Americans suspend sales of key weapons to Europe

• Patriot is a popular system but now it will be difficult to acquire it.
• The Americans want to replenish their own weapons stocks.
• For Europe, this is a signal to develop its own anti-aircraft systems.

As the Atlantic newspaper reports: The first sign that something had changed in the US approach to selling military equipment to Europe came when Denmark was close to making a decision on purchasing a multi-billion dollar air defense system.

The first sign of problems was shown by negotiations with Denmark

"For weeks, American and French negotiators vigorously sought a deal. However, as the deadline approached, the Pentagon suddenly lost interest," the newspaper notes.

Finally, Denmark recently signed a $9.1 billion contract with a French-Italian consortium.

Current and former administration officials told the newspaper that the Pentagon has determined there are shortages of some weapons and is taking steps to block new orders for those systems from Europe.

"People we spoke with weren't sure how long the shipments were suspended, how many weapons were on the list, or whether it could be expanded to include even more weapons. However, in a few cases, the restrictions won't apply," the Atlantic reports.

According to the magazine, "recent talks on suspending arms sales do not apply to weapons sent directly to Ukraine, which are covered by a separate program."

The export restriction is dictated by the US's preparations for a conflict with China.

Accumulating valuable systems domestically while significantly limiting their exports is an approach close to some US politicians, who argue that the country should concentrate its defense resources in preparation for a potential conflict with China.

This is also consistent with the shift in defense priorities under the "America First" strategy of the current US administration.

Patriot systems, which lack a European equivalent, are crucial for intercepting missiles and are attracting significant interest from NATO countries and Ukraine, which is defending itself against Russian aggression. As reported by the Atlantic, citing sources within the Ministry of Defense, the US currently has only about a quarter of the number of Patriots needed to implement the Pentagon's operational plans.

For NATO countries, the suspension of sales has both practical and political implications, Atlantic emphasizes. European countries that have transferred significant amounts of their own weapons to Ukraine now urgently want to replace them.

Europe is left without weapons and must rely on its own production

"We pressure the Europeans to send equipment to Ukraine and then deny them the tools to rebuild their own defenses," retired Marine Colonel Mark Cancian said, as quoted by the Atlantic.

This policy could also have economic consequences for Washington. Restricting exports threatens to reduce the revenues of American defense companies, which could impact employment and stifle innovation. At the same time, it opens up new opportunities for European manufacturers, as exemplified by the Danish selection.

Analysts warn that the changing policy could mark a departure from long-standing US practice, under which US arms sales served not only economic purposes but were also the foundation of strategic relations with allies.