-Norwegian submarine project, Germany signed a letter of intent with the U.S. to acquire Tomahawk cruise missiles. This acquisition addresses a previous U.S. decision to withdraw planned Tomahawk deployments in Germany. Berlin has also announced plans to develop its own long-range deep-precision strike weapons in parallel with the Tomahawk purchase.

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Europe is building its own conventional strategic strike capability for the first time since the end of the Cold War.

These deep-precision strike weapons, capable of reaching targets 1,500 to over 2,000 kilometers away, are crucial for striking strategic enemy assets. Currently, Europe's own deep-strike capabilities, such as the German Taurus and British Storm Shadow, have a significantly shorter range. The U.S. has historically held a monopoly on these advanced capabilities within NATO. This initiative signifies Europe's determination to bolster its strategic autonomy and reduce reliance on U.S. defense assets.

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The U.S. government wanted to approve the deal in August.