Overview
- The White House released a 29-page National Security Strategy that formalizes an 'America First' approach prioritizing Western Hemisphere preeminence, economic leverage, and tighter migration enforcement.
- The document no longer lists Russia as a threat and elevates negotiations to rapidly end the war in Ukraine, a shift welcomed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as a 'positive step.'
- The strategy warns of Europe's 'civilizational erasure' and lauds the rise of 'patriotic' parties, prompting criticism from European figures even as officials like Kaja Kallas and Johann Wadephul stress the transatlantic alliance.
- Operational signals tied to the blueprint include intensified strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, alongside a continued deterrence posture in the Indo-Pacific focused on Taiwan and greater defense contributions from Japan and South Korea.
- Congressional negotiators moved to restrict troop reductions, with the draft 2026 NDAA barring U.S. forces in Europe from dropping below 76,000 and in Korea below 28,500 absent certifications, complicating administration plans to shift burdens.