Trump intends to abandon US command of NATO forces in Europe - NBC News
Photo: Donald Trump (Getty Images)
The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering abandoning NATO's command in Europe. For almost 75 years, the United States has appointed its four-star general as commander, NBC News reports.
The Pentagon is conducting a major restructuring of the US military's combatant commands and headquarters. One of the plans under consideration, according to two Defense Department officials, would include the United States relinquishing its role as Supreme Allied Commander Europe, known in military parlance as SACEUR.
No timeline has been set yet. Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, the current SACEUR, ends his three-year term this summer.
The general, who currently holds the post and is also the head of the US European Command, has been the top commander overseeing support for Ukraine. It is unclear how long such a reorganization might take. Congress could also intervene if its members oppose any aspect of the initiative.
Abandoning SACEUR would be at least a major symbolic shift in the balance of power in NATO, an alliance that has defined security and peace in Europe since World War II.
“For the United States to give up the role of supreme allied commander of NATO would be seen in Europe as a significant signal of walking away from the alliance,” wrote retired Admiral James Stavridis, who served as Supreme Allied Commander Europe and headed the European Command from 2009 to 2013, in an email.
The proposed restructuring comes as the Trump administration cuts spending and personnel in the federal government. President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have made it clear that the new administration wants European partners to take on more responsibility for Europe's defense. If the United States does indeed abandon SACEUR, other NATO countries will likely have to choose among themselves which country will nominate the commander.
Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO members for failing to meet the target set by the alliance for the percentage of GDP each country should spend on defense. He is also considering a major policy change, under which the United States may not defend another NATO member if it attacks the core principle of the alliance if a country does not meet a threshold of defense spending.
Reorganization plan
According to two defense ministry officials, the plan under discussion could merge five of the armed forces' 11 combatant commands.
The massive restructuring plan under consideration could also include two potential changes: merging US European Command and US Africa Command into one command based in Stuttgart, Germany, and closing the headquarters of US Southern Command in Florida to merge with US Northern Command.
Combining the commands will allow the military to save money by reducing personnel with duplicate responsibilities, according to officials familiar with the planning. If all the changes under consideration are implemented, up to $270 million could be saved in the first year. These savings would amount to about 0.03% of the Defense Ministry's $850 billion annual budget.
