Microsoft’s president, Brad Smith, has pledged that the company will fight any U.S. government order to halt its data center operations in Europe. Speaking at an event in Brussels, Smith sought to alleviate concerns among European customers that rising trans-Atlantic tensions could lead to service disruptions. The company is expanding its data center operations across Europe, increasing its capacity by 40% over the next two years.
Smith emphasized that while halting operations is not currently being discussed in Washington, D.C., it remains a “real concern” for Microsoft’s European customers, which include various governments. The tensions between the U.S. and Europe have been escalated by President Donald Trump’s trade war and policy changes that have raised doubts about the U.S. commitment to the trans-Atlantic relationship.
“What we want Europeans to know is that they can count on us,” Smith assured in his speech. He further committed that if Microsoft were ever ordered to suspend or cease cloud operations in Europe, the company would “promptly and vigorously contest such a measure” through all available legal channels, including litigation.
This commitment comes as Microsoft announces five digital pledges to Europe, including the expansion of data center operations in 16 countries, though the specific countries were not named. The expansion is expected to cost tens of billions of dollars annually, though the exact figure was not disclosed.
The move is part of a broader context where Europe is considering asserting its tech and data sovereignty by reducing reliance on major U.S. cloud service providers like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. Smith acknowledged this trend, stating that Microsoft is committed to collaborating with European companies and recognizing the likelihood of European governments exploring additional options.
