First, a Leader. Then, 3%.
How Europe Stands Up for Itself.
I’m an American. It feels strange writing about how to manipulate my nation into making a good decision. But when you are faced with catastrophic and juvenile leadership, this is what it comes to.
Europe Stands Tall: How to Bring the U.S. Back to Reality on Ukraine
The U.S. is dragging its feet on Ukraine. Europe is stepping up—but Washington still sees European security as a secondary concern behind its own politics. The U.S. is a necessary partner, but it has to be treated like one—not a benevolent overlord that gets to dictate terms.
Europe must apply real pressure to force Washington back to the table. That means carrots for the American public—reminding them that a strong Europe benefits them. And it means sticks for the U.S. government—targeting the places where Washington is vulnerable. It also certainly means Europe taking responsibility for decades of military mismanagement.
The "Better Together" campaign will take the fight to the U.S. public, showing them that Europe is a full partner, not a burden. Meanwhile, Europe shifts military and economic pressure behind the scenes, forcing the U.S. to reengage on Ukraine—now, not later.
These are not in order, because if it was “LEADERSHIP” would be #1. None of this is possible without leadership.
1. Europe Meets 3% – No More Excuses
For years, the U.S. has demanded that European NATO members spend more on defense. That argument dies today.
European nations commit to spending 3% of GDP on defense, matching the U.S. (currently ~3.3%). —BUDGETS AMENDED EUROPE... Not promises made.
This doesn’t create a single “European military”—but it does mean:
More munitions production.
Better-equipped national forces.
Faster weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
This is not just about NATO—it’s about European security, full stop.
The Carrot: The "Better Together" campaign reminds Americans that a stronger Europe means fewer U.S. deployments and a lower tax burden.
The Stick: If the U.S. drags its feet, European leaders will call them out publicly—flipping the script and making Washington look weak.
NOTE: Another signal that would not only hit the US hard but also Russia is if between the UK, France, and Germany, two of the three would declare an emergency and go onto a war footing. This is a big ask. Especially for Germany… But we are facing BIG PROBLEMS.
2. Shift Military Investment Away from the U.S.—Old & New Players
Europe doesn’t need to keep bankrolling the U.S. defense industry if Washington isn’t serious about Europe/Ukraine. Instead of throwing money at legacy contractors like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, Europe builds its own defense industry while expanding investments into alternative suppliers.
Who benefits?
Legacy European players – Dassault (Rafale), Airbus, KNDS (Leopard, MGCS), MBDA (missiles), Rheinmetall.
Non-U.S. alternatives –
South Korea – K2 tanks, K9 howitzers, FA-50 fighters.
Turkey – Bayraktar drones, TF-X fighter project.
Japan – Tempest fighter project, naval cooperation.
This isn’t about cutting off the U.S. overnight—it’s a slow, deliberate shift that reduces dependency.
What about the new U.S. defense startups?
Anduril and Palantir have relied heavily on Ukraine data to fuel their AI-driven warfare models.
If the U.S. abandons Ukraine, Europe signals that it will slow or limit cooperation with these companies—just enough to make them nervous about losing their edge.
The Carrot: The "Better Together" campaign tells Americans that Europe’s rearmament means more competition and better technology for the U.S., too.
The Stick: U.S. defense firms start losing European contracts, putting pressure on Washington to stay engaged in Ukraine.
3. Strategic Basing Review—A Wake-Up Call for Washington
The U.S. relies on European bases for power projection worldwide. Europe doesn’t need to kick U.S. troops out, but it can introduce uncertainty to shake Washington out of its complacency.
Germany, Italy, and the UK announce a "strategic review" of U.S. military basing agreements.
Poland and the Baltics demand a greater say over U.S. deployments in Eastern Europe.
France signals it is expanding European-led defense cooperation, reducing U.S. dominance over NATO’s European command structure.
The Carrot: The "Better Together" campaign reassures Americans that Europe is taking on more of its own defense.
The Stick: The Pentagon starts sweating about losing its foothold in Europe. U.S. defense planners rush to keep Europe happy.
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4. Semiconductor Flex – Targeting Chip Design & ASML
The U.S. relies on Europe for critical semiconductor tech, but Washington treats Europe like a junior partner in the supply chain. That ends now.
ASML (Netherlands) signals that it’s “diversifying its partnerships.” It doesn’t ban sales to the U.S., but it starts expanding capacity in Europe and Taiwan. It slow walks repairs and upgrades to US lithography machines over those in Europe.
Europe goes after the U.S.'s real semiconductor strength: chip design.
The U.S. dominates in Nvidia, AMD, Qualcomm, Intel, Apple chip design.
Europe poaches top U.S. chip engineers with:
Higher pay, lower taxes, and easier visas.
More R&D freedom (less government oversight).
Strategic partnerships with Taiwan and South Korea to cut into U.S. design dominance.
The Carrot: The "Better Together" campaign reassures Americans that Europe is strengthening the global supply chain.
The Stick: The U.S. semiconductor industry panics as top engineers start leaving. Lobbyists pressure Washington to play nice with Europe.
5. Ireland Sends Signals – Wall Street & Big Tech Get Nervous
Ireland might be militarily neutral but it’s not without “weapons”. Ireland is America’s European gateway for Big Tech and finance. It’s time to use that leverage.
Big Tech Warning: Irish regulators slow down approvals for Meta, Google, and Apple. GDPR enforcement gets stricter.
Wall Street Warning: Ireland adds more scrutiny to U.S. banks like JP Morgan, Citi, and Goldman Sachs.
Military Warning: Ireland “reviews” U.S. military refueling at Shannon Airport.
The Carrot: The "Better Together" campaign tells Americans, “We want to keep a strong U.S.-Ireland partnership, but we need Washington to be serious about Ukraine.”
The Stick: Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and the Pentagon start putting pressure on Washington to stop dragging its feet.
PS… There is nothing the Irish love more than American money, except reminding the Americans that they have all of our money hidden away in Co. Cork.
6. A European Leader Must Emerge
For any of this to work, Europe needs a leader—someone who can unite the majority of 40+ nations behind a singular strategy.
Who can step up?
Macron (France) – Already positioning himself as the face of European military autonomy.
Donald Tusk (Poland) – Poland has been one of Ukraine’s biggest backers and could rally Eastern Europe.
Keir Starmer (UK) – With a fresh government, the UK has the potential to drive transatlantic coordination.
The EU is not a country—but a strong leader can force consensus through diplomatic and economic incentives. Unfortunately the EU is too slow to be effective. It can play a supportive role.
7. How to Accelerate This to Help Ukraine ASAP
Immediate moves:
Public 3% defense spending commitment. Moves to make it real.
Military contract shifts announced within a year.
Ireland signals regulatory pressure on U.S. tech & finance immediately.
Semiconductor talent recruitment starts now.
Short-term impact:
More direct European military aid to Ukraine.
Weapon production scaled up faster with non-U.S. partners.
U.S. business leaders push Washington to stay engaged.
Europe doesn’t need to break ties with the U.S.—it just needs to force it back to reality.
This is how.
👤 About the Author
Benjamin Cook travels to, often lives in, and works in Ukraine, a connection spanning more than 14 years. He holds an MA in International Security and Conflict Studies and has consulted with journalists on AI in drones, U.S. military technology, and related topics. He is co-founder of the NGO UAO, working in southern Ukraine. You can find Mr. Cook between Odesa, Ukraine; Charleston, South Carolina; and Tucson, Arizona.
💬 For direct inquiries or collaborations, contact: Contact me on Substack or visit my webpage at www.bpcusc.com /
