The U.S. Department of Defense released a new defense strategy on Friday, prioritizing the protection of the U.S. homeland and the Western Hemisphere. Although it still mentions "deterrence" against China, it no longer views countering the so-called Chinese threat as an urgent matter. According to reports from AFP and AP, this new defense strategy marks a break from the Pentagon's traditional strategy, with core requirements that U.S. allies take on more responsibility for their own defense, while adopting a more moderate stance toward China and Russia, two countries defined by the U.S. as "traditional adversaries."
The new defense strategy begins by stating, "The U.S. government has long neglected or refused to put American people and their tangible interests first," and criticizes European and Asian allies for over-reliance on successive U.S. administrations in defense spending. The document also clearly states, "Although the U.S. will continue to be involved in European affairs, we must and will prioritize the defense of the homeland and the deterrence of China."
The defense strategy issued during the Biden administration previously described China as the greatest challenge facing the U.S., and called Russia a "serious threat." This new document, however, advocates for establishing a "mutually respectful relationship" with China, and does not mention the U.S. ally Taiwan. Regarding Russia, the new document defines its threat as "persistent but manageable," and believes that NATO allies, whose capabilities have significantly improved, are "fully capable of taking primary responsibility for conventional defense in Europe."
Regarding the Northeast Asia region, the Pentagon also stated, "South Korea has the main capability to deter North Korea, and the U.S. will provide only necessary and more targeted limited support," which once again highlights the U.S. strategic orientation of entrusting more regional security matters to its allies. In fact, both the Biden and Trump administrations' defense strategies emphasized the importance of maintaining domestic U.S. security, but there were significant differences in their definitions of existing threats. The Pentagon explicitly wrote in this 2026 new document: "We will prioritize actions to secure the border, repel all forms of invasion, and expel undocumented immigrants." Previously, the Biden administration focused on China and Russia, stating that these two countries posed a greater threat to U.S. domestic security than any terrorist threat.
In line with the White House's national security strategy released in early December 2025, this new defense strategy also includes Latin America in the U.S. priority considerations. The Pentagon states in the document that it will "restore the U.S. military dominance on the American continent, using this advantage to safeguard the nation's security and ensure the U.S. can access key areas in the region." Notably, the new document completely omits the risks associated with climate change, a topic that had been listed as an "emerging threat" in previous strategic documents under the Biden administration.
The new U.S. defense strategy clearly reflects a contractionary shift toward "home-first" strategy, requiring allies to take on more defense responsibilities, adopting a softer stance towards China and Russia, and focusing on the Western Hemisphere and Latin America, while emphasizing domestic border security. It not only downplays the previous tough stance towards China and Russia but also sets aside issues such as climate change. Essentially, this is the U.S. stepping back from its global generalized security commitments, attempting to restructure its defense priorities through "allies doing the work + regional focus," reflecting the imbalance between the U.S.'s global strategic resources and its strategic demands.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1855243353640968/
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