A new strategy paper by Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign policy chief, discussed the need for an autonomous defense capability

—meaning one independent of the American military and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization….

There is nothing in Ms. Mogherini’s paper that explicitly calls for a new headquarters, and indeed much of what she advocates has long been pushed by the U.S. including deeper defense cooperation, coordination and efficiency.

But some European and U.S. officials have interpreted the call to act autonomously as an endorsement of a new EU military headquarters.

Speaking at a German Marshall Fund Event this week, Douglas Lute, the U.S. Ambassador to NATO said Washington remains opposed to European spending that would duplicate the command-and-control structure of NATO….

“We don’t think there are enough resources in Europe to build duplication,” Mr. Lute said….

“We would argue that Europe’s defense euros should go to things where we know there are defense shortfalls,” he [Lute] said.

Image: US Ambassador to NATO Douglas Lute, Dec. 9, 2014 (photo: NATO)