The United States has unveiled a new international technology alliance aimed at securing the supply chains that underpin artificial intelligence — but the European Union is notably absent. The move highlights growing transatlantic tensions over technology policy, security and regulation under the Trump administration.
The initiative, known as Pax Silica, was announced by Washington in December 2025. So far, it has been signed by Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Israel, Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, with India expected to join in early 2026.
Although China is not explicitly named, the pact is widely seen as an effort to prevent Beijing from gaining leverage over critical AI inputs. These include raw materials, energy supplies, logistics networks, advanced semiconductors and AI software — all areas where control over bottlenecks could shape global power.
Europe’s Absence Raises Questions
The most striking omission from Pax Silica is the European Union, and particularly the Netherlands, home to ASML — the only company in the world capable of manufacturing the advanced lithography machines required to produce cutting-edge chips.
It remains unclear whether the EU was deliberately excluded or chose not to participate, or whether the decision reflects a combination of both. US officials have pointed to deeper disagreements over how advanced technologies, especially AI and software, should be governed.
According to Jacob Helberg, the US under-secretary of state for economic affairs and the official leading Pax Silica, there are “material policy and philosophical differences” between Washington and Brussels on regulating emerging technologies. While the EU has pushed ahead with its comprehensive AI Act, the US has resisted placing regulatory limits on AI development.
Regulation at the Heart of the Rift
Analysts suggest Pax Silica may be serving as leverage in broader regulatory negotiations. Julia Hess, a researcher specialising in semiconductors and AI at the Berlin-based think tank Interface, argues that the US is effectively pressuring the EU to loosen regulatory constraints in exchange for inclusion in the alliance.
Helberg has also said that participation in Pax Silica requires countries to be “fundamentally aligned” with the United States on wider geopolitical issues. That stance comes at a time when EU–US relations are under strain, including disagreements over Greenland and broader questions of sovereignty and security.
Cautious Engagement Behind the Scenes
Despite not signing the declaration, EU and Dutch officials attended Pax Silica’s launch event in December. Helberg has publicly acknowledged ASML’s central role in global semiconductor supply chains, stressing that Washington wants Europe “to have a seat at the AI table.”
At the same time, European officials may be reluctant to commit to a US-led initiative amid deteriorating diplomatic relations. Cole Donovan, a former US science diplomat and now associate director at the Federation of American Scientists, suggests that the language and framing of Pax Silica may itself be a deterrent.
He points to what he describes as “imperial-coded” messaging, alongside other EU foreign policy priorities — such as trade agreements in South America — and a broader perception of US hostility toward Europe.
A Symbolic Move or a Long-Term Strategy?
Despite the attention surrounding Pax Silica’s launch, many observers remain sceptical about its immediate impact. When asked about concrete obligations for signatory states, US officials have so far offered limited detail, beyond vague commitments to information sharing and future coordination.
Questions also remain over whether the pact would involve restricting exports to China. When pressed on this point, US officials have avoided giving a direct answer.
Hess argues that, at least for now, Pax Silica appears largely symbolic. Even if signatory countries follow through with serious investment, she notes that tangible outcomes would likely take five to ten years to materialise — well beyond the current US administration. Donovan similarly points out that national commitments under the pact are broad and lack specificity.
Europe’s Strategic Dilemma
For the EU, the challenge is how to build technological strength that delivers genuine geopolitical influence over the long term. Rather than attempting to replicate US-dominated technologies such as large language models, Hess argues Europe should focus on developing distinctive capabilities that give it strategic leverage in future technology ecosystems.
As global competition over AI infrastructure intensifies, Pax Silica may prove to be either an early framework for coordination — or a missed opportunity shaped by political division. Either way, the alliance underscores how deeply AI has become entangled with geopolitics.
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