The Web was invented a few meters away from the EU, in a lab that literally sits in the border between the EU and a non-EU country that is mostly aligned with the EU, by a EU citizen, funded mostly by EU money, is the only reason why anyone cares about the rest of the technology stack and infrastructure that we call "Internet". It was a dream of creating an interconnected system of knowledge and communication, that transcended borders and would move humanity to a higher stage of civilization.
The Web matters because of what it allows one to do, the implementation details are only relevant in a narrow technical sense.
I have the utmost respect and admiration for many American achievements, and I grew up thinking that the USA and Europe were close friends and allies, fundamentally sharing the same values. NASA and its many achievements inspired my lifelong interest in Science.
I am not nationalistic, and I don't care how invented what. What I am fed up with, is this USA-centric view of the world, as if freedom emanates from the USA, without whom we would be condemned to vile authoritarianism. I am also fed up with the idea that invention comes from VC money, which is largely untrue. Even the Internet as you describe it was invented using government money.