Defend yourselves and don’t rely on the US, senior Washington official tells Europe

I agree, but let’s tell this to the bone heads like Rutte who believes otherwise.

Sure, and likewise don’t rely on Europe to fight in your war for global supremacy against China.

The only immediate threat to Europe is Russia, but Russia is extremely weak. We would need an integrated European army against them, but we don’t need a bigger military.

The secondary threat to Europe is the USA under it’s current psychopathic and insane leadership, but building up a military to fight the USA is unrealistic and it is more reasonable to wait for them to change course or collapse on their own.

The Americans having been pushing back any European efforts of increasing its Defence, precisely so that we would be dependent on the Americans so they could have incredible soft power. And now they expect us to stand on our own own legs within a year and are complaining that they have to protect us. Make it make sense.

Understood, that means we need to make our own stuffs and weapons, stop buying from the US

My favourite part of all of this is that the US has a multi trillion dollar defence industry that completely relies on European and domestic purchases alongside the US military complex mindset that allows them to spend just under 15% of their annual budget on defence.

Without the Europeans purchases and status of the US acting as the ‘world police’ to justify their military spending, they are going to tank their own economy.

It’s pure stupidity for them to believe in isolationism.

The sooner Europe ramps up our own defence industry and unifies it all, the better. We really need to push for a singular European military to become the global leading power and replace the states before China steps in.

If the US expects Europe to defend itself more independently, what does that realistically look like? Larger standing armies? More drones? A unified EU defense force?

So all these Military bases around Europe with Americans.. they wanna lose those or?

Then they throw a tantrum when we give the defence contracts to European companies rather than American ones.

All they really want is us spending more to fund their military-industrial complex

Europe: Okay then.

US: Wait stop….

No one with a half a brain should ever rely on the US on anything anymore in the future

Colby is a strange guy. For obvious reasons not exactly trustworthy, as seen by his influence working directly against Ukraine. Or any other US assistance on the continent for that matter.

But he is not stupid either, like his Boss (Kegbreath) and other Trump officials.

Guy seems to earnestly believe the US needs to go all in against Chinese regional control, even at the cost of outright giving up influence elsewhere.

Even people like Rutte can’t really play off Colby as a fluke or momentary character in the administration. As Colby is quoted in the Article:

>”At the same time, the United States must – and will – prioritise those theatres and challenges where only American power can play a decisive role.”

Not really a short term thing Europe can sit out, no matter how much some politicians would like to. The U.S. as a defence guarantor is gone for good.

Defend yourselves*

* but pls use our weapons

I think we’ve worked that one out for ourselves, thanks!

Just to say next time the US needs to invoke article 5 nobody will show up – unlike both Iraq wars.

that’s what the US are saying from the early 2000s, if China attack Taiwan and start a war in the Pacific Putin will take the chance to attack Europe and the US wouldn’t be able to help

Then remove your bases and stop creating problems around the world. Russia does not need to be Europes enemy. Remember the numbers of soldiers they gave for the Second World War. Russia gave blood, USA simply made a business transaction. A one sided transaction at that.

Those statements are pretty interesting when in reality the US is doijg everything they can to prevent Europe from developping their own armaments. They’ve ven embezzling with us for decades about it. Trump taxes us because we aren’t willing to buy US stuff anymore. Yet in the meantime, some officials like Vance tell us to be independent, with some high ground moral shit in some sort of schizo soup. They don’t want us to rely on them, but they don’t want us to be independent on defense otherwise they can’t sell weapons through NATO anymore. Fucking Americans make no sense sometimes.

Wish we as the EU would just stop giving ameritards our money to support Ukraine. Yall ain’t a reliable partner anymore and we should build upon that and just take away the money you guys earn with weapon sales.

Because fuck you America fuck you.

This guy is a walking paradox. He wants Europe to be strong enough for Russia not to be able to threaten it but also weak enough for the USA to be able to tell us who we can or cannot trade with. How is this even possible? If Russia was no threat to Europe why would Europe even care about America?

**Elbridge Colby told members to get ready for the threat of simultaneous strikes in different parts of the globe, but said the US is not leaving the alliance to fend for itself.**

[**Deborah Haynes**](https://news.sky.com/author/deborah-haynes-653)

Thursday 12 February 2026 20:47, UK

Europe must take the lead in defending itself as the world becomes more militarised, but the US is not abandoning its NATO allies, a top American official has said.

Elbridge Colby, the US Under Secretary of War, said the alliance must be prepared for potential enemies to strike simultaneously in different parts of the globe.

This was why European members of NATO must take the “primary responsibility” when it comes to defending their homeland – as US forces are focused elsewhere.

Ultimately, he said the alliance needs to become a modern version of its original Cold War status – defined by hard and credible fighting strength.

Mr Colby, who was representing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, made the comments at a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels on Thursday.

Allies have tried to play down his boss’s absence as not signalling a reduction in US prioritisation of NATO.

“The world that shaped the habits, assumptions, and force posture of NATO during the so-called ‘unipolar moment’ following the Cold War no longer exists,” Mr Colby said, according to a transcript of his remarks that were published by his department.

“Power politics has returned, and military force is again being employed at a large scale,” he added.

This meant that the United States, under [**Donald Trump**](https://news.sky.com/topic/donald-trump-5711/1), was prioritising the biggest threats to US interests – especially the defence of the US homeland and its interests in the Western Hemisphere.

“At the same time – and critically – the United States and its allies must be prepared for the possibility that potential opponents will act simultaneously across multiple theatres, whether in a coordinated fashion or opportunistically.”

Mark Rutte, the head of NATO, has previously raised the possibility of China making a move on Taiwan, which may draw in US forces, at the same time as Russia seeks to test NATO’s Article 5 principle of collective defence by attacking a European member of the alliance.

This could leave the Europeans and Canada to tackle [**Russian**](https://news.sky.com/topic/russia-5803/1) aggression alone or with only limited US support.