The 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) represents a notable shift from previous Pentagon policies, highlighting the expectation for allies to assume greater responsibilities with reduced support from Washington, as well as adopting a gentler approach towards traditional adversaries like China and Russia.
“As U.S. forces concentrate on homeland defense and the Indo-Pacific, our allies and partners elsewhere will take primary responsibility for their own defense, with essential but more limited support from American forces,” the strategy outlined.
The prior NDS—issued during the presidency of Donald Trump—characterized China as Washington’s foremost challenge and labeled Russia as an “acute threat.”
The new document, however, advocates for “respectful relations” with Beijing, notably omitting mention of U.S. ally Taiwan, which China views as part of its territory, while categorizing the threat from Russia as “persistent but manageable,” primarily affecting NATO’s eastern nations.
While both the Biden and Trump strategies acknowledge the significance of homeland defense, their assessments of the threats facing the U.S. diverge markedly.
The Trump administration’s NDS criticized the previous administration for overlooking border security, arguing that this neglect led to a “flood of illegal aliens” and rampant narcotics trafficking.
“Border security is national security,” it asserted, indicating that the Pentagon “will therefore prioritize efforts to secure our borders, repel forms of invasion, and deport illegal aliens.”
‘Restore military dominance’
Biden, on the other hand, emphasized that China and Russia posed “more dangerous challenges to security and safety at home” than the threat of terrorism.
The 2026 NDS also excludes any reference to the risks of climate change—an issue the Biden administration had previously identified as an “emerging threat.”
Similar to Trump’s recent national security strategy, the NDS brings Latin America to the forefront of U.S. priorities.
The Pentagon “will restore American military dominance in the Western Hemisphere. We will leverage it to protect our homeland and maintain access to key terrain across the region,” the NDS stated.
This approach was termed the “Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine,” referencing the early 19th-century assertion by the then-nascent United States that Latin America was off-limits to foreign powers.
Since resuming office last year, Trump has consistently deployed U.S. military resources in Latin America, orchestrating a controversial raid that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, alongside strikes on over 30 suspected drug-smuggling vessels that resulted in more than 100 fatalities.
Trump’s administration has not provided conclusive evidence that the sunken ships were engaged in drug trafficking, and legal experts and human rights organizations contend that the strikes likely amount to extrajudicial killings, targeting civilians who do not present an immediate threat to the United States.
