The US-Israeli war against Iran is rapidly depleting missile interceptor stocks that European governments had expected to be channeled toward Ukraine's defense, former Israeli peace negotiator Daniel Levy has warned. The diversion, he argued, exposes a broader and more damaging pattern: Europe's persistent inability to assert strategic independence from Washington.

As reported by "Hvylya", Levy, president of the US/Middle East Project, addressed Europe's predicament in an interview with the Clash Point program.

"Europe has wanted those [interceptors] to be sent to Ukraine. Well, they ain't gonna be there," Levy said bluntly. The US is expending its weaponry in the Middle East campaign and expects European allies to fall in line. Meanwhile, European voters face a jarring contradiction: "Our governments just told us we have to increase our defense expenditure because of threats in Europe. And then what have they gone and done? They've gone and sent our defense expenditure to an American-Israeli war in the Middle East."

Levy described the European response to the Iran war as "another great moment of shame." The E3 - the UK, France, and Germany - along with EU leadership have broadly aligned with Washington. The German chancellor was headed to Washington even as the strikes intensified. The UK offered mild criticism but effectively backed the American position. The calculation, Levy argued, is that European leaders still believe currying favor with Trump on Iran might win concessions on Russia and Ukraine. "However, they're misreading Trump," he said.

Only Spain and Norway have publicly criticized the strikes on international law grounds while still acknowledging their objections to Tehran's conduct - a position Levy called smart but "unfortunately not widespread." He contrasted this with the message Marco Rubio delivered at the Munich Security Conference just weeks earlier, which Levy characterized as an invitation to "a new colonial adventure" framed in civilizational terms.

"Europe is demonstrating its incapability of asserting strategic autonomy diplomatically, let alone militarily," Levy concluded. "That's going to come at a cost for Europe."

Also read: Anne Applebaum: America's War of Choice Is Costing Ukraine Its Shield