US Urges NATO Members to Take Greater Responsibility for Defense
Since January 2025, President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO allies for relying too heavily on the US and underfunding their defense budgets. Tensions have grown further amid Washington’s controversial threat to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory under Denmark, a NATO member.
Whitaker told reporters that the US expects “Europe to take over the conventional defense of the European continent” while emphasizing that “the United States is not receding or going away” but wants European nations to “take on more leadership in the alliance.”
Earlier, the envoy compared European members to children needing to leave parental care and secure employment. He acknowledged that allies committed to spending 5% of their GDP on defense last year but suggested progress in converting funds into operational capabilities has been slow.
NATO also announced that certain command responsibilities will shift to European allies. The UK will assume control of Joint Force Command Norfolk, Italy will oversee Joint Force Command Naples, and Germany and Poland will jointly lead Joint Force Command Brunssum on a rotational basis. The US will retain the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) role and continue to manage key land, air, and maritime assets.
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