The Pentagon is giving up leadership of a US-led NATO command in Germany that coordinates military aid to Ukraine, the latest sign of a broader American withdrawal from its closest allies, Politico reported on Friday.
Another NATO member will eventually take over running the Security Assistance Group (SAG-U), according to a US official and three people familiar with the plan. The command, based in Wiesbaden, has played a central role in equipping and training Ukrainian troops since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. It both coordinates the movement of military equipment into Ukraine and oversees training and logistics support for Ukraine’s military.
The transition of leadership is expected to take up to a year, the people said, but it will not interrupt the work done with Ukraine. While NATO will lead the program, US European Command will stay involved through an American deputy. The move means the United States will no longer help shape what Ukraine’s future military looks like.
The handover follows a series of changes by the Trump administration, which has reduced the number of American officers running commands in Europe, canceled some rotations and warned allies they will not receive assistance unless their defense spending rises. “A European or Canadian officer taking command … would be yet another example of allies taking on greater responsibility,” said a NATO official, granted anonymity to discuss the unannounced plan. “Support for Ukraine remains a top priority.”
The Pentagon said in a statement: “SAG-U was always meant to be temporary. This effort is aimed at burden shifting within the Alliance to support Ukraine and to align U.S. resources in accordance with the National Defense Strategy.”
The handover follows a pattern of Washington turning NATO commands over to European nations. The UK will take control of NATO’s Joint Command Center in Norfolk, Virginia; Italy will assume command of the Joint Command Center in Naples; and Germany and Poland will control the Joint Command in Brunssum, the Netherlands. The US has also pulled rotational Army brigades from Romania and Poland, with Trump later reversing the decision on the troops heading to Poland.
Army Lt. Gen. Curtis Buzzard, who took command of SAG in mid-2024, will depart on Monday and hand off to Army Lt. Gen. Guillaume Beaurpere, who will wind down the American effort. The group was established at the NATO Washington Summit in July 2024, and European leadership was always the intent, but the political moment in Washington gives the pullback added weight as Trump’s antipathy toward the continent persists.
“For us, this step carries more advantages than disadvantages,” said a Ukrainian official. “This reduces the risks for us that could arise from political turbulence in the United States and facilitates military logistics in the interests of Ukraine.”
Author: Russia Desk
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