2026 National Defense Strategy Demotes Europe, Elevates Homeland and China as Top Priorities

Analysis of the 2026 NDS reveals a deliberate reordering of US defense priorities: homeland defense and China deterrence sit at the top, while Europe is explicitly ranked as secondary. The strategy describes European allies as 'rich, capable, and therefore responsible' for managing the Russian threat, making a European defense pillar inside NATO no longer optional but unavoidable. The shift has accelerated European rearmament debates, with Germany proposing a 5% GDP defense spending target.