US hands NATO commands to Europe as Italy and Britain take regional roles in defence burden shift under President Donald Trump
The United States will transfer leadership of two key regional NATO commands to European allies in a move diplomats say reflects a practical shift in defence responsibilities within the alliance.
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Diplomatic sources said Washington will hand over command of NATO’s Naples headquarters, responsible for the alliance’s southern operations, to Italy, while Britain will assume leadership of the Norfolk command in Virginia, which oversees the northern theatre.
The United States will, in turn, take command of NATO’s maritime forces based in the United Kingdom.
Two NATO diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the changes were first reported by French outlet La Lettre and could take several months to implement.
One diplomat described the development as “a good sign of burden shifting in practice” as President Donald Trump continues to press European allies to take greater responsibility for their defence commitments.
The reshuffle comes amid indications from Washington that it may scale back parts of its defence presence in Europe to focus on other strategic priorities, including China.
Despite the changes, the United States will retain a dominant role within the alliance, keeping control of NATO’s core air, land and sea commands and maintaining the top military position of Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
European nations have increased defence spending in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and last year agreed to raise NATO’s defence spending targets.
President Donald Trump’s recent remarks on Greenland and broader questions over American commitment have unsettled some allies, raising concerns about the long term reliability of US support.
However, US NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker said on Monday that the administration’s objective was to strengthen the alliance rather than weaken it.
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Matthew Whitaker said the intention was to ensure NATO functions as an alliance of capable partners sharing responsibilities more evenly.
