In a flurry of military and diplomatic maneuvers across the globe, the United States is recalibrating its arms sales and security commitments, sending ripples through alliances and raising questions about the future of transatlantic defense. As the war between Israel and Hamas grinds on and Russia tests NATO’s resolve in Eastern Europe, Washington’s shifting policies are drawing both praise and concern from its allies.
According to the Associated Press, the U.S. government is moving forward with a nearly $6 billion arms sale to Israel. Deliveries of the advanced weaponry are expected to take two to three years, or even longer. This decision comes at a delicate time: American efforts to broker a ceasefire in the nearly two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas have stalled, and Israel’s recent strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, has drawn widespread condemnation from U.S. allies in the Middle East.
Despite mounting international pressure and a growing chorus of U.S. Senate Democrats seeking to block the sale of offensive weapons to Israel, the Biden administration has maintained its support. The State Department, when asked about the controversial deal, declined to comment. The news, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, underscores the enduring—if increasingly complicated—U.S.-Israel security relationship.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the U.S. is tightening restrictions on arms exports to certain European allies, citing shortages in key weapons systems. As reported by Newsmax and The Atlantic, this shift is particularly felt by European nations scrambling to replenish stockpiles depleted by their support for Ukraine. The move has sparked frustration, especially in Denmark, where negotiations for a multibillion-dollar air defense system were abruptly stalled due to American hesitancy.
“We couldn’t understand why,” a contractor involved in the Danish talks told The Atlantic. “It seemed like a no-brainer, but they just weren’t into it.” The U.S. withdrawal of support for the sale of Patriot missile systems was reportedly championed by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby, who argued that “scarce systems like the Patriot remain available for U.S. requirements first.” The Pentagon has flagged several weapons as being in short supply, with few exemptions expected for allies.
As a result, Denmark has pivoted to European suppliers, announcing the largest arms purchase in its history—worth $9.1 billion. The Danish government has also made a $253 million investment in Greenland’s infrastructure and healthcare, aiming to strengthen the territory’s self-sufficiency and address local grievances, according to Newsmax. This comes amid heightened tensions with Washington, which were exacerbated when Copenhagen summoned the top U.S. diplomat in August over alleged covert influence efforts linked to Trump allies. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen condemned what he described as the “tone” of recent American rhetoric, warning that it undermines trust between the two nations.
Denmark’s frustration is echoed across Europe. Mark Cancian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told The Atlantic, “We tell Europeans to send weapons to Ukraine and buy replacements, but then we say, ‘You can’t have them.’” The policy has left many allies feeling caught between their commitments to Ukraine and their own national security needs.
Notably, the suspension of arms sales does not apply to weapons already committed to Ukraine, a point U.S. officials have repeatedly stressed. Still, the move has analysts warning that it could weaken NATO’s collective defenses and drive European countries toward alternative suppliers, potentially straining transatlantic relations at a critical juncture.
Amid these shifting dynamics, President Donald Trump has continued to press NATO allies to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP—a significant jump from the alliance’s previous targets. At the same time, Trump has sought to position himself as a peacemaker in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, even as Europe’s Coalition of the Willing weighs new security guarantees for Ukraine, including the possible deployment of troops near the front lines. Russian President Vladimir Putin, for his part, has dismissed these guarantees as de facto NATO membership, a stance he has long cited as justification for the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Eastern Europe, meanwhile, is on edge after a series of provocative Russian military actions. On Sunday, September 21, 2025, President Trump pledged to defend Poland and the Baltic states against Russian aggression, responding to a string of recent airspace violations. “Yeah, I would,” Trump told reporters when asked if the United States would help defend Poland and the Baltic countries should Moscow escalate its actions.
His remarks followed a Friday incident in which three suspected Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland without authorization for 12 minutes. Estonia responded by summoning Russia’s charge d’affaires and requesting NATO Article 4 consultations, though Moscow denied any incursion. The United States “strongly” condemned the violation, with the US Mission to NATO stating, “We strongly condemn Russia’s violation of Estonia’s airspace. We stand firmly with our Estonian Allies and will resolutely defend all NATO territory.”
Poland, too, reported a separate incident on the same day, alleging that two Russian fighter jets violated the safety zone around the Petrobaltic drilling platform in the Baltic Sea. Earlier in September, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk revealed that 19 Russian drones had entered Polish airspace, though Russia claimed the incursion was not deliberate.
In response to these provocations, the U.S. has moved to bolster Poland’s defense capabilities. On Thursday, September 18, the State Department approved the possible sale of Javelin missile systems and related logistics support to Poland, at an estimated cost of $780 million. In August, another major defense package was greenlighted, authorizing the potential sale of sustainment and logistics support for F-35 fighter jets valued at $1.85 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency emphasized that these deals would “improve Poland’s capability to meet current and future threats by upgrading its existing legacy Command Launch Units and increasing its defense inventory, thereby reinforcing its capability to protect Polish sovereign territory and improving its ability to meet NATO requirements.”
The broader picture is one of a U.S. defense policy in flux—caught between competing priorities, constrained resources, and a rapidly evolving security environment. Allies are left to navigate uncertainty, balancing their reliance on American arms and guarantees with a growing need for self-sufficiency and alternative partnerships.
As tensions simmer and alliances are tested, the choices made in Washington—and in capitals across Europe and the Middle East—will shape the contours of global security for years to come.