> See the recent deals where it’s been used as a political bargaining chip; it still ended up being a very desirable and capable platform from my understanding.
From a european perspective, I can tell you that the mood has shifted 180 degrees from "buy American fighters to solidify our ties with the US" to "can't rely on the US for anything which we'll need when the war comes".
that has nothing to do with the F-35.
Europe is wise and capable enough to develop their own platform.