NATO urged to arm Taiwan as China threatens global supply chains

WARSAW, POLAND: At a high-stakes security summit in Warsaw this week, two seasoned American military leaders delivered a sobering message to their European counterparts — the clock is ticking for Taiwan, and Europe must act now.

With the calm authority of those who’ve spent decades in uniform, retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery and retired U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove spoke not in hypotheticals, but in urgent, real-world terms. The takeaway? If Europe continues to act as if peace is a given, it may soon find itself facing the consequences of a conflict it wasn’t ready for.

Montgomery, who once served on the U.S. National Security Council, painted a troubling scenario: If China uses economic or military pressure—such as blockading Taiwan’s supply of liquid natural gas—the island could be forced to ration power within weeks, and the stakes go far beyond domestic discomfort.

The factories, which produce over 60% of the world’s advanced computer chips, are a critical link in the global tech supply chain. If production halts, it won’t just hit Asia—it’ll send shock waves through Europe’s economy, disrupting industries from automotive to consumer electronics.

Montgomery urged all 32 NATO members to formally back arms sales to Taiwan and step up joint military drills with Taipei. A unified stance, he argued, would be difficult for Beijing to intimidate—and could even benefit European defence industries.

General Breedlove, who once led U.S. forces in Europe and served as NATO’s top military commander, brought his own sense of urgency to the table. He criticised NATO’s European members for what he sees as outdated thinking—treating air defence missions as symbolic, air policing efforts instead of preparing for real combat scenarios.

Breedlove and Montgomery aren’t alarmists. They’re career officers, speaking from a lifetime of strategic insight—and their warning is as much about prevention as it is about preparation.

Their message resonated in the conference halls of Warsaw—but whether it will echo in the policy chambers of Brussels, Berlin, and beyond remains to be seen.