A pivotal moment for Europe is here.
And we are ready to step up and mobilise up to €800 billion for European defence by:
Allowing EU countries to increase defence spending within budgetary rules
Offering €150 billion in loans for defence investments
Using cohesion funds for defence
Boosting private investment
We will present these proposals to EU leaders at today's European Council meeting.
Europe is ready to assume its responsibilities.
@EUCommission don't forget that most EU states have US weapons that can be switched off by simple command of Putin to his new b*tch: Dump....
@bboett @EUCommission No, they can't. There's no remote "off button". US could however withdraw spare parts shipment, repair services, etc. which in the long term could render US-made weapons inoperable. For some weapons it doesn't matter that much, but others (like planes) need constant maintenance.
@bboett @EUCommission Blocks on targeting US aircraft could be a thing. Some missiles have built-in blocks on targeting nuclear power plants. It's not an off button though.
There's also electronic warfare and other countermeasures. Advanced machines can defeat older missiles using signal jamming & spoofing, laser dazzlers, etc. I'm sure US has some secret sauce it doesn't share, but so do other countries making machines and weapons.
@elgregor @EUCommission true, supply chain is a powerful leverage, but I really doubt that stuff filled with electronics and programming don't have killswitches as displayed, e.g. in the Irak war, when suddenly anti aerial weapons of the irakis weren't able to acquire allied targets....