...
By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
European countries will take over all three of NATO's commands in charge of planning and executing the alliance's military operations after sustained pressure from the U.S. to shift more responsibility to Europe.
The United Kingdom will head up the Virginia-based Joint Force Command Norfolk, while Italy will take the lead of Joint Force Command Naples, the alliance said in a statement. The U.S. is currently in charge of both commands.
Germany and Poland will take it in turns to lead the Joint Force Command Brunssum in the Netherlands. German Air Force General Ingo Gerhartz has been in command of the Dutch-based presence since June 2025.
Read More on World
The U.S. is by far the most influential member of NATO, and has long propped up Europe by providing many of the most expensive military capabilities for the alliance, like space-based assets and intelligence.
But Europe and Canada have been jolted from decades of leaning on Washington by President Donald Trump's return to the Oval Office, and his administration's disdain for what it has privately termed "freeloading." Panicked, Canada and European members of NATO are rushing to surge military spending and rapidly build up their own capabilities, also spurred on by concerns about Russia.
...
NATO nations last summer pledged to dedicate 3.5 percent of their GDP on hard military spending and another 1.5 percent on related areas in the next decade.
The changes to the commands will slowly come into force over the next few years, NATO said. The U.S. will become responsible for NATO's Maritime Command (MARCOM), currently led by Briton Vice Admiral Robert G Pedre, as well as Land Command (LANDCOM), Air Command (AIRCOM) and Special Operations Forces (SOFCOM), which it is already responsible for.
European political and military officials concede that Europe needs to pull its weight in terms of military spending and shoulder more responsibility, while feeling indignation and irritation with how the U.S. administration behaves toward its longtime allies.
NATO said the European leaderships of the Joint Force Commands will "more fairly share responsibility" in the alliance while "also making clear the U.S. commitment to NATO command and control."
NATO's top commander in Europe, known as SACEUR, has always been an American, while the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) is historically a Brit.
The current DSACEUR, Admiral Sir Keith Blount, told Newsweek in an interview on Thursday he saw "no likelihood of change" to the American and British positions at the helm of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). Belgium-based SHAPE is the headquarters for planning and carrying out NATO missions across the continent.
"The Europeans and Canada should be doing more and I don't think that's an unreasonable ask of the U.S.," Blount said. "For Europe to step up, be more load-bearing when it comes to defense and security, spend more, have more military capability in the inventory, take greater responsibility for its own security and defense; I agree with every word of it."
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines