The United States has called on its allies and partners to increase defense spending to 5 per cent of gross domestic product, according to a new National Defense Strategy released on Friday, signaling a sharper push for greater burden-sharing under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The Pentagon document, which reflects Trump’s “America First” and “peace through strength” agenda, argues that US allies must play a larger role in ensuring their own security, though not as “the dependencies of the last generation”, as Washington prioritizes defending its homeland and its interests across the Western Hemisphere.
“We will advocate that our allies and partners meet this standard around the world, not just in Europe,” the strategy says, referring to the proposed 5 per cent defense spending target. It is the first National Defense Strategy issued since Trump returned to office a year ago.
The document adds: “As our allies do so, together with the United States, they will be able to field the forces required to deter or defeat potential adversaries in every key region of the world, even in the face of simultaneous aggression.”
Members of NATO have already pledged to raise defense spending from the long-standing 2 per cent benchmark to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035. Under the revised NATO framework, 3.5 per cent is allocated to core military spending, with an additional 1.5 per cent earmarked for broader security-related expenditure.
While the strategy praises Europe and South Korea for increasing defense outlays since Trump’s return to office, it suggests that other major US allies, including Japan, are likely to face growing pressure from Washington to follow suit.
The defence blueprint broadly aligns with the National Security Strategy released by the White House in December and addresses China’s rapid military build-up, though in a noticeably softer tone than previous versions. It states that the administration’s approach is to deter China in the Indo-Pacific through strength, “not confrontation”.
Notably, the 34-page document makes no reference to Taiwan, despite heightened military pressure by Beijing around the island.
“President Trump seeks a stable peace, fair trade and respectful relations with China, and he has shown that he is willing to engage (Chinese) President Xi Jinping directly to achieve those goals,” the document says, adding that Washington’s objective is not to dominate Beijing.
“Rather, our goal is simple: To prevent anyone, including China, from being able to dominate us or our allies,” it adds.
As part of this strategy, the US military plans to establish a “strong denial defense” along the first island chain, which runs from the Japanese archipelago through Taiwan and the Philippines to Borneo, effectively enclosing China’s coastal waters.
Unlike the White House’s latest security strategy, the defense document explicitly identifies North Korea as posing a direct military threat to Japan and South Korea. It also states that “South Korea is capable of taking primary responsibility for deterring North Korea with critical but more limited US support”, citing its enhanced military capabilities and mandatory conscription.
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