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Posted on 07/05/2026 12:36:24 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
BRUSSELS—When NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte took office in 2024, his biggest challenge was getting the alliance’s European members to spend more on defense.
Now, with tens of billions of new dollars pouring into the continent’s militaries, the problem is how to quickly turn that money into potent weapons and more capable armed forces.
“A year ago was all about promises” of additional spending, Rutte told The Wall Street Journal ahead of the planned North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Ankara, Turkey, this week. This year “it’s about delivery,” he said.
It is a high-stakes race, with the allies caught between an increasingly belligerent and well-armed Russia to the east and, to the west, an American president who publicly questions NATO’s value and whose aides have signaled plans to scale back U.S. military commitments to Europe.
On Thursday, in a post on Truth Social, Trump complained about European military spending and said the U.S. doesn’t get “any benefit” from belonging to NATO.
During a televised Oval Office visit with Trump, Rutte touted the defense-spending increases by European allies and Canada, which he dubbed the “Trump Trillion.” His message: Europe has stepped up and responded to U.S. demands that it do more, building a NATO 3.0.
Last year, the alliance’s non-U.S. members boosted military spending by 20% over 2024 levels, to $574 billion, according to NATO. German outlays rose 24%, to $114 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, and Berlin is aiming to spend roughly $180 billion in 2029—roughly triple the 2024 level.
Already the pace and scope of Europe’s increases are threatening to outstrip defense contractors’ ability to keep up with demand for sophisticated armaments. Around $300 billion in weapons have been ordered from U.S. companies, Rutte said.
“We are basically reaching the absorption-capacity level,” Rutte said, with...
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
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“Now, with tens of billions of new dollars pouring into the continent’s militaries…”
In terms of military spending tens of billions is a trickle.
The problem isn’t cash flow — it’s lack of productive capacity and fighting men. You can’t fight a war with an economy based on solar and wind power. You can’t fight battles with woke women and metro-sexual males.
Allocating money is not the same as writing the check/spending it.
This is Europe.
Amber Heard taught us that.
with tens of billions of new dollars pouring into the continent’s militaries, IF they were smart, they’d abandon plans to churn out tens of billions worth of obsolete heavy tanks, and instead concentrate on drone and anti-drone technology, as well as high-tech smart artillery, and smart everything for that matter ...
What is the purpose of NATO and why has the USA not left it?
BTW, on the subject of munitions replenishment, the Pentagon publicly stated it wants $80-200 billion tax dollars to cover costs of the Iranian war including “Munitions Replenishment.”
All this Iranian “peace and prosperity” comes at a steep price for US taxpayers.
The US and Israeli estimated 10,000 bombing sorties rapidly exhausted valuable, high-end US weapon stockpiles, and $billions of tax dollars are required to restock the US arsenal for other global threats that might endanger American families.
The Pentagon has critically depleted US stockpiles of key precision-guided missiles and interceptors to defend American families due to sustained Mideast conflicts.
Replenishing US military arsenals is expected to take 1-6 years. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) highlight the depletion levels of critical US munitions.
<>Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM): At least 45% of the stockpile has been used.
<>THAAD Interceptors: At least 50% of the inventory is depleted.
<>Patriot Air Defense: Nearly 50% of the stockpile has been expended.
<>Tomahawk Missiles: Roughly 30% of the arsenal has been utilized.
Defense analysts note that ramping up arms manufacturing faces structural bottlenecks, including long lead times for specialized materials, workforce constraints, and supply chain issues. Even with expanded capacity, it will take major defense contractors—such as Lockheed Martin and RTX—several years to rebuild pre-war inventory levels earmarked to protect American families.
Homeland and Global Defense: Munition shortages have forced the Pentagon to carefully weigh deployments. For example, interceptors and air defense systems originally stationed in Asia to deter regional threats have been diverted.
Near-Term Vulnerability: The depletion of long-range capabilities poses a potential risk should a conflict arise in another theater, such as the Indo-Pacific or other theaters of aggression that endanger American families.
How does a military be a military without weapons and ammo?
It’s amazing that the Ukraine “Special Military Operation” has been going on since 2022 and the Euros are finally getting semi-serious about ramping up their millitaries.
They thought that the US would be Uncle Sugar for the entire ride.
Maybe, but most the EU member states manufacturing has crashed, notably Germany. Rheinmetal, Germaine’s largest defense company can’t even fulfill the munitions obligations from 2023.
Throw in they blew up the Nordstream pipeline ( fools) and for example a 155mm artillery shell cost went up 5x. They relied on cheap energy, commodities and metal from Russia ( fools, again). The seven VW plants that shut down are now being discussed to retool them for Defense.
It will take a decade.
At Ft Polk basic they were saving our urine for some reason during Vietnam, we were told it was for explosives but that was just the drill sergeant’s statement.
As far as weapons and ammo NATO countries have greatly increased manufacturing, and some are now starting to make Patriot missiles and systems.
I’ve read that the Germans are seeking to domestically produce a number of American weapon systems under license. Their economy could certainly use that stimulus as their national leadership has seemingly been doing every thing they can to DEINDUSTRIALIZE their country’s domestic economy.
Maybe they are beginning to come to their senses under prodding from the AfD.
I have several acquaintances in Ukraine. One lost her husband and one lost her father. Ukraine men in the front lines, or who have been in the front lines, have been amazingly brave and with little to back them up. I should say too that a few women (relative to the # of men) have also lost their lives in the front lines of Ukraine.
As far as weapons and ammo NATO countries have greatly increased manufacturing
Youbelieve in Unicorns, I don’t.
US Military Using More Missiles to Defend Israel Than Israel Itself
Raises questions about the US-Israeli relationship
Weapons used on Iran were designed to protect American families
By Shireen Akram-Boshar, Truthout.org, May 22, 2026
The US is using more of its tax dollar paid arms resources to defend Israel than Israel itself uses, according to U.S. officials who spoke to The Washington Post. The officials disclosed that the U.S. military has depleted much of its missile-defense inventory after using far more of the weaponry to defend Israel throughout the war on Iran than Israel has used itself.
The U.S. has launched more than 200 THAAD missiles, approximately half of the Pentagon’s total stock, as well as over 100 Standard Missile-3 and Standard Missile-6 interceptors fired from naval vessels in the Mediterranean. Israel, on the other hand, fired fewer than 100 of its Arrow interceptors and around 90 David’s Sling interceptors — often firing these second-rate missiles when countering rockets fired by Hezbollah or the Houthis, and preserving its higher-end interceptors.
This raises questions both about the U.S.’s relationship with Israel as well as the U.S.’s use of weapons throughout the war on Iran. Since the 1979 Iranian Revolution that overthrew Iran’s US-backed Shah, Israel reportedly pressured Trump to begin the war on Iran. Netanyahu’s administration has consistently pushed for a more aggressive approach, demanding that the war resume and even suggesting the need for ground troops to invade Iran. On Tuesday, Trump and Netanyahu spoke in a “tense conversation” that highlighted their divergent views on the way forward, after Trump canceled his latest planned strikes on Iran.
Nonetheless, Trump insisted that he had the final word. But the US’s depletion of its own missiles (designed to protect American families) in defense of Israel show both its prioritization of Israel as well as its reckless use of weaponry throughout the war.
Earlier in May, concerns were raised about the U.S.’s use of weapons stockpiles throughout the war on Iran. Department of Defense reports showed that the military had depleted much of its stocks of Tomahawks, Patriots, and other munitions that could take years to replenish.
At the start of the war, Trump said that the US has “virtually unlimited” munitions that would allow it to fight wars “forever.” He claimed that stockpiles of medium and upper-grade munitions have “never been higher or better.” But the Trump administration has consistently repeated falsehoods throughout the course of its war, both about its own performance and Iran’s weaknesses.
Hegseth and Trump have both downplayed the deaths of U.S. troops at military bases struck by Iran in the region as well as the extent of the damage to these bases. And they have claimed to have “decimated” Iran’s military and missile stockpiles, while reports have found that its missile stockpile is still largely intact.
The Gauleiter speaks!
You don’t pay attention at all to the new production rates, new factories, and even some of those countries now starting to produce patriot missiles and systems, you don’t look at any of it yet post the stuff you post?
These massive increases have been going on for years now, in America, in the NATO countries, South Korea, Japan, even non-Ukraine factories inside Ukraine and you somehow missed all of it?
Things haven’t been standing still since Russia started the invasion so many years ago.
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