The United States is making a strategic shift within NATO by transferring leadership of two significant regional commands to European nations. Specifically, the Naples command, which oversees NATO's southern operations, will be handed over to Italy, while the Norfolk command, focused on northern operations, will be transferred to Britain. This move comes as part of President Donald Trump's continued push for allies to take on more of the defense burden, reflecting Washington’s evolving stance on its military commitments in Europe.

Diplomats indicate that the transfer of these commands, first reported by the French outlet La Lettre, is expected to take several months to fully implement. One anonymous NATO diplomat mentioned that this shift is a positive sign of practical burden sharing among the allies. While the United States will relinquish these command positions, it will simultaneously assume control over NATO's maritime forces that are based in the UK, suggesting a recalibration rather than a retreat from NATO's collective military strategy.

This command reshuffling occurs against the backdrop of the United States potentially reducing its military presence in Europe as it pivots to address other strategic threats, particularly from China. Despite these changes, the U.S. will continue to play a central role in NATO, maintaining oversight of maritime operations, thereby balancing its commitment to European defense while realigning its military focus to reflect emerging global challenges.