German president urges Europe to reduce dependence on US defense and technology

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday called on Europe to significantly reduce its reliance on the US for defense and technology, saying such dependence creates critical vulnerabilities.

In a landmark speech at the Foreign Ministry, Steinmeier acknowledged deepening rifts between the Trump administration and European capitals and called on the continent to pursue greater strategic autonomy.

"In the transatlantic relationship, we must free ourselves from dependencies that make us vulnerable. This primarily concerns security, of course, but also technology," Steinmeier said.

"Achieving European sovereignty in defense and technology is not a task for this afternoon or tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, but rather a generational project," he added.

The German president pointed to deep political divisions with the Trump administration with regard to international law, rules-based order, and liberal democracy, noting that senior Trump administration officials publicly criticized European governments during their speeches at the Munich Security Conference.

"The US administration openly told us to our faces in Munich a year ago that it is determined to weaken liberal, united Europe," Steinmeier said, referring to a speech by Vice President JD Vance in which he criticized European governments for taking a stance against anti-immigration, right-wing populist parties and excluding them from political processes.

Steinmeier also warned about Europe's vulnerability stemming from the dominance of US-based technology companies and social media platforms.

"We know that this technological lead means not only economic and foreign policy power, but also the power to influence domestic politics, including our own, through digital platforms and social media," he said, in an apparent reference to Elon Musk's support for Germany's far-right AfD party.

The German president suggested that Europeans should carefully assess recent developments to develop their own technological capabilities and ensure sovereignty.

"Perhaps the current dispute between Anthropic and the Pentagon could be a wake-up call, possibly an opportunity for Europe. Europe, as a technology hub, certainly has talent, markets, and opportunities, but also ethical standards, and we should build on these four pillars," he said.