[…] In between Eisenhower and the current boss, Gen. Christopher Cavoli, it’s always been an American at the desk, holding the lofty title of Supreme Allied Commander Europe. With Cavoli’s three-year tour expected to end this summer, one question up for debate is whether the time has come for a European general to step into the role. The decision will largely depend on the outlook of President Donald Trump, who has demanded that Europeans shoulder a larger share of the security burden on the Continent. A move to Europeanize the top NATO command post could be one way for Trump to signal he wants the United States to play a smaller role. The long-standing tradition of an American SACEUR isn’t a NATO mandate but more of a “gentlemen’s agreement” that also entails the alliance’s civilian leader be a European, according to Jorge Benitez, a NATO historian with the Atlantic Council think tank. […]
On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was ready to begin discussions with his European counterparts about providing a nuclear deterrent for Europe. If such moves are a prelude to a European SACEUR, the alliance would suffer, some security analysts say. “I think turning this over to Europeans would seriously damage NATO deterrence and weaken the alliance,” said a NATO scholar, who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of his job. “One of America’s major strengths, which no European country can replicate, is our ability to herd the cats that are the various defense establishments across the Continent.” While a European country could fill the slot, it would lack the credibility and authority that an American four-star officer brings to the table, he said. Läs artikel