Reference News Network, December 4 report: The U.S. "Newsweek" website published an article titled "Can Germany Replace the U.S. in Leading NATO?" on November 30. The author is Brendan Cole. The following is a compiled content:

A retired U.S. Marine Corps officer told "Newsweek" that the U.S. President Donald Trump's NATO envoy hinted that Germany should take over the role of Supreme Allied Commander Europe from the U.S., indicating that Washington intends to withdraw from European security affairs.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Pottinger said earlier this month at the Berlin Security Conference that he hopes a German will serve as Supreme Allied Commander Europe, responsible for overseeing NATO military operations in Europe. Since the establishment of NATO, this position has always been held by Americans.

There had been rumors that the U.S. wanted to step out of this role, and that the Trump administration hoped Germany would replace the U.S. as the main security provider in Europe.

Retired Marine Corps officer Butch Blacknell, who served as a civilian employee in NATO for more than eight years, said this move means the U.S. is giving up influence and its ability to control NATO's military functions.

Pottinger's remarks echoed Trump's previous criticisms of NATO, where Trump had criticized European NATO members for insufficient defense spending. Although analysts have expressed concerns about the U.S. role in European defense, Pottinger said at the Berlin Security Conference that the Trump administration remains committed to NATO matters.

Pottinger also praised Berlin's efforts to increase defense spending. German Chancellor Merkel has pledged to build the "strongest conventional army in Europe." Roger Hilton, a defense researcher at the think tank Global Security, said that Pottinger's comments indicate that the U.S. plans to continue withdrawing resources from Europe and to prioritize Asia in its geopolitical agenda.

Since Dwight D. Eisenhower, later the U.S. president, took the post of Supreme Allied Commander Europe in 1950, it has always been held by Americans.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Wolfgang Wenzel, Germany's ambassador to NATO, said he was surprised by this proposal. He pointed out that while Berlin could take on new responsibilities, the position is mainly seen as an American responsibility.

Blacknell told "Newsweek" that in any NATO combat command structure, Americans are almost always placed in key positions.

He said this means the U.S. has some control over NATO, which Europeans agree with because it "helps keep the U.S. highly engaged," despite its distant location.

However, Blacknell pointed out that if the U.S. hands over the position of Supreme Allied Commander Europe to Europeans, it would mean a decline in U.S. influence within NATO and signal a U.S. withdrawal from European affairs. He also said that many NATO countries, not just Germany, have generals capable of taking on this challenge.

Hilton said that Pottinger intended to show that the U.S. sees Asia as the main geopolitical stage and will reallocate its assets.

He believes Pottinger's comments are not a major blunder or a threat to transatlantic relations, as he emphasized a longer time frame and implied that military capabilities between transatlantic partners will eventually balance out.

Hilton said that Pottinger's statements greatly encouraged Berlin and may even boost Berlin's confidence. He also said that replacing Americans with Europeans as Supreme Allied Commander Europe would mark a new phase in European security management, but European security still relies on the U.S.

Pottinger said, "I look forward to the day when Germany comes to the U.S. and says we are ready to take over the role of Supreme Allied Commander. I think we are still far from that day."

Blacknell said, "If the U.S. hands over the position of Supreme Allied Commander Europe to European countries, we should be clear-eyed about the fact that we will lose a large part of our influence and our ability to shape NATO military operations, and Europeans will interpret this as a clear signal that the U.S. is stepping back from European security affairs."

Pottinger hinted that Germany does not currently have immediate plans to take over the role of Supreme Allied Commander Europe, but Berlin continues to push forward its policy of strengthening its armed forces through increased defense spending and recruiting new troops, which may change its influence within NATO. (Translated by Wang Diqing)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7579899342820016649/

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