• The Pentagon's 2026 National Defense Strategy shifts focus to homeland security and deterring China.
• It calls for "more limited" military support to allies while urging them to take on greater responsibilities.
• China and Russia are characterized in a softer tone than previous strategies, with Russia termed a "persistent but manageable" threat.
• The document emphasizes enhancing border security as paramount to national security.
• Latin America is elevated in U.S. military priorities, echoing the "Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine."

The Pentagon released its 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) on January 23, emphasizing a renewed focus on homeland security and deterrence against China, while advocating for limited support to U.S. allies in Europe and elsewhere. This strategy marks a significant shift from past policies, reflecting an intention to prioritize American defense readiness over extensive overseas military engagement, according to aa, aljazeera, and lemonde.

The NDS emphasizes that as U.S. forces concentrate on homeland defense and the Indo-Pacific region, allies will be urged to take on greater responsibilities for their own defense. The Pentagon document states, "Our allies and partners elsewhere will take primary responsibility for their own defense with critical but more limited support from American forces," highlighting a shift towards fostering stronger burden-sharing among allied nations, according to aljazeera and lemonde.

In its new strategy, the Pentagon describes China as a major rival but advocates for "respectful relations" while characterizing Russia as a "persistent but manageable threat." Notably, the strategy does not mention Taiwan, a key point of contention with China, marking a softer diplomatic tone compared to previous documents that positioned China as a primary adversary, as per reports from aa, aljazeera, and lemonde.

The 2026 NDS underscores the importance of border security, projecting it as intrinsic to national security, and advocates for measures to "seal our borders" to combat illegal immigration and trafficking. This stance reflects the strategy's prioritization of internal security over international commitments, as stated by aljazeera and lemonde.

The document also remarks on the elevation of Latin America in U.S. military strategy, referencing a "Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine" which aims to restore U.S. military dominance in the region. This aligns with the broader strategic objective to secure key territories and fortify homeland protection, as outlined in statements from aa, aljazeera, and lemonde.