European defense stocks are climbing as the European Union moves to rearm the continent. However, the Trump administration‘s foreign policy has some hesitating to look to the United States for arms, as Europe has historically done.

Europe is uneasy about President Donald Trump’s unpredictability, as Portuguese Defense Minister Nuno Melo alluded to in comments to local media about whether Portugal would buy F-35 fighter jets from the U.S.

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“We cannot ignore the geopolitical environment in our choices. The recent position of the United States, in the context of NATO … must make us think about the best options because the predictability of our allies is a greater asset to take into account,” he said.

Melo is worried that if relations with the U.S. sour, it could block access to essential F-35 parts and software.

“The world has changed … and this ally of ours … could bring limitations to use, maintenance, components, and everything that has to do with ensuring that aircraft will be operational and used in all types of scenarios,” the defense minister said.

“There are several options that must be considered, particularly in the context of European production,” Melo added.

Europe has historically relied on the U.S. for weapons.

The U.S. supplied 43% of global weapon exports from 2020 to 2024, an 8% increase from the previous five-year period, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. U.S.-made arms made up about two-thirds of weapons imported by European NATO members.

European defense stocks hit record highs recently, likely due to recent statements from U.S. leaders indicating that Europe will have to be more self-sufficient in defense spending and the fallout from Trump’s disastrous meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The EU is reportedly drafting a “White Paper” in a massive project to build up its defense industry after the U.S. paused aid to Ukraine during its war with Russia. The U.S. later unpaused the aid, but not before European leaders gathered to consider defense options.

“Russia is an existential threat to the Union, and given its past record of invading its neighbors and its current expansionist policies, the need to deter from Russian armed aggression will remain even after a just and lasting peace agreement with Ukraine,” the draft says.

“Without significant additional military resources, particularly now that the U.S. has suspended its support, Ukraine would not be able to negotiate a just and lasting peace from a position of strength,” it adds.

The paper laid out the reality of Europe’s situation during the Ukraine war, namely that Russia could expand its influence in the continent dramatically with a victory.

“Europe cannot take the U.S. security guarantee for granted and must substantially step up its contribution to preserve NATO,” it says.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously said the U.S. was committed to the NATO alliance, but “the United States will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship which encourages dependency. Rather, our relationship will prioritize empowering Europe to own responsibility for its own security.”

Trump met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Thursday and said the past defense spending from NATO members was insufficient but has improved since his criticism.

“I just said, we’re not going to be involved with you if you’re not going to pay,” Trump said. “And the money started pouring in, and they all became much stronger because of my actions.”

Rutte played up the EU’s new $800 billion defense spending plan, saying, “What’s happened the last couple of weeks is really staggering.”

TRACKING WHAT DOGE IS DOING ACROSS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Trump is still trying to negotiate a ceasefire in the Ukraine war, which could neutralize the pressing need for increased defense spending in the U.S. and Europe.

“He (Putin) put out a very promising statement, but it wasn’t complete,” Trump said. “Now we’re going to see whether or not Russia’s there. And if they’re not, it’ll be a very disappointing moment for the world.”