Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albarez said Europe needs to create its own unified armed forces because it can no longer rely on the United States for security.

"We can't wake up every morning wondering what the US will do next," — he emphasized in an interview with Semafor.

This statement comes amid ongoing tensions between the United States and its European NATO allies, fueled by the actions of the Donald Trump administration. The rift within the alliance has deepened following the launch of the US-Israeli military operation against Iran on February 28, which NATO members refused to support.

Brussels and EU member states are preparing to allocate $943 billion in defense spending by 2030. These plans are driven by a growing awareness of the need for Europe's strategic autonomy. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), global military spending in 2025 will reach a record $2,887 trillion, with Germany increasing its defense budget by 24% to $114 billion, exceeding 2% of GDP for the first time since 1990.

The idea of ​​creating a European army has been discussed for many years. In January 2026, European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius proposed the creation of a standing EU armed force of 100 troops. However, this initiative was met with skepticism from EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas, who stated that she "cannot imagine creating a separate European army," warning of the risk of creating parallel and unclear command structures.

Europe's digital dependence on the United States is also a significant factor. European companies are critically dependent on American digital services, and Washington, according to analysts, is increasingly using this leverage. This adds credence to proponents of European strategic autonomy, who see building their own army and strengthening technological sovereignty as a way to reduce their vulnerability to US political volatility.

According to SIPRI, the combined defense budget of NATO countries in 2025 was $1,581 trillion, or 55% of global military spending. The bloc plans to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. The EU's top diplomat, however, emphasized that 23 EU countries are already members of NATO, and the creation of a completely separate European army could lead to confusion in the command structure and duplication of efforts.