Interim national security guidance from President Joe Biden heavily focuses on closely working with allies and partners and “renewing our own enduring sources of national strength.” 

Released March 3 while the administration is still forming a cabinet and appears far from producing a 2022 defense budget, Biden writes the United States “will build back better our economic foundations; reclaim our place in international institutions; lift up our values at home and speak out to defend them around the world; modernize our military capabilities, while leading first with diplomacy; and revitalize America’s unmatched network of alliances and partnerships.” 

Adequate funding requires congressional and public support, which is not guaranteed. “We must also demonstrate clearly to the American people that leading the world isn’t an investment we make to feel good about ourselves. It’s how we ensure the American people are able to live in peace, security, and prosperity. It’s in our undeniable self-interest,” Biden writes. 

“Ours is a time of unprecedented challenges, but also unmatched opportunity,” the guidance says. “Today, more than ever, America’s fate is inextricably linked to events beyond our shores. We confront a global pandemic, a crushing economic downturn, a crisis of racial justice, and a deepening climate emergency. We face a world of rising nationalism, receding democracy, growing rivalry with China, Russia, and other authoritarian states, and a technological revolution that is reshaping every aspect of our lives.” 

The full document can be downloaded here.