Ambassador reveals which country could replace US as NATO's top military power in Europe
Photo: US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker (Getty Images)
The US believes that Germany could take over NATO's military leadership in Europe in the future. Traditionally, the Allied Joint Command in Europe has been headed by an American general, said US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker during the Berlin Security Conference, The Times reports.
Whitaker stated that appointing a Supreme Allied Commander Europe is a long-term and "aspirational goal" for the US, as it would mean greater European responsibility for its own defense. Washington sees Berlin as the candidate for this role.
At the same time, Whitaker assured that US support for Article 5 on collective defense remains "ironclad." However, the US views Berlin as its successor because Germany is actively investing in defense.
"I look forward to the day when Germany comes to the United States and says, 'we're ready to take over the supreme allied commander position'. I think we're a long way from that, but I look forward to those discussions," the US Ambassador said.
According to Whitaker, such a transfer of command will not happen soon — in about 15 years, or possibly a little earlier. Only then could a change in command take place.
Germany reacted cautiously. Lieutenant General Wolfgang Wien, Germany’s representative on the NATO Military Committee, said he was "a little bit astonished" by Whitaker's remarks.
Since 1951, the position of Supreme Allied Commander Europe has been consistently held by a four-star US general. The current commander is US Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich.
The US Congress recently confirmed that the Pentagon has indeed started discussions about reducing US military presence in the Baltic countries. However, a congressman strongly criticized the idea, calling it a bad signal for allies, as it is exactly what Russia would expect. Congress intends to oppose it.
Shortly before this, the US began a large-scale reduction of its military presence in Eastern Europe. Under this plan, 800 American troops are to be withdrawn from Romania, and troop levels in Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Hungary will also be reduced. At the beginning of 2025, US President Donald Trump promised to cut the American military contingent in Europe by 20%.
