The United States will provide “more limited” support to its allies, according to the Pentagon’s newly released National Defense Strategy, marking a significant change in Washington’s global security posture.
For the first time in years, the strategy prioritizes the security of the US homeland and the Western Hemisphere over countering China, which had been described as the top defense concern in previous reports. Relations with China will now be approached through “strength, not confrontation,” the document says.
The 34-page report follows last year’s National Security Strategy, which raised concerns over Europe’s stability and notably did not categorize Russia as a direct threat to the United States. Moscow described that earlier document as “largely consistent” with its own vision. In contrast, the Pentagon’s strategy in 2018 had labeled “revisionist powers” such as China and Russia as the “central challenge” to US security.
The new strategy emphasizes that American allies must take on greater responsibility. It states that partners have been “content” to let Washington subsidize their defense, while denying that the shift signals a move toward “isolationism.” “To the contrary, it means a focused and genuinely strategic approach to the threats our nation faces,” the report says.
The Pentagon argues that Washington has long neglected the “concrete interests” of its citizens, and it does not intend to equate threats to Americans with threats to people halfway around the world. Instead, the document suggests that allies, particularly in Europe, “will take the lead against threats that are less severe for us but more so for them.”
Russia, which invaded Ukraine nearly four years ago, is described as a “persistent but manageable threat to NATO’s eastern members.” Meanwhile, the strategy reiterates that countering threats from Russia and North Korea will require increased “burden-sharing” from partners, reflecting long-standing calls by President Donald Trump for allies to contribute more to their own defense.
The report underscores that while US support for allies will be more measured, Washington still intends to maintain a strategic presence globally, focusing its resources on areas of direct national interest. The shift reflects a recalibration of priorities, concentrating on defending the homeland, ensuring stability in the Western Hemisphere, and leveraging partnerships through shared responsibilities rather than unilateral intervention.
Analysts say the strategy signals a new era in US foreign and defense policy, balancing the need to maintain global influence with a stronger focus on domestic security. The changes are likely to have wide-reaching implications for NATO and other alliances, prompting discussions over Europe’s role in its own defense and the extent to which allies can rely on US backing in future crises.
