Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, speaks at the Berlin Security Conference. In conference remarks Nov. 18, 2025, Whitaker said he looked forward to eventually having a German as the alliance’s top commander, various news outlets reported. (X/U.S. Ambassador to NATO)
STUTTGART, Germany — The top U.S. envoy to NATO said this week that he is eager for a German general to eventually take command of all allied forces, a job that has been held by an American officer since the bloc’s founding nearly 80 years ago.
Matthew Whitaker, the American ambassador to the 32-country alliance, told the audience at the Berlin Security Conference that such a significant shakeup at NATO would take time, according to several news outlets, including British newspaper The Telegraph.
“I look forward to the day when Germany comes to the United States and says that ‘We’re ready to take over the Supreme Allied Commander position,’” Whitaker said Tuesday. “I think we’re a long way away from that, but I look forward to those discussions.”
In a social media post following the discussions in Berlin, Whitaker did not mention the SACEUR issue.
He did, however, emphasize the need for allies to follow through on recent pledges to increase defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product.
Still, questions have swirled around the idea that a European could one day take the job of Supreme Allied Commander Europe, a post first held by Gen. Dwight D Eisenhower.
Earlier this year, there were discussions at the Pentagon about the idea of the United States relinquishing command of NATO forces, NBC News reported in March.
However, in July, U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich took over the job, signaling there was no immediate change in the works. Whitaker’s own remarks suggest that any shift would be years away.
There has long been debate among security analysts about whether the time has come for NATO to have a European general at the top.
Backers of the idea have argued that getting Europeans to shoulder more of the Continent’s security burden should entail a corresponding assumption of more command responsibility.
Critics, however, counter that such a move would be interpreted as U.S. backpedaling from the alliance, which they say would ultimately weaken NATO’s ability to deter aggression in Europe.
