The Dutch Ministry of Defence sent almost 32% of its equipment spending to American companies in the first five months of 2026, more than double last year’s share.
That’s awkward timing for a cabinet that has promised to make the Netherlands less dependent on the US. The figures come from answers that Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz and State Secretary Derk Boswijk recently sent to parliament, RTL Nieuws reports.
In 2025, US companies got 12.8% of that spending, and in 2024 it was 9.5%. Dutch and European suppliers have lost out, with their share falling from 77.5% last year to 59% so far in 2026.
Parliament can’t agree on whether it’s a problem
Opposition party JA21 is relaxed about the shift, even though it would also like the Netherlands to lean less on Washington. “The US is one of our most important allies and supplies excellent defence equipment,” MP Annabel Nanninga said, so a higher American share is “no problem at all” in itself for her party.
PRO sees it very differently. Wimar Bolhuis, an MP for the party formed when GroenLinks and PvdA merged this year, calls the development “highly undesirable.”
“The Netherlands is making itself even more dependent, while the Netherlands and Europe should be standing on their own two feet,” he said. PRO’s answer is a phased plan to wind down the country’s military dependence on the US.
There’s pressure from inside the coalition, too. Michelle Jagtenberg, an MP for Prime Minister Rob Jetten’s party D66, planned to put forward a concrete roadmap towards more European sovereignty.
“For the fighting power of the armed forces, it’s essential to develop the right equipment and knowledge ourselves and have it in house,” she said.
Wasn’t the plan to buy European?
It was. In their coalition agreement, the parties behind the minority cabinet of D66, VVD and CDA promised to reduce the country’s “one-sided dependence” on the US for defence.
That’s easier said than done when the US builds a lot of the best and most advanced weaponry. Two examples are the F-35 fighter jet and the Patriot air defence system.
Clingendael, a Dutch think tank on international relations, thinks the Netherlands is effectively sticking with the status quo. “The Netherlands seems to be choosing to maintain its strategic dependence on the US at the current level, particularly for the air force,” RTL quotes the institute as writing.
The think tank is also concerned about newer weapon systems. In its view, these could make the dependence even deeper, often with the added risk of working with influential American tech billionaires whose political views are strong and “at times antidemocratic.”
The ministry says five months isn’t a trend
The Ministry of Defence isn’t reading too much into the numbers. According to a spokesperson, five months may not reflect the bigger picture, and large contracts can make spending jump around from year to year.
“That’s why comparing individual years can give a distorted picture,” the spokesperson said. Buying more expensive weapon systems, for example, can have an above-average impact on spending in that year.
Should the Netherlands stick with proven American equipment, or is it time to buy European, even if it takes longer? Let us know in the comments!
