Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has selected Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich as the next commander of U.S. forces in Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s next supreme allied commander.

If Grynkewich, who currently serves as director of operations for the Joint Staff, gets confirmed, he will replace Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, who has been in the role for the last two years.

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There had been rumors that the United States was considering allowing someone other than an American to serve as the supreme allied commander, which would have marked the first occurrence, though those concerns ultimately did not materialize.

Cavoli has been a major player in NATO and the U.S.’s coordinated support for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Trump administration has called for European countries to take on a larger share of the burden regarding their security. Grynkewich, if confirmed, will help usher in the more European-centric support for Ukraine that the administration seeks. The Pentagon is also reviewing its force posture across the globe, and there are beliefs that it could reduce the U.S. military presence in Europe.

The U.S. has also pushed NATO countries to increase their defense spending from 2% of GDP to 5%. Hegseth said on Thursday that there’s a “near consensus” among NATO allies about increasing the spending minimum.

Grynkewich received his commission in 1993 after graduating from the Air Force Academy. He has since served as an F-16 and F-22 pilot, and his staff assignments include serving at U.S. European Command and U.S. Central Command.

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Earlier this week, Hegseth also nominated Navy Vice Admiral Charles Cooper as the next commander of U.S. Central Command and Air Force Lt. Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson as the next commander of U.S. Africa Command.

All three will oversee their areas of responsibility while the military transitions to focus on the Pacific region.