> unsuccessful in influencing the EU to fund its own defense We did cut down too much on our defence, especially after the Cold war (not all European countries

> unsuccessful in influencing the EU to fund its own defense We did cut down too much on our defence, especially after the Cold war (not all European countries though, like Finland). But, many European countries have bought plenty of expensive US military equipment like fighter aircraft, helicopters, anti aircraft systems, etc. It’s not like those were a gift.