US Commits to Fast-Track Weapons Sales to Europe, Says US Defense Secretary

The United States on February 13 committed to accelerating weapons shipments to Europe, responding to long-standing demands from several European nations seeking to bolster their defense capabilities in a report by Politico.

Speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated, “The United States is committed to expediting the process of ensuring that our allies get what they need when they need it,” referencing future Foreign Military Sales , a US program that facilitates arms purchases by foreign governments.

However, implementation would take time, as many US defense manufacturers are operating at full capacity and would need to expand production and hire additional workers.

Delays in the US’s arms procurement have prompted some allied nations, most notably Poland, NATO's highest defense spender as a percentage of GDP, to turn to South Korean defense suppliers for tanks, aircraft, and long-range artillery, which are delivered more swiftly.

Since assuming office last fall, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has urged Washington to streamline arms sales by reducing bureaucratic obstacles and expediting Foreign Military Sales procedures.

The initiative has received mixed reactions within Europe. While French officials warn that easing US arms sales could harm European defense manufacturers, German lawmakers have voiced support. “There is a lot of potential in Rutte’s demand. It could reduce political disputes within NATO and convince Trump [with] an economic argument,” said Jürgen Hardt, a German MP and foreign policy spokesperson for the CDU/CSU, in an interview with Politico last month.

Standing alongside Hegseth at NATO headquarters on Thursday, Rutte emphasized the necessity of expanding defense production, stating, “it’s only fair, it’s only sensible,” he said, to discuss increasing defense industrial production adding that NATO does not produce enough. This includes the US. We need to significantly enhance output from our defense industrial base to keep pace with Russia, China, and others.”

The United States, the world’s largest arms exporter, recorded $117 billion in defense sales in 2024, nearly doubling the previous year’s total and marking the highest annual foreign military sales figure on record, according to the US State Department.

Meanwhile, the European Commission is exploring strategies to strengthen the bloc’s domestic defense industry and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, including those from the US

Hegseth reiterated Washington’s push for NATO allies to increase defense spending to “up to 5 percent” of GDP, more than double NATO’s current 2 percent benchmark, which 24 of the alliance’s 32 member states currently meet.

Earlier, NATO allies remain committed to supplying military aid to Ukraine and will continue to meet their obligations, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated ahead of a Ukraine-NATO Council meeting in Brussels, on February 13.