The Trump administration on Thursday announced its choice for the next senior U.S. general in Europe. The selected military officer will also take on the traditional role of NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
Trump’s decision to nominate U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich to both roles, as per media reports, will relieve European NATO allies and even some of Trump’s fellow Republicans amid concerns about a retrenchment in American military leadership of NATO.
Grynkewich must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
The position of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, which oversees all NATO operations in Europe, has been filled by a U.S. general since its creation after World War Two. U.S. Army General Dwight D. Eisenhower became the alliance’s first SACEUR in 1951.
Trump Wants Allies To Boost Investment
Since taking office in January, Trump’s administration has pressured NATO allies to ramp up their defence spending, saying Europe should be primarily responsible for defence on the European continent.
Trump has also said he wants NATO allies to boost investment in defence to 5% of gross domestic product, up from the current target of 2%.
Speaking at NATO headquarters earlier on Thursday, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said he was confident that members of the NATO alliance would agree to a major boost in defence spending.
No country is yet at 5%, not even the U.S., but Hegseth said there was progress on agreeing to the target.
“I’m very encouraged by what we heard in there,” Hegseth said after a morning meeting of NATO defence ministers on Thursday in Brussels. “Countries in there are well exceeding 2% and we think very close, almost near consensus, on a 5% commitment to NATO.”
Grynkewich, who is now the director for operations at the U.S. military’s Joint Staff, would succeed Army General Christopher Cavoli, who has been in the role since shortly after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, helping oversee billions of dollars in U.S. security assistance to Kyiv.
(With inputs from Reuters)
