DISINFO: European countries are under the US control
SUMMARY
The countries of Europe are under the external control of the US. Here you have military bases and American nuclear weapons located on the territory of the countries of the European continent, to which the Europeans have no access and do not control in any way.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative, portraying Europe or the EU as a puppet or vassal/colony of the US. See our analysis of the Kremlin's claims about the EU's lost sovereignty.
The claim was made in the context of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's speech at the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and Subcommittee on Security and Defence, where he urged the countries of the EU to increase the defense spending.
The US does not control the EU or its member states. Each EU country is sovereign and independently determines its security and foreign policies, including its stance towards Russia.
The EU and the US are strong partners and allies, sharing similar perspectives on various international matters, including Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion.
In response to Russia’s unprovoked and unlawful war against Ukraine, at the extraordinary Summit on 24 March 2022, NATO Heads of State and Government affirmed that NATO will significantly strengthen its longer-term deterrence and defence posture and develop the full range of ready forces and capabilities necessary to maintain credible deterrence and defence. They further committed to enhancing preparedness and readiness for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.
Nuclear sharing is a concept in NATO's policy of nuclear deterrence, which allows member countries without nuclear weapons of their own to participate in the planning for the use of nuclear weapons by NATO.
NATO’s nuclear sharing arrangements ensure that the benefits, responsibilities and risks of nuclear deterrence are shared across the Alliance. To guarantee the security of its Allies, the US has deployed a limited number of B-61 nuclear weapons to certain locations in Europe.
See similar cases claiming that The US will not let Europe out of its control, that Europe is a colony of the United States; that European élites obey Washington, that EU and NATO member states are subordinate to the US, while the US has long regarded the EU as a kind of protectorate, and that lined up with the US, the EU never took independent decisions.