U.S. Foreign and Defense Policy

NATO will transfer three crisis‑leading Joint Force Commands to European leadership — the Norfolk command will pass to a U.K. officer (with installation facilities remaining under U.S. Navy control), Joint Force Command Naples will go to Italy, and Joint Force Command Brunssum will be shared on a rotational basis by Germany and Poland. Once transitions are complete, the U.S. will lead Allied Maritime Command in addition to Allied Land and Allied Air Commands, a shift NATO frames as fairer burden‑sharing and which a Pentagon official says was agreed jointly; Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby will attend the NATO Defense Ministerial in place of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.