{"id":7247,"date":"2025-05-05T12:28:32","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T12:28:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/05\/is-europe-ready-to-defend-itself-four-key-charts-that-tell-the-story\/"},"modified":"2025-05-05T12:28:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T12:28:32","slug":"is-europe-ready-to-defend-itself-four-key-charts-that-tell-the-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/05\/is-europe-ready-to-defend-itself-four-key-charts-that-tell-the-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Europe ready to defend itself? Four key charts that tell the story"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6vbmsc00003b6mstda54um@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The Trump administration has sent an unmistakable message to Europe: You\u2019re on your own.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6w3d29000c3b6mhkx2qflv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            In three dizzying months, the White House has reversed decades\u2019 worth of American foreign policy, pledged to scale back its presence on the continent, and pushed to wrap up Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine, even if that might mean handing Ukrainian land to Moscow.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6w3d29000d3b6m1cibkerx@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The new reality is one to which Europe is still adjusting. But 80 years to the week after American and European allies forced the surrender of Nazi Germany, a future in which the continent is left alone to defend itself from the Russian menace is no longer hypothetical.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6w3d29000f3b6mlvf9fvuh@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cNow, all of a sudden, after the invasion (of) Ukraine, we realize that peace must be defended.\u201d    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/interactive-video\/instances\/cma6x4vyc001a3b6mutbldaah@published\" class=\"interactive-video\" data-component-name=\"interactive-video\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"interactive-video__container\">            <video class=\"interactive-video__player\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"\" playsinline=\"\"><\/video>        <\/div>\n<div class=\"interactive-video__metadata\">\n<div class=\"interactive-video__caption\">                    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Combat vehicles at the Leonardo arms factory in northern Italy during CNN\u2019s recent visit.<\/span><figcaption class=\"interactive-video__credit\">CNN<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6w3d29000g3b6m1uniyz5e@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            A breakneck race is underway in Europe\u2019s NATO-member states to ready the continent in case of confrontation with Russia. The race is winnable: Europe boasts militaries large and expensive enough to at least partially plug the hole Washington is threatening to leave.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6w3d29000h3b6mhzqh7v4a@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            But armies in Western Europe need a serious influx of funds and expertise to prepare themselves for the worst-case scenario.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/graphic\/instances\/cma6z80p0000o3b6mlheakm4c@published\" data-component-name=\"graphic\" class=\"graphic\">\n<div id=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/graphic\/instances\/cma6z80p0000o3b6mlheakm4c@published\" class=\"graphic__anchor\" data-url=\"https:\/\/ix.cnn.io\/dailygraphics\/graphics\/20250429-european-military-expenditure\/index.html\" data-type=\"dailygraphics\" data-slug=\"20250429-european-military-expenditure\" data-pym-src=\"https:\/\/ix.cnn.io\/dailygraphics\/graphics\/20250429-european-military-expenditure\/index.html\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6w3n1m000k3b6m0tzw2k15@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            In recent years, Britain, France and Germany have pumped funds into their aging militaries after a plateau in spending during the middle of the 2010s.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6w4cj6000p3b6m5m6uolvh@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            But it could be several years until the impact of those funds are felt on the front lines. Troop numbers, weaponry and military readiness have waned in Western Europe since the end of the Cold War. \u201cThe high level of attrition in the Ukraine War has painfully highlighted European countries\u2019 current shortcomings,\u201d the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank, wrote in a blunt review of Europe\u2019s forces last year.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6w4cj6000q3b6m6ywank4b@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Nations nearer the Russian border are moving faster. The Trump administration has hailed Poland as a paragon of self-sufficiency. \u201cWe see Poland as the model ally on the continent: willing to invest not just in their defense, but in our shared defense and the defense of the continent,\u201d Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in Warsaw during the first European bilateral meeting of Trump\u2019s second term.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6w4cj6000r3b6mvndx1ivw@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            But Poland\u2019s rapid escalation in defense spending has more to do with its own, generations-old tensions with Russia than with a desire to earn a place in Trump\u2019s good graces. Warsaw and Washington are at odds on the conflict in Ukraine; Poland has for years warned Europe of the threat posed by Russia, and has steadfastly supported its neighbor as it defends territory from Putin\u2019s advances.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/graphic\/instances\/cma6vbvyl00013b6muc33oioi@published\" data-component-name=\"graphic\" class=\"graphic\">\n<div id=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/graphic\/instances\/cma6vbvyl00013b6muc33oioi@published\" class=\"graphic__anchor\" data-url=\"https:\/\/ix.cnn.io\/dailygraphics\/graphics\/20250429-european-military-personnel\/index.html\" data-type=\"dailygraphics\" data-slug=\"20250429-european-military-personnel\" data-pym-src=\"https:\/\/ix.cnn.io\/dailygraphics\/graphics\/20250429-european-military-personnel\/index.html\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6vdu6c00083b6mskd4i01j@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The US has stationed troops in Europe since the end of the Cold War, and their numbers have grown since Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion, with around 80,000 on the continent last year, according to a Congressional report. But the deployment is still far smaller than at the height of the Cold War, when nearly half a million American troops were stationed in Europe.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6w4unv000t3b6mbbpqm3p0@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            For decades, American foreign policy emphasized the importance of those deployments not just to European security, but to its own. Troops on the continent provide forward defense, help train allied forces, and manage nuclear warheads.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6w4unv000u3b6mi42pr0ni@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Now, the future of those deployments is not clear. European leaders have publicly urged Washington not to reduce numbers, but Trump, Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance have all made clear their intention to strengthen the US military posture in the South China Sea.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/graphic\/instances\/cma6vd2u100033b6m6b6k340a@published\" data-component-name=\"graphic\" class=\"graphic\">\n<div id=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/graphic\/instances\/cma6vd2u100033b6m6b6k340a@published\" class=\"graphic__anchor\" data-url=\"https:\/\/ix.cnn.io\/dailygraphics\/graphics\/20250430-us-bases-europe\/index.html\" data-type=\"dailygraphics\" data-slug=\"20250430-us-bases-europe\" data-pym-src=\"https:\/\/ix.cnn.io\/dailygraphics\/graphics\/20250430-us-bases-europe\/index.html\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6vdrjs00063b6max13v8lv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Today, most US land and air bases are located in Germany, Italy and Poland. US bases in central Europe provide a counterweight to the Russian threat, while naval and aerial locations in Turkey, Greece and Italy also support missions in the Middle East.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6wmnd8000w3b6mgylxca2y@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The locations serve as \u201ca crucial foundation for NATO operations, regional deterrence, and global power projection,\u201d according to the Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis think tank.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/graphic\/instances\/cma6verlh000j3b6m55fxo3ku@published\" data-component-name=\"graphic\" class=\"graphic\">\n<div id=\"graphic-0FpuP\" class=\"graphic__chart-anchor\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6vep45000h3b6mrrj5n4gy@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The most important deterrent Europe holds, however, is its nuclear warheads.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6wnc0s00103b6m9me6x9er@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            During the early stages of Russia\u2019s war, President Vladimir Putin repeatedly prompted worldwide alarm by hinting at the use of a nuclear weapon. That fear subsided after the war became bogged down in Ukraine\u2019s east.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cma6wnc0s00113b6mif53dmup@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            But nuclear deterrence is an area on which Europe is heavily reliant on the US. Britain and France \u2013 the two European countries with nuclear weapons \u2013 have only about a tenth of Russia\u2019s arsenal between them. But the American nuclear war chest roughly matches Russia\u2019s, and dozens of those US warheads are located in Europe.    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div>This post appeared first on cnn.com<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Trump administration has sent an unmistakable message to Europe: You\u2019re on your own. In three dizzying months, the White House has reversed decades\u2019 worth of American foreign policy, pledged to scale back its presence&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7248,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[118],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7247"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7247\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/invest360pro.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}