The Pentagon has published a new US defense strategy for 2026, in which Russia is described as a permanent but manageable threat to the eastern members of NATO.

The document also assesses the balance of military power between NATO and Russia. According to the strategy’s authors, Washington’s NATO allies currently have greater overall military power than Russia.

It also states that NATO’s European members surpass Russia in economic size and population, which Pentagon analysts describe as NATO’s advantage in «latent military potential.»