Bailey, who represents Leyton and Wanstead and sits on the Defence Select Committee, published a thread summarising key messages delivered by senior U.S. defence officials during meetings with committee members, industry figures, and Armed Services Committee representatives.
1/7 Just returned from a week in Washington with the Defence Select Committee, meeting senior U.S. DOD officials, Armed Forces Ctte members and industry leaders. Here’s a short thread on what we heard — and why the UK’s Chagos Islands agreement is being held up as a model:
— Calvin Bailey MBE MP (@CalvinBailey) May 24, 2025
“The U.S. cannot continue to ‘spend its way out’ of threats,” he wrote. “Europe must shoulder more of the conventional burden — especially on Ukraine.”
The visit underlined a growing consensus in Washington that NATO allies must match U.S. efforts on conventional defence, particularly in Eastern Europe. Bailey relayed that U.S. officials were direct in urging Europe to outspend America in Ukraine-related support, describing such investment as a test of long-term political resolve.
Among the key themes was the need for a fundamental shift in how NATO operates and procures equipment. Bailey called for a “factory reset” in mindset, urgency, and defence industrial policy across the Alliance. He noted that the U.S. is investing $1 billion into agile defence technology and is open to collaboration — but only with partners able to reform “sclerotic procurement systems.”
“Innovation is central,” he said, warning that outdated acquisition models risk excluding allies from key partnerships.
The thread also touched on the strategic relevance of the UK’s agreement with Mauritius and the U.S. over the Chagos Islands. Bailey described the deal as an exemplar of how international law can serve national security objectives.
“The UK delivered a deal that strengthened global legal norms — and our strategic credibility,” he quoted one U.S. official as saying. “It means the UK can talk with moral authority.”
Bailey’s summary suggests the U.S. is placing increasing pressure on European allies to modernise, invest, and adapt at pace — with legal frameworks and innovation now viewed as central to long-term deterrence.