[benterix]

> it was transparently obvious that the idea of minimum spending commitment to NATO was intended to prop up the US arms industry

...to Trump. European leaders took it literally: since the USA stopped being a reliable partner, Europe needs to depend on itself for protection. It makes zero sense to buy American weapons if you can produce/purchase them on the continent.

[embedding-shape]

> It makes zero sense to buy American weapons if you can produce/purchase them on the continent.

And if you can't, the better option still remains to try to keep it "local" and not rely on very far away "partners".

[vrganj]

They knew what Trump meant, but this way they could agree at a surface level to keep him happy, while actively distancing themselves in reality.