European countries purchase significant amounts of American weapon systems and military equipment, making US companies the main beneficiaries of the increased defence budgets within NATO. This situation creates tensions and a fragmented will within the EU in processes aimed at strengthening the independence and competitiveness of the European defence industry. It also raises the question of whether Washington’s primary goal is the collective defence of the allies or the profit maximization of American arms manufacturers.

The Draghi Report suggests that the goals of defence industrial policy should be organically integrated into the discussions of the Foreign Affairs Council in its defence policy formation, allowing member states to come up with a common stance. The report also recommends the establishment of a centralized European Defence Industry Authority, which would oversee joint programming and procurement functions and centrally manage the defence acquisitions of member states.

‘In sum, the report reflects the political views and values of the EU elite and can be seen as a tool to turn a problem into a crisis—an ‘existential challenge’—to justify the extension of EU powers at the expense of national sovereignty and decision-making.’

‘If the West wants to maintain its geopolitical weight and address its internal tensions, it should focus primarily on solving its own structural problems…, rather than transforming these internal problems into a global geopolitical conflict. External conflicts and total attempts to dominate the planet will not only fail to solve internal tensions but will ultimately exacerbate them.’