US officials object to European push to buy weapons locally

US officials have told European allies they want them to keep buying American-made arms, amid recent moves by the European Union to limit US manufacturers’ participation in weapons tenders, five sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.The messages delivered by Washington in recent weeks come as the EU takes steps to boost Europe’s weapons industry, while potentially limiting purchases of certain types of US arms.The Trump administration’s early foreign policy steps, including briefly cutting military aid for Ukraine and easing pressure on Moscow, have deeply unnerved European allies, prompting many to ask if the United States is a reliable partner.In mid-March, the European Commission, the EU’s executive body, proposed boosting military spending and pooling resources on joint defense projects, as Europe girds for decreased US military engagement under President Donald Trump.Some of the proposed measures could mean a smaller role for non-EU companies, including those based in the US and the United Kingdom, experts say.In a March 25 meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the foreign ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia that the United States wants to continue participating in EU countries’ defense procurements, the sources told Reuters.According to two of the sources, Rubio said any exclusion of US companies from European tenders would be seen negatively by Washington, which those two sources interpreted as a reference to the proposed EU rules.One northern European diplomat, who was not part of the Baltic meeting, said they had also been recently told by US officials that any exclusion from EU weapons procurements would be seen as inappropriate.Rubio plans to discuss expectations that EU countries keep buying US weapons during his visit to Brussels this week, where he will attend the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting, said a senior State Department official.“It’s a point the secretary has raised and will continue to raise,” the of...