Germany should take over the historically American role of Nato Europe commander, Donald Trump’s envoy to the Western alliance has suggested. Matthew Whitaker, the US ambassador to Nato, said he hoped Germany would one day volunteer for the prestigious role of Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Mr Whitaker added that Washington would like to see Europe’s military capabilities become equal to America’s, describing this as an “aspirational goal that we should all look forward to”.
Since Nato was founded in 1949, the post of Supreme Allied Commander Europe has been held by an American, typically a four-star general, who oversees the alliance’s military activities in Europe. Mr Whitaker’s remarks suggest the Trump administration would like to see Germany eventually overtake America as the main security guarantor in Europe. It follows a pledge by Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, to rebuild the Bundeswehr [armed forces] into the “strongest conventional army” in Europe. Lt Gen Wolfgang Wien, Germany’s representative to Nato and the EU, stressed that Germany was willing to take on new responsibilities within Nato but still regarded the post as a key US responsibility. However, Germany is still a country unprepared for war.
