The United States will hand over two extremely senior command posts in NATO – in Naples, Italy, and Norfolk, Virginia – to European officers, a military source told Reuters on Monday.
The decision is in line with US President Donald Trump’s demands that European nations take more responsibility for their own security.
His administration has sought to transform NATO, long dominated by the United States, into a “European-led NATO.”
As part of the command reshuffle, European officers will take over NATO’s Allied Command Operations in Naples and Joint Forces Command Norfolk, currently headed by US admirals, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The US would take over three commands slightly lower in the hierarchy.
Asked about the planned changes, a NATO official said: “Allies have agreed on a new distribution of senior officer responsibilities in NATO’s command structure in which European allies, including the newest NATO members, will play a more prominent role in the Alliance’s military leadership.”
US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker had previously rejected criticism of the United States, insisting that the US “is not trying to dismantle NATO,”.
“We are trying to strengthen NATO, not to withdraw from it or to abandon it, but to make it work as it was intended, which is as an alliance of 32 strong and capable allies,” he added.
