U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has directed the military to prioritize deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan while “accepting risk” in other regions, including Europe.
This directive, outlined in an internal Pentagon document, was reported by The Washington Post.
The document, titled “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance”, was classified “Secret/Not for Foreign Nationals”and circulated within the Department of Defense in mid-March under Hegseth’s signature. Notably, sections of the document closely align with a report from the conservative Heritage Foundation, which is associated with Project 2025. The strategy details the implementation of former President Donald Trump’s military vision, emphasizing preparations for a possible conflict with China and safeguarding U.S. interests in strategic regions such as Greenland and the Panama Canal.
The directive outlines key priorities for senior defense officials and calls for an expanded military role in combating illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
Both the first Trump administration and the Biden administration identified China as the primary U.S. adversary, focusing defense efforts on the Indo-Pacific. However, Hegseth’s guidance stands out by treating a potential Taiwan invasion as an exclusive scenario, making it the Pentagon’s top priority. This represents a significant shift in military strategy, restructuring U.S. forces toward deterring Beijing.
Given resource and personnel constraints, the Pentagon will “assume risk in other theaters of operation,” with expectations that U.S. allies in Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia will take greater responsibility for countering threats from Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
The document also signals a change in counterterrorism strategy, prioritizing groups with direct intentions to strike the U.S. while scaling back efforts against militants in the Middle East and Africa who do not pose a global threat.
“China is the only threat the Department is focused on, and preventing China from seizing Taiwan—while simultaneously defending the U.S. homeland—is the sole scenario the Department is prioritizing,” Hegseth wrote.
This strategic realignment suggests that U.S. military planning will now center exclusively on potential conflict with China, leaving European allies to take the lead in addressing Russian aggression.
Under the Biden administration’s 2022 National Defense Strategy, NATO was a central element in countering Moscow. In contrast, Hegseth’s directive asserts that the alliance must now assume a “much greater share” of the burden, as U.S. military resources will be directed elsewhere.
