U.S. to appoint new commander of NATO allied forces in Europe
President Biden is expected to appoint new generals to the positions of Supreme Allied Commander Europe and commander of United States Special Operations Command, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
Per the Journal, Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, the current commander of U.S. Army Europe, will take command of all NATO forces in Europe — a force that comprises some 100,000 U.S. troops plus another 40,000 from NATO allies — this summer after Air Force Gen. Ted Wolters rotates out of the role. Wolters' term as commander was extended so he could oversee NATO's initial response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Army Lt. Gen. Bryan Fenton will replace retiring Gen. Richard Clarke as head of U.S. Special Operations Command, which "oversees special operations around the world," according to the Journal.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The U.S. isn't the only country switching up its top brass. On Friday, a Western official told BBC that Russia had appointed Gen. Alexander Dvornikov who commands Russia's southern military district and led Russia's brutal intervention in the Syrian Civil War.
Previously, analysts believed Russia's war effort lacked a single frontline commander and was instead being directed from Moscow.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Courgette and leek ijeh (Arabic frittata) recipeThe Week Recommends Soft leeks, tender courgette, and fragrant spices make a crisp frittata
-
Trump’s power grab: the start of a new world order?Talking Point Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the US president has shown that arguably power, not ‘international law’, is the ultimate guarantor of security
-
Unrest in Iran: how the latest protests spread like wildfireIn the Spotlight Deep-rooted discontent at the country’s ‘entire regime’ and economic concerns have sparked widespread protest far beyond Tehran
-
What would a UK deployment to Ukraine look like?Today's Big Question Security agreement commits British and French forces in event of ceasefire
-
Would Europe defend Greenland from US aggression?Today’s Big Question ‘Mildness’ of EU pushback against Trump provocation ‘illustrates the bind Europe finds itself in’
-
Did Trump just end the US-Europe alliance?Today's Big Question New US national security policy drops ‘grenade’ on Europe and should serve as ‘the mother of all wake-up calls’
-
Is conscription the answer to Europe’s security woes?Today's Big Question How best to boost troop numbers to deal with Russian threat is ‘prompting fierce and soul-searching debates’
-
The Baltic ‘bog belt’ plan to protect Europe from RussiaUnder the Radar Reviving lost wetland on Nato’s eastern flank would fuse ‘two European priorities that increasingly compete for attention and funding: defence and climate’
-
How should Nato respond to Putin’s incursions?Today’s big question Russia has breached Nato airspace regularly this month, and nations are primed to respond
-
Russia’s war games and the threat to NatoIn depth Incursion into Poland and Zapad 2025 exercises seen as a test for Europe
-
How long can Nato keep Donald Trump happy?Today's Big Question Military alliance pulls out all the stops to woo US president on his peacemaker victory lap
