WASHINGTON: The Pentagon released a priority-shifting National Defense Strategy late Friday that chastised US allies to take control of their own security and reasserted the Trump administration’s focus on dominance in the Western Hemisphere above a longtime goal of countering China.

The 34-page document, the first since 2022, was highly political for a military blueprint, criticising partners from Europe to Asia for relying on previous US administrations to subsidise their defence. It called for “a sharp shift — in approach, focus, and tone.” That translated to a blunt assessment that allies would take on more of the burden countering nations from Russia to North Korea.

“For too long, the U.S. Government neglected — even rejected — putting Americans and their concrete interests first,” read the opening sentence.