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S Illinois | The problem of that line of thinking is the US isn't carrying the EU. It's a line used for political gain to make Americans think they are getting screwed. US military spending isn't to protect the EU, it's to allow the US to go where they want when they want. The US contributes 16% of the NATO budget which amounts to 1% of total US military spending. 99% of the US military budget is to do with however the US pleases or purchase what the US sees fit to spend on. Those GDP% numbers always thrown out are what each country spend on their own military. The spending is not for some common fund or for some major NATO army.
The EU spends multiples of what Russia did even prior to the recent uptick by Russia with their Ukraine operations. And much of that spending is on US made equipment. This can lead to military cost savings as the R&D can be spread across a larger number of units built. So with the NATO alliance, the US has a well placed, economic equivalent, large military spending block that protects the US flank and staging to allow for rapid deployment if American interests are being challenged. The US depends heavily on the shared intelligence, logistics and background work that the EU is good at. One doesn't get rid of those allies if one has fear of a larger conflict.
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Is the Greenland talk a concern to the markets?
