Alpha News

New US Defense Strategy: NATO and Europe Remain Allies, China a Priority

Published January 24, 2026, 07:27

The US will remain a key ally of NATO and a partner of Europe, but will prioritize national security and deterring China, according to a new defense strategy released Friday. The document states that Washington will continue to play a central role within NATO, even as it adjusts its military presence in Europe. While US involvement in Europe will continue, the new strategy states that the US “must – and will – prioritize defending the homeland and deterring China.” In Europe and elsewhere, “allies will take the lead against threats that are less serious for us but more (serious) for them, with critical but more limited support from the United States,” it emphasizes. The release of the new defense strategy follows the release in mid-December of the new US national security strategy, which was widely seen as a break with the tradition of close transatlantic cooperation. That document stated that previous US strategies had not given enough weight to national interests, prioritizing the defense of other countries – at the expense of the American people. The new approach, it was emphasized, is guided by the principle of “America First.”