Assessing the 2026 NDS: Will it usher in burden shifting?

The Pentagon released its new National Defense Strategy (NDS) in late January, characterizing it as a marked departure from previous strategies, even from President Trump’s last NDS in 2018. Homeland and hemispheric defense come in as top priorities with additional emphasis on burden shifting in Europe and countering China. On the other hand, the document downplays the salience of conflict with Russia.

A new DEFP video series, hosted by Defense Priorities Director of Military Analysis Jennifer Kavanagh, breaks down the NDS with leading defense and foreign policy experts. In this episode, Kavanagh speaks with Justin Logan, the director of defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, about what the NDS says about burden-shifting and what comes next.