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The U.S. is transferring two major regional NATO commands to European nations as President Donald Trump urges allies to shoulder more responsibility for their defense. Diplomats revealed that leadership of NATO’s Naples command, responsible for the alliance’s southern region, will shift to Italy, while the Norfolk command in Virginia, covering the northern region, will be handed over to Britain. At the same time, the U.S. will take control of NATO’s maritime forces based in the United Kingdom.
A NATO official stated, “Allies have agreed on a new distribution of senior officer responsibilities within the NATO Command Structure, giving European allies— including NATO’s newest members—a more prominent role in military leadership.” However, specifics about the changes weren’t disclosed, only indicating they are part of planning for upcoming rotations.
French outlet La Lettre first reported these developments, which are expected to take several months to implement, according to NATO diplomats who spoke privately with AFP. One diplomat commented, “This demonstrates a practical shift of burden.”
These adjustments come amid discussions in Washington about reducing Europe’s defense footprint to better address emerging threats like China. Despite these changes, U.S. influence remains central, with continued control over NATO’s primary air, land, and sea commands and retention of the position of Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
European nations have increased military budgets in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and collectively agreed last year to boost NATO’s defense spending targets. Tensions rose recently when Trump cast doubt on the alliance’s reliability, notably with comments about Greenland, prompting a brief crisis in NATO. However, U.S. NATO ambassador Matthew Whitaker has emphasized that the goal is to strengthen the alliance by encouraging Europe to increase its defense contributions, not to diminish American involvement.
“We’re aiming to make NATO stronger, not to withdraw or reject it. Our focus is on ensuring it functions as an alliance of 32 capable and robust members,” Whitaker said.
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