Former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO in Europe, Wesley Clark, assessed that the consideration by President Donald Trump’s administration to drastically alter its military command structure would hinder military cooperation between the US and Europe and would please the Kremlin.
“There’s the critical link between the United States, our nuclear forces, US forces, and Europe. And so you take that position away. You disconnect the United States from NATO. You remove intelligence, you remove the ability to work with both American and NATO channels simultaneously,” Clark told NewsNation.
“Nothing would make the Kremlin happier, and the Americans are getting nothing in return, because as NATO commander, my expenses were certainly my salary,” Clark said on Friday. “Most of my expenses were paid by Belgium and by NATO’s common funds. So there’s no real saving in this. It’s just a gift for Mr. Putin.”
The Pentagon is reportedly considering a plan that would result in the US relinquishing its position as the supreme allied commander of NATO in Europe, NBC News reported on Tuesday, citing two defense officials familiar with the planning.
Republicans in Congress have expressed concern over the reported plan, as conveyed by Klankosova.
“US combat commands are the tip of the American military spear. Therefore, we are very concerned about reports that claim [the Department of Defense] is considering unilateral changes in key strategic matters, including significant reductions in US forces stationed overseas, a lack of coordination with the White House and Congress,” said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers in a statement.
A day later, former Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell argued that if the administration acted on the proposal, it would drastically weaken NATO’s military alliance, in which the US has held its leadership position for nearly 75 years.
“Undermining US leadership would not strengthen NATO’s or the US’s interests. If we are serious about encouraging more capable European allies, withdrawing from our position as leaders of the transatlantic alliance would be a strange way to show that,” McConnell said in a statement on Thursday.
Trump had previously criticized key European military players for not spending enough on defense and not contributing a sufficient amount to NATO, a pact created in 1949. The president called for the US to withdraw from the alliance during his first term in office.
