The Pentagon has unveiled a transformative National Defense Strategy that fundamentally reorients U.S. military priorities toward hemispheric dominance while compelling American allies to assume greater responsibility for their own security. The 34-page document, released late Friday, represents the most significant shift in defense policy since 2022, explicitly criticizing European and Asian partners for their historical reliance on U.S. military subsidies.
The strategy framework emphatically declares an end to what it characterizes as decades of neglect toward American interests, opening with the stark assertion: ‘For too long, the U.S. Government neglected — even rejected — putting Americans and their concrete interests first.’ This philosophical foundation translates into concrete policy changes that will require allied nations to take primary responsibility for countering threats from Russia to North Korea.
Geopolitical tensions surrounding strategic assets emerged as a central theme, with the document specifically highlighting U.S. intentions to guarantee military and commercial access to the Panama Canal and Greenland. This focus follows President Trump’s recent confirmation of ongoing negotiations for ‘total access’ to Greenland through a framework agreement with NATO leadership, though Danish officials maintain that formal negotiations have not yet commenced.
The strategy markedly departs from previous administrations’ approach to China, no longer identifying the Asian power as America’s ‘pacing challenge’ but rather as an established regional force that requires deterrence rather than domination. Notably absent is any mention of security guarantees for Taiwan, contrasting sharply with the Biden administration’s 2022 strategy that explicitly supported the island’s asymmetric self-defense capabilities.
European allies received particularly direct messaging, with the document asserting that NATO members are ‘strongly positioned to take primary responsibility for Europe’s conventional defense’ against Russia, which the strategy classifies as ‘a persistent but manageable threat.’ This assessment comes amid confirmed U.S. troop reductions along NATO’s eastern borders, raising concerns among European partners about potential security vulnerabilities.
The comprehensive strategy document reinforces the Trump administration’s ‘America First’ philosophy throughout, emphasizing bilateral relationships based on mutual interest rather than traditional alliance structures, while maintaining the Pentagon’s role in supporting—but not leading—regional security architectures worldwide.