Europe’s Defense Investment Fuels NATO Strength—and U.S. Jobs

Author: Matthew Whitaker
U.S. Ambassador to NATO

The Trump Administration made history in the Netherlands this week, as we ensured that the strongest Alliance in history is prepared to address the threats of tomorrow.

Constructed by the U.S. and our Allies from the ruins of two destructive world wars, NATO has secured nearly eighty years of peace for its members.

Today, we face an increasingly dangerous world - with rising threats from adversaries and instability on NATO’s borders - and our Alliance must once again adapt to meet this moment.

What happened at the NATO Summit in The Hague, is monumental: after years of underinvestment in defense and reliance on the United States, our Allies stepped up to take more responsibility for their own security, following President Trump’s call for Allies to invest more.

As the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, I’ve advanced President Trump’s call for all Allies to commit 5 percent of GDP to defense. This is not a symbolic gesture: NATO’s peace is underpinned by our shared commitment to deter aggressors, and this new era will require greater collective investment.

For NATO to thrive, it must be a true Alliance of equals. As Secretary Rubio said, Europe has a vital stake in securing peace at home. Under Article 3 of the North Atlantic Treaty, Allies must each invest in their individual security.

Now, this includes the full spectrum of deterrence: from missiles and troops to cyber defense, infrastructure, and emerging technologies. As European Allies and Canada step up their investments, they strengthen NATO’s collective defense and reinforce the industrial power that fuels it, much of which is rooted in American communities.

Defense investment by Allies safeguards freedoms for all of us. And it also brings jobs to the United States. In 2024 alone, NATO Allies bought some $21 billion defense equipment from the United States, supporting manufacturing and employment here at home.

During the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Dayton, Ohio, last month, I visited American industry leaders and producers who are transforming Allied defense spending into strength on both sides of the Atlantic. At the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio, I watched U.S. workers assemble Abrams tanks bound for NATO Allies such as Poland. These tanks are more than tools of deterrence and defense: they are the product of our shared resolve and economic opportunity.

When Europe invests in its own defense, it also directly supports American jobs, strengthens our industrial base, and reinforces NATO’s collective security.

Just as the security environment has changed, the way we fight has changed. The conflicts and crises of today - and those to come - will require us to rely on advanced technology just as much as traditional military strength.

The truth is, the gap between American defense innovation and the rest of the world is vast. And for NATO to maintain credible deterrence, the Alliance relies on American technology to provide the backbone of our collective defense. It is American tech companies developing AI-driven manufacturing systems, next-gen defense software, and rapid prototyping platforms that will keep our forces ahead of the curve. Every European defense dollar invested in NATO means new opportunities in American towns developing defense tech.

As we look beyond the NATO Summit in The Hague, bold commitments on defense investment must be matched by action. But the road to a stronger NATO doesn’t start in Brussels. It starts in communities across the United States where leadership, industry, and patriotism come together to support peace.

The story of NATO’s founding reminds us: peace is not a gift, it is earned. It is built through resolve, investment, and the unshakable belief that freedom must be defended. Let’s carry that legacy forward, together, through strength.

Matthew G. Whitaker was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to NATO on April 3, 2025. He previously served as Acting U.S. Attorney General and as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa.