The USA is putting its long-standing demand into action. Two important NATO command positions will be handed over to European officers.
rtr/taz | According to insiders, the USA will hand over leadership of two important NATO command posts to European officers. These are the posts in Naples, Italy, and in Norfolk, Virginia, a military person familiar with the process said on Monday.
The move corresponds to US President Donald Trump’s demand that European states take more responsibility for their own security. His government had called for the military alliance, which had long been dominated by the USA, to become a “European-led NATO”. How this requirement could be implemented has also been discussed for a long time in European countries. Now the course has been set.
As part of the restructuring, Europeans are to take over the Allied Joint Force Command in Naples and the Joint Force Command in Norfolk, which are currently led by US admirals. In return, the U.S. would take over leadership of three operational commands, the military insider and another person familiar with the matter said. Although these are somewhat lower in the hierarchy, they bear considerable responsibility for military operations. These are commands from the air force, the navy and the army.
When asked, a NATO representative confirmed that the allies had agreed on a new distribution of tasks. European partners, including the newest members, would play a more important role in military leadership in the future. The decision relates to “planning future rotations”. The French service “La Lettre” and the magazine Politico had previously reported on the plans.
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