Europe has been cutting back on defense spending for over 30 years. We have some excellent special forces but the numbers just are not there. Some actual data:
Netherlands Army now has zero main battle tanks. None. We lease a handful from the Germans.
Netherlands Navy (once the most powerful in the world) now has 4 diesel-electric attack submarines. Good ones, but there's just 4 of them. Less than 1 per ocean. From 25 frigates in the 70s to 6 today, again less than one per ocean.
Netherlands Air Force had over 200 F16s 30 years ago, now just 61 remain. Will be replaced by a total of 37 F-35s, and that includes trainer aircraft that won't even be in Europe.
You can make up for lack of numbers with quality, but at some point that becomes just a lie to justify further cutbacks. That point was passed decades ago.