Trump is determined to maintain NATO command authority to ease allies' concerns about the strategic contraction of the United States.

On May 30, according to Reuters, three U.S. officials, a Western official and a NATO source revealed that although the United States is pushing European allies to assume more security responsibilities, at least for this stage, Trump will maintain the traditional role of U.S. generals at the helm of NATO. A Western official said Mr. Trump had privately conveyed the decision to NATO Secretary-General Rutte. The move would ease the fears of NATO’s European allies and even some Republicans, whose tough rhetoric about Europe and skepticism about the conflict in Ukraine had been interpreted as a signal that the U.S. military leadership role could be rapidly tapered. The decision to maintain NATO command sends a signal of “stability in the transatlantic alliance,” officials said, despite the Trump administration’s repeated emphasis on shifting its focus to Asia and homeland security, and discussions about a possible drawdown of U.S. troops in Europe.