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Aylin MatléJanuary 24, 2026 at 2:15 PM EST

Complementing the U.S. #NationalSecurityStrategy (NSS) America’s new #NationalDefenseStrategy (NDS) has just been published. A few initial takeaways after a first read 👇 Overall, there is little that is entirely surprising or genuinely new. Much of the NDS aligns closely with the NSS. What is notable, however, is that the NDS does not depart as sharply from traditional U.S. defense thinking as the NSS initially suggested. • Defending the U.S. homeland and access to the Western Hemisphere remains priority number one - This is hardly new—and applies to any nation. #Greenland is explicitly mentioned in the context of #MissileDefense, though it remains questionable whether the “Golden Dome” concept can deliver what #Trump has promised it would. • China: The language on China is comparatively restrained, esp. given expectations when Trump re-entered the WH The NDS emphasizes cooperation and negotiation from a position of strength—a very long-standing approach already adopted by NATO in 1967. A position, btw, #Ukraine has long demanded to be put in—rightly so. At the same time, the strategy seeks to establish a BoP in the IP through #DeterrenceByDenial, raising questions about how this will translate into concrete policy toward #Taiwan Notably, the document does not endorse the idea that European allies could play a role in Taiwan’s defense—contrary to arguments made by @johnrdeni.bsky.social ( breakingdefense.com) and by @weberv.bsky.social & I in @ipq.bsky.social : ip-quarterly.com)

Alliances and #NATO The NDS is far from a renunciation of alliances, including NATO (a clear commitment to the Alliance can be found in the doc). Yet, as long expected, the U.S. role is set to become “critical but more limited”—most likely referring to #NuclearForces. This approach could become problematic in case of complete withdrawal of U.S. conventional forces from Europe. • #Russia: The NDS acknowledges the threat R. poses to NATO’s eastern members, while confirming that the current admin does n. view Russia as the central challenge the Biden admin did. That said, the NDS explicitly references Russia’s nuclear arsenal and its potential employment against the U.S. homeland. Interestingly, security arguments for Greenland’s strategic importance only fully add up if Washington indeed continues to regard Russia as a serious potential threat. • #Bottomline (so far): not as much of a rupture as anticipated (without knowing, of course, what the #GlobalPostureReview, the last piece of the puzzle, holds in store) Here's the link to the complete document: media.defense.gov