Overview
- Multiple German outlets report a gentlemen’s agreement for Breuer to take over in early 2028 when Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone’s term ends in January 2028.
- The early move is described as driven by Washington, with support also reported from France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey and the Netherlands.
- Reporting says the push is intended to place greater responsibility on Berlin as the United States signals a possible reduction of its conventional presence in Europe.
- As chair, Breuer would serve as principal military adviser to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and lead Military Committee advice to the North Atlantic Council and the Nuclear Planning Group.
- Breuer, 61, has been Germany’s inspector general since March 2023, and while the agreement is portrayed as fixed, formal NATO appointment procedures have not yet occurred.