NATO Shifts Command Roles, Giving Europe More Responsibility

The U.S. will hand over some NATO commands to European allies, while maintaining overall leadership through the Supreme Allied Commander Europe position.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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NATO announced that the United States will hand over some command responsibilities to European allies, in an effort to have European members take on more leadership roles within the alliance. The U.S. will remain in overall charge through the Supreme Allied Commander Europe position, but will now focus on maritime forces while allowing European allies to lead land and air commands.

Why it matters

This move is part of a longstanding U.S. push for its European NATO allies to take on more defense responsibilities, allowing the U.S. to shift focus to the Pacific region. While the U.S. will maintain its top leadership role, the changes aim to strengthen the European role in NATO's command structure.

The details

The changes will see Britain take over the Norfolk, Virginia-based Joint Force Command, while Italy will run the Naples, Italy command and Germany and Poland will share control of the Brunssum, Netherlands command. These shifts will be implemented gradually over the coming years as personnel rotate through the commands.

  • The changes were announced on Tuesday, February 15, 2026.
  • The shifts in command responsibilities will be carried out incrementally in the coming years.

The players

Alexus G. Grynkewich

A U.S. Air Force general who currently holds the position of Supreme Allied Commander Europe, the top NATO military command.

Matthew Whitaker

The U.S. ambassador to NATO, who stated the changes would strengthen the alliance.

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What they’re saying

“Anything that allows our allies to step up and do more and take on more leadership in the alliance is a good news story and a common-sense move.”

— Matthew Whitaker, U.S. Ambassador to NATO (The New York Times)

“The United States is not receding or going away. But we do need to make sure that the critical capabilities are, you know, enhanced and by our European allies.”

— Matthew Whitaker, U.S. Ambassador to NATO (The New York Times)

What’s next

The changes in NATO command structure will be implemented gradually over the coming years as personnel rotate through the various commands.

The takeaway

This shift in NATO command responsibilities is part of a longstanding U.S. push for its European allies to take on more defense leadership, allowing the U.S. to focus more on the Pacific region. While the U.S. will maintain its top military role, the changes aim to strengthen the European role within NATO's command structure.