Latest news with #EuropeanCommand
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump calls Germany's larger defence budget 'a positive thing'
US President Donald Trump on Thursday called Germany's increased defence spending "a positive thing" but expressed some reservations about a better financed German military. "I know that you're spending more money on defence now and quite a bit more money. That's a positive thing," Trump told Merz during a press briefing in the Oval Office on the occasion of Merz's inaugural visit. But Trump declined to comment on specific percentages, stating that he had not discussed this much with Merz so far. Trump did however point to historical concerns the United States has had about German rearmament, following the US victory, together with other allies, over Nazi Germany in World War II. "I'm not sure that General [Douglas] MacArthur would have said it's positive. You know, he wouldn't like it, but I sort of think it's good." The highly decorated US general commanded the South Pacific arena during World War II and was not responsible for combat operations in Europe. Still Trump said overall he considers the development to be the right one – "at least to a certain point. "There'll be a point where I'll say, Please don't arm anymore," he added, jokingly. Trump confirmed that he also intended to discuss the presence of tens of thousands of US troops in Germany with his German guest. He said this was also good for Germany's economy, as it involved well-paid soldiers. Trump added that the relationship with Germany is "very important." According to the US military's European Command (EUCOM), around 78,000 American soldiers are currently stationed in Europe, including approximately 37,000 in Germany. The number fluctuates regularly, depending on rotations and exercises in the region. Since the start of Russia's war against Ukraine, the figure has varied significantly.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Trump taps senior Air Force commander for European Command
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is tapping an Air Force fighter pilot with extensive experience as a senior commander in the Middle East to be the next head of U.S. European Command. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, currently the director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, would also take over as the supreme allied commander, Europe, if his nomination is confirmed by the Senate. NATO's North Atlantic Council in a statement Thursday said it approved Grynkewich's nomination as SACEUR.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Trump taps senior Air Force commander for European Command
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is tapping an Air Force fighter pilot with extensive experience as a senior commander in the Middle East to be the next head of U.S. European Command. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, currently the director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, would also take over as the supreme allied commander, Europe, if his nomination is confirmed by the Senate. NATO's North Atlantic Council in a statement Thursday said it approved Grynkewich's nomination as SACEUR. The U.S. military's presence in Europe is under scrutiny, as the Trump administration eyes cuts in the force even as the region continues to grapple with Russia's war on Ukraine and the wider effects of the Israel-Hamas war. U.S. warships have been persistently patrolling the Mediterranean Sea to be poised to support operations in support of Israel and the broader effort to secure the Red Sea corridor, where Houthi rebels have attacked commercial and military vessels. There have been ongoing discussions in the Pentagon about slashing the number of U.S. troops across Europe. The Biden administration poured an additional 20,000 U.S. forces into the region — bringing the total to about 100,000 — to help calm escalating fears among NATO allies that they could be Russia's next target. Defense leaders have said there have been no final decisions. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have both made it clear they want NATO to do more to defend its own region and that the U.S. is turning to focus more on China and America's own southern border. In his current job, Grynkewich helps to develop guidance for the combatant commands and serves as a key aide to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on military operations around the world. Most recently Grynkewich served as commander of Air Forces in the Middle East, including air operations in support of the conflict in Israel, from 2022 to 2023. And prior to that he was director of operations for U.S. Central Command. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1993, has served as an instructor pilot and was a test pilot for the development of the F-16 and F-22 fighter jets. He has more then 2,300 flight hours.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pentagon to redraw command map to more closely align Greenland with the US
The Pentagon is poised to shift its oversight of Greenland by putting it under U.S. Northern Command, a symbolic gesture that would more closely align the island territory with the U.S. as President Donald Trump continues to show interest in taking control over the Arctic landmass. The shift in oversight, which could come as soon as this week, could also help the U.S. broaden its Golden Dome missile shield by providing more radars for coverage. Under the plan, Greenland would shift from European Command's jurisdiction to Northern Command, which is responsible for overseeing the security of North America, according to a DOD official and two people familiar with the planning. The people were granted anonymity to discuss the move ahead of its announcement. The switch is the most concrete step yet in the Trump administration's months-long effort to gain ownership over Greenland, an autonomous island aligned with Denmark. Trump briefly brought up buying Greenland during his first term, but has talked about it repeatedly since winning the election last November, alarming the island's 58,000 inhabitants and frustrating the Danish government, which says it has no interest in selling. Making Greenland part of Northcom will be heavily scrutinized in Denmark and throughout NATO, which has been uneasy over Trump's months-long campaign to take control over the island and his refusal to rule out military action to seize territory. Denmark and the semi-autonomous Faroe Islands will remain under European Command, creating a symbolic and operational split between those territories and Greenland. 'From the perspective of geography, the move makes some sense,' said one of the people familiar. 'From a political perspective, however, this clearly is going to worry Europe,' the official added. The switch in jurisdiction is part of the Pentagon leadership's review of the Unified Command Plan, which outlines the areas of responsibility for the department's six geographic combatant commanders. While the Greenland split doesn't involve any major shifts in leadership, other proposals — including combining Northern Command and Southern Command and pulling the Africa Command back under the Germany-based European Command — would have deep impacts on the number of three- and four-star officers serving in the military, and on how many assets are assigned to different areas of the globe. The Trump administration has for months talked about the strategic importance of Greenland for U.S. security, pointing out that its location in the North Atlantic makes American control critical for stepped-up missile defense programs and monitoring Russia and Chinese shipping in the Arctic. The change opens the possibility of adding more Golden Dome radar systems on Greenland and expanding that network of sensors, while more closely aligning the island with Canadian and American regional defense plans. The Danish embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. A DOD official deferred to the White House, which did not respond to a request for comment. Northern Command is chiefly responsible for protecting U.S. territory and oversees missions such as the southern border, air and missile defense, and working with Canada and Mexico on joint security matters. Putting Greenland under Northern Command would, in effect, cleave Greenland from Denmark when it comes to how the island is prioritized in policy discussions at the Pentagon and the White House. The second person familiar with the planning said the Danish government has not been formally briefed on the upcoming move. The U.S. has long had a military presence on the island. In March, Vice President JD Vance and then-national security adviser Mike Waltz visited the Pituffik Space Base, which boasts the Pentagon's northernmost deepwater port and has long functioned as a strategic location to watch Russia and China. In Greenland, Vance urged the Arctic island to 'cut a deal' with Washington, saying, 'I think that you'd be a lot better coming under the United States security umbrella than you have been under Denmark's security umbrella.' In January, the Danish government pledged to spend an extra $2 billion on Greenland security initiatives, in part to placate Trump's security concerns. But NATO and European officials have been cautious about the American president's interest in the island. Trump's comments on the importance of the Arctic have caught the attention of NATO leaders. The alliance's secretary general, Mark Rutte, said last week that 'for NATO, we're getting more involved' in Arctic security issues. He added that Trump calling attention to Russian and Chinese moves in the region marked a positive development. In an interview with NBC last month, Trump said he would not rule out taking Greenland by military force. 'I don't say I'm going to do it, but I don't rule out anything,' he said. 'We need Greenland very badly.'
Politico
6 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Pentagon to redraw command map to more closely align Greenland with the US
The Pentagon is poised to shift its oversight of Greenland by putting it under U.S. Northern Command, a symbolic gesture that would more closely align the island territory with the U.S. as President Donald Trump continues to show interest in taking control over the Arctic landmass. The shift in oversight, which could come as soon as this week, could also help the U.S. broaden its Golden Dome missile shield by providing more radars for coverage. Under the plan, Greenland would shift from European Command's jurisdiction to Northern Command, which is responsible for overseeing the security of North America, according to a DOD official and two people familiar with the planning. The people were granted anonymity to discuss the move ahead of its announcement. The switch is the most concrete step yet in the Trump administration's months-long effort to gain ownership over Greenland, an autonomous island aligned with Denmark. Trump briefly brought up buying Greenland during his first term, but has talked about it repeatedly since winning the election last November, alarming the island's 58,000 inhabitants and frustrating the Danish government, which says it has no interest in selling. Making Greenland part of Northcom will be heavily scrutinized in Denmark and throughout NATO, which has been uneasy over Trump's months-long campaign to take control over the island and his refusal to rule out military action to seize territory. Denmark and the semi-autonomous Faroe Islands will remain under European Command, creating a symbolic and operational split between those territories and Greenland. 'From the perspective of geography, the move makes some sense,' said one of the people familiar. 'From a political perspective, however, this clearly is going to worry Europe,' the official added. The switch in jurisdiction is part of the Pentagon leadership's review of the Unified Command Plan, which outlines the areas of responsibility for the department's six geographic combatant commanders. While the Greenland split doesn't involve any major shifts in leadership, other proposals — including combining Northern Command and Southern Command and pulling the Africa Command back under the Germany-based European Command — would have deep impacts on the number of three- and four-star officers serving in the military, and on how many assets are assigned to different areas of the globe. The Trump administration has for months talked about the strategic importance of Greenland for U.S. security, pointing out that its location in the North Atlantic makes American control critical for stepped-up missile defense programs and monitoring Russia and Chinese shipping in the Arctic. The change opens the possibility of adding more Golden Dome radar systems on Greenland and expanding that network of sensors, while more closely aligning the island with Canadian and American regional defense plans. The Danish embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. A DOD official deferred to the White House, which did not respond to a request for comment. Northern Command is chiefly responsible for protecting U.S. territory and oversees missions such as the southern border, air and missile defense, and working with Canada and Mexico on joint security matters. Putting Greenland under Northern Command would, in effect, cleave Greenland from Denmark when it comes to how the island is prioritized in policy discussions at the Pentagon and the White House. The second person familiar with the planning said the Danish government has not been formally briefed on the upcoming move. The U.S. has long had a military presence on the island. In March, Vice President JD Vance and then-national security adviser Mike Waltz visited the Pituffik Space Base, which boasts the Pentagon's northernmost deepwater port and has long functioned as a strategic location to watch Russia and China. In Greenland, Vance urged the Arctic island to 'cut a deal' with Washington, saying, 'I think that you'd be a lot better coming under the United States security umbrella than you have been under Denmark's security umbrella.' In January, the Danish government pledged to spend an extra $2 billion on Greenland security initiatives, in part to placate Trump's security concerns. But NATO and European officials have been cautious about the American president's interest in the island. Trump's comments on the importance of the Arctic have caught the attention of NATO leaders. The alliance's secretary general, Mark Rutte, said last week that 'for NATO, we're getting more involved' in Arctic security issues. He added that Trump calling attention to Russian and Chinese moves in the region marked a positive development. In an interview with NBC last month, Trump said he would not rule out taking Greenland by military force. 'I don't say I'm going to do it, but I don't rule out anything,' he said. 'We need Greenland very badly.'
