Luxembourg Army Chief Urges Europe to End US Defence Dependence
Luxembourg City, Sunday 18 January 2026
General Thull warns Europe must abandon its “blind reliance” on American security, highlighting a critical manufacturing imbalance compared to Russia and the urgent need for autonomous defence capabilities.
A Call for European Strategic Autonomy
In a decisive intervention on Saturday, 17 January 2026, General Steve Thull, Chief of Staff of the Luxembourg Army, declared that Europe must urgently abandon its “blind reliance” on the United States for security [1][4]. Speaking on RTL Radio’s Background programme, General Thull argued that the continent has neglected its military capabilities for years, assuming American protection would be perpetual [1][4]. This strategic complacency, he warned, has left Europe militarily underprepared relative to its substantial economic power [3][4]. Thull’s comments come as the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, with the General highlighting a stark industrial imbalance: Russia has successfully converted its economy to a war footing and currently manufactures more armaments than all of Europe combined [1][3][8]. “One must always be prepared,” Thull asserted, emphasising that while preparing for war does not imply a desire for conflict, peace cannot be maintained without credible defence readiness [1][3].
High-Tech Systems and Industrial Gaps
The push for autonomy requires a massive acceleration in high-tech systems and materials (HTSM) and defence manufacturing. Luxembourg is actively modernising its hardware, with significant investments in the GovSat communication and satellite infrastructure, as well as the procurement of CLRV, Jaguar, and Griffon armoured vehicles [1][3]. However, the broader European theatre reveals both the necessity and the cost of this technological catch-up. For instance, data from the Swiss Department of Defence indicates that operational costs are rising; claims involving the army vehicle fleet alone rose by approximately 2.413 per cent between 2023 and 2024, reaching CHF 15.28 million [6]. To bridge the technological gap, European partners are intensifying cooperation on dual-use and next-generation technologies. Just this week, on 14 and 15 January 2026, the NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) convened with over 90 experts to advance “military decoy technologies,” a critical niche in modern robotics and deception warfare [6]. Furthermore, the “A-VIPER” research project, a collaboration involving automated software vulnerability detection, highlights the increasing convergence of cyber defence and AI-driven security protocols [6].
Strategic Flashpoints and Future Commitments
General Thull specifically identified Greenland as a developing geostrategic focal point, driven by the climate-induced accessibility of the Northwest Passage and its location on the flight path for Russian missiles targeting the West [1][3]. While noting that Luxembourg has not yet been requested to deploy personnel to the region, Thull stressed that decisions regarding Greenland must be addressed at a political level [1][4]. Looking ahead, Luxembourg is cementing its regional integration through the formation of a binational combat battalion with Belgium, which is scheduled to have approximately 350 soldiers operationally ready by 2030 [1][3]. As General Thull prepares to retire in 2026 after nearly 40 years of service, his parting message underscores that the stability of the European security architecture—and the survival of Ukraine—remains the bedrock of the continent’s prosperity [1][3].