“The EU and NATO aim to avoid strategic vulnerability by strengthening control over supply chains. An alternative is the development of intra-European defence cooperation, the strengthening of the transatlantic supply chain with the United States and the involvement of technological partners such as Japan and South Korea.”

Nataliya Butyrska, Associate Senior Fellow at the New Europe Center, comments for the South China Morning Post on whether Europe can decouple its military supply chains from China as the continent accelerates its rearmament.

Nataliya Butyrska notes that while the severance of defence supply chains tied to Russia is now effectively complete, the approach toward China is fundamentally different: “There is a targeted reduction of dependence, especially in the fields of microelectronics, rare earth elements and dual-use technologies.” She argues that the EU and NATO are not pursuing full decoupling which remains unrealistic given cost pressures and industrial gaps but rather strategic de-risking: strengthening intra-European cooperation, deepening transatlantic ties with the United States, and engaging technological partners such as Japan and South Korea, while diversifying raw material supply through Canada, Australia and other stable providers.

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