It is not too late for Europe to start developing military capacities because the US under Donald Trump cannot be trusted.  China was able to copy US military equipment and they are producing cheaper but effective versions.  Europe has been busy relying on the US for protection and investing little in defence. Reports showed that Poland and Estonia were the biggest spenders on defence among NATO nations in the first half of 2024, what are other big member states doing? They need to increase their defence budget to at least 5% of GDP to fund research and arms production. Since the US has decided to be friendly with Russia,  European nations would have to seek new partnerships. I am sure that some countries in Africa, Asia and South America will be willing to work with European countries..