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ASML says it sold 'absolutely nothing' in Europe in 2026

402 points · 900 comments · MC995

  1. Kim_Bruning · · focus · HN ↗
    So currently europe is exposed to russia-ukraine, us-iran, and shortly china-taiwan. This is not a great place to be in.
    1. HarHarVeryFunny · · focus · HN ↗
      European defense industry seems pretty strong
      1. PorciiVorbesc · · focus · HN ↗
        Compared to who? The US?
        1. HarHarVeryFunny · · focus · HN ↗
          If it comes down to European vs Russian manufacturing capacity for missiles and hi-tech weaponry, etc, I'd put my money on Europe. Europe also has the advantage of seeing 5 years of Russia throwing their best at Ukraine, having their air defenses repeatedly breached by Ukraine, even deep into Russia using slow low-tech drones - they know many of Russia's weaknesses.
          1. PorciiVorbesc · · focus · HN ↗
            >If it comes down to European vs Russian manufacturing capacity for missiles and hi-tech weaponry, etc

            Well duh, EU GDP is like 3000x Russian one, Italy alone is richer than Russia, so ofc EU military combined is greater than Russia.

            Russia is broke gas station with nukes, not really a benchmark for military supremacy.

            1. citrin_ru · · focus · HN ↗
              The US GBP is 100x large than Iranian one and yet the US cannot open the Strait of Hormuz and even defend own bases in the region from cheap drones (52 aircraft lost, most on the ground). GDP is not the only factor when it comes to military capabilities.
              1. PorciiVorbesc · · focus · HN ↗
                >The US GBP is 100x large than Iranian one and yet the US cannot open the Strait of Hormuz

                The US regime has no support from its voters and taxpayers to get deeper into the IRan war because the US is the one who started it, it's not an existential threat for Americans in the US to spend more of their money or die intervening in the middle east.

                But for EU what happens in Ukraine is an existential threat and they also didn't provoke the war there, so Europeans are more motivated to support the war against Russia than AMericans are to support military intervention in Iran.

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