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US Secretary of Defence Pete Hagel has issued a secret instruction that makes preventing China’s invasion of Taiwan an absolute priority for the US army. This was reported by The Washington Post, citing an internal Pentagon document that was obtained by journalists. Excerpts are also published by Yevropeiska Pravda.
The document in question is the Interim National Defence Strategic Guidance, which is classified as “secret/not for foreigners” and was distributed in mid-March to all US defence departments. Signed personally by Hughes, the document actually describes a new US military doctrine – focused on the Indo-Pacific region and the conflict with Beijing.
“China is the only threat that the ministry is focused on, and preventing the takeover of Taiwan is the main task,” Hagseth wrote.
Betting on Taiwan: a risk for Europe
In contrast to the Trump and Biden administrations’ strategies, which recognised China as the main threat, Hagesse makes a potential conflict over Taiwan an exceptional scenario that takes precedence over all other threats, including Russia.
According to the document, the US military planning will focus exclusively on preparing for a war with China. Other challenges, such as possible conflicts with Russia or in other regions, are being shifted to allies, especially NATO, which, according to the secretary, must “take on a much greater burden.”
In fact, this means that Washington is ready to “take the risk” in Europe, reducing its military presence and shifting responsibility for the security of the region to its European partners.
The priority is not only the front, but also the rear
In addition to containing China, the document also identifies internal threats, including illegal migration and drug trafficking. Hughes instructed the armed forces to take a more active role in ensuring security on the southern border of the United States, including operations in the border states.
Interestingly, in some wording, the document almost verbatim repeats the positions of the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, which is associated with the Project 2025 initiative, a long-term strategy for transforming US government institutions during Donald Trump’s possible second term in office.
What does this mean for Ukraine?
The US focus on China could mean less direct military support for Ukraine in the event of new threats from Russia. According to Hagseth’s logic, European allies should cope with Russian aggression on their own, while the US focuses on the big game in the Pacific.
In the short term, this is unlikely to lead to drastic changes, but in the case of the new Trump administration, such a strategy could radically alter the balance of responsibility within NATO.
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The new Pentagon document is more than an internal instruction. It is a signal to the world: Washington is preparing not just to contain Beijing, but to a full-fledged conflict. And Europe must prepare itself.
