The Washington Post reported on the secret instruction of the head of the Pentagon on the priorities of the US defense strategy
Publication of The Washington Post reported about the existence of a secret internal instruction of the US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, which radically changes the main defense strategy of the country. The document, labeled “secret,” directs the Pentagon to deter a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, even at the cost of “risk-taking” in other regions of the world, including Europe.
As The Washington Post reports, the document, titled “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” marked “secret/not for foreign nationals,” was signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in mid-March. It was circulated among the Pentagon’s command as the official guide for a new US strategy focused on containing China. The document calls for focusing the US military architecture on the Indo-Pacific region, and with regard to other threats – in particular from Russia, Iran and North Korea – to bet on allies. The text clearly states: the USA is ready to accept the risk in other “military theaters”, transferring responsibility to NATO and partners.
Hegseth is ordering the military to prepare for a full-scale conflict with China, deploying bombers, submarines, unmanned aerial platforms and special forces in the region, and is pressuring Taiwan to demand a significant increase in defense spending.
The Washington Post reports that the document describes in “extensive and sometimes passionate detail” the implementation of President Donald Trump’s vision for preparing for and winning a potential war with Beijing and protecting the United States from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama Canal.
At the same time, the Pentagon should play a more active role in combating illegal immigration, drug trafficking and border security, tasks that have traditionally been performed by the Department of Homeland Security. The directive also provides for the expansion of nuclear forces and the creation of a domestic anti-missile system, which Trump called the “Golden Dome”.
According to The Washington Post, Hegset’s instructions actually set a course for limiting the US presence in the world. In Europe, allies must be prepared for the fact that the United States will not be able to provide them with significant support in the event of Russian aggression. The United States would maintain a nuclear deterrent, but conventional forces would be available only if not needed to deter China.
Congress received the document for review. According to anonymous sources, it is considered controversial and unbalanced. One congressional aide said: “They want to be everywhere but also nowhere. It’s inconsistent and it’s going to be difficult for them to develop a strategy.”
At the same time, the Heritage Foundation refused to comment, and the US Department of Defense did not respond to journalists’ requests for this document.
The Washington Post emphasizes: the document records a deep integration of the political course of the Trump administration with the vision of conservative think tanks, and this radically changes the American military policy, in particular regarding NATO, Taiwan and the global dominance of the United States.
