24.01.2026 16:52
The 2026 National Defense Strategy published by the Pentagon signaled a shift in the country's defense priorities by emphasizing greater burden-sharing among domestic security and allies. Accordingly, the Pentagon has now identified the security of the U.S. homeland and the Western Hemisphere as the primary concern, rather than China, marking a significant change in security priorities.
The U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) has published the 2026 "National Defense Strategy" document.
THE PRIMARY CONCERN IS NO LONGER CHINA According to the document, the Pentagon has made a significant change in security priorities, now identifying the security of the U.S. homeland and the Western Hemisphere as the primary concern, rather than China. In previous versions of the strategy published every four years, threats from China had been identified as the most important defense priority. The report states that relations with China will now be approached through "power, not conflict."
The 34-page new report follows last year's publication of the U.S. National Security Strategy, which stated that Europe is facing a civilizational collapse and did not view Russia as a threat to the U.S. At that time, Moscow had said the document was "largely consistent" with its own vision. In contrast, in 2018, the Pentagon had defined "revisionist powers" like China and Russia as a "fundamental challenge" to U.S. security.
THE NEW STRATEGY CALLS ON ALLIES TO TAKE ACTION The defense strategy reinforces recent calls by President Donald Trump for greater "burden sharing" from allies against threats from Russia and North Korea. The new strategy calls on U.S. allies to take action and states that they are "pleased" with Washington's financial support for defenses, but it rejects the view that this change indicates a shift towards "isolationism" for the U.S. "On the contrary, it means a truly strategic approach focused on the threats our nation faces," it says.
The report notes that Washington has long neglected the "concrete interests" of Americans, stating that the U.S. does not want to confuse American interests with the interests of the rest of the world, meaning that "a threat to a person on the other side of the world is the same as a threat to an American." Instead, it states that allies, especially Europe, will fight as the dominant power against threats that are "less for the U.S. but more for themselves." Russia, which launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago, is described as a "persistent but manageable threat" to NATO's eastern members.
TAIWAN IS NOT MENTIONED Unlike previous versions of the strategy, there is no mention of Taiwan, the autonomous island claimed by China. However, the document states that the U.S. aims to "prevent any country, including China, from ruling over us or our allies."
Late last year, the U.S. announced a major arms sale to Taiwan worth $11 billion, to which China responded with military exercises around the island. The strategy also assigns a "more limited" role to the U.S. under its deterrence policy towards North Korea. It adds that South Korea could "take primary responsibility" for this mission.
'HARSH REALISM' IS EMBRACED In the 12 months since Trump began his second presidential term, the U.S. has conducted operations against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, launched attacks on vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking in the East Pacific and Caribbean, and most recently pressured allies to acquire Greenland. The strategy reiterates that the Pentagon will "secure military and commercial access to key areas," including the Panama Canal, the Gulf of Mexico (which Trump unilaterally renamed the Gulf of America), and Greenland. The document states that the Trump administration's approach will be "fundamentally different from the grandiose strategies of past administrations operating in the post-Cold War era." It says, "Utopian idealism out; harsh realism in."
TRUMP CRITICIZED NATO IN DAVOS Earlier this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump claimed that the U.S. has "never received anything" from NATO and "never asked for anything." He also criticized the Alliance by falsely claiming that the U.S. "pays almost 100% of NATO."
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that the old world order "will not return" and called on other middle powers like South Korea, Canada, and Australia to come together. Carney said at the Davos meeting, "Middle powers must act together because if we are not at the table, we will be on the menu." French President Emmanuel Macron also warned of a "drift towards a lawless world."