Europe Has a ‘Guns vs. Butter’ Problem

New York Times: “If there is one thing American and European leaders agree on at a fractured time in trans-Atlantic relations, it’s that Europe has spent much too little, for far too long, on its own defense.”

“War in Iran has underscored that point, reducing even Europe’s strongest militaries to bystander status as the United States and Israel rain missiles on Tehran. Privately, European officials say they have little leverage to pressure President Trump to end the war quickly, largely because they do not have the offensive or defensive firepower to alter the course of the fighting.”

“The war has also complicated European leaders’ efforts to change that dynamic. It has further strained an already difficult trade-off between what governments spend on people and what they spend on the machines of war.”