Conservative commentator Carl Higbie weighed in on U.S. global security commitments and Europe’s reliance on American military power following remarks by Finland’s president during an international panel discussion that raised questions about whether Europe could defend itself without the United States.
Higbie argued that the United States bears an outsized share of the financial and military burden for global security, including within NATO, and suggested that Washington is justified in leveraging that position as global politics realign.
“We give money to 178 countries worldwide, all those countries in yellow, all of them, they get money from us,” Higbie said.
“We protect people, we secure international shipping channels and tons more, and all we’re doing is asking for the custody of a block of ice that basically nobody lives on. We already spent more to defend it than the people who claim to own it, and we can shut that off too.”
Higbie framed the issue as part of a broader shift in global power dynamics and criticized European nations for what he described as long-standing dependence on American defense spending and military capability.
“This goes back to what I was saying the other night about the realignment of global politics,” Higbie said.
“The rest of NATO just they’re the worst, but we just wielded our standing in America is 70% of the funding of NATO and 90% of its muscle.”
He pointed to U.S. dominance in air power as an example of that imbalance.
“Case in point, you want to know what the biggest air force in the world is, it’s the US Air Force,” Higbie said.
“You want to know what the second biggest air force in the world is? It’s the US Army. You want to actually, you know what the third largest air force in the world is? Oh, that’s right, it’s the US Navy. And the fourth is China, and the fifth is Russia. I don’t see any other NATO countries on that list.”
Higbie said President Trump forced European leaders to confront what a reduced U.S. role in NATO would mean for their own security.
“Trump was like, okay, good luck Europe,” Higbie said.
“All I’m asking is that you give us custody of some land that we actually held in the past, and it’s actually good for everybody’s security, and by wielding that contribution, look at what Trump did. All these Europeans who have been getting this free ride were forced to confront the reality of a non American NATO now, and they postured first.”
Those comments came as Finland’s President Alexander Stubb addressed the issue of European self-defense during a panel discussion, where he was pressed on whether Europe could stand on its own militarily.
“Can Europe defend itself? My answer is unequivocally yes,” Stubb said.
When the panel moderator followed up, asking, “Without the Americans?” Stubb initially hesitated before responding.
“Without the Americans, I mean…” Stubb said.
The moderator continued to challenge him on the practical realities.
“But you’re relying on them for these key elements. How would you how would you do it at scale and at duration and an intensity?” the moderator asked.
Stubb then pointed to Finland’s defense model.
“With an assumption that the United States would cut off completely any kind of work. Well, if we look at the defense composure of Europe by and large in a country like Finland, so how do we do it? We have conscription,” Stubb said.
Higbie reacted skeptically to that suggestion, questioning whether European publics would accept a draft in the absence of U.S. protection.
“Okay, I swear, after those words left their mouths, they were like, Oops,” Higbie said.
“Like, conscriptions. Some advisor was jumping up and down in the back, like, what did you just say? This is unbelievable. Think about that. Good luck with that.”
Higbie argued that the discussion revealed how dependent Europe remains on American military support and suggested that a complete U.S. withdrawal would fundamentally change the continent’s security landscape.
“Let’s be honest,” he said.
“How do you think far left European citizens will respond to a draft the US out of NATO is pretty much the end of Europe as we know it.”
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