Washington DC - The US military will prioritize protecting the homeland and deterring China while providing "more limited" support to allies in Europe and elsewhere, a Pentagon strategy document released on Friday said.

The 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) marks a significant departure from past Pentagon policy, both in its emphasis on allies taking on increased burdens with less backing from Washington and its softer tone on traditional foes China and Russia.

"As US forces focus on homeland defense and the Indo-Pacific, our allies and partners elsewhere will take primary responsibility for their own defense with critical but more limited support from American forces," the strategy said.

The previous NDS – released under President Donald Trump's predecessor Joe Biden – described China as Washington's most consequential challenge and said that Russia posed an "acute threat."

The new document, however, urges "respectful relations" with Beijing – while making no mention of US ally Taiwan, which China claims as its territory – and describing the threat from Russia as a "persistent but manageable" one affecting NATO's eastern members.

Both the Biden and Trump strategies say homeland defense is important, but their descriptions of the threats facing the US differ significantly.

The Trump administration's NDS takes aim at the past administration for neglecting border security, saying this led to a "flood of illegal aliens" and widespread narcotics trafficking.

"Border security is national security," and the Pentagon "will therefore prioritize efforts to seal our borders, repel forms of invasion, and deport illegal aliens," it said.