New Delhi, Dec. 27 -- The new U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) marks a decisive revival of "America First 2.0"-a sharper, more ideologically defined and strategically disciplined framework with clear policy consequences. Compared with the Biden administration's 2022 NSS, it offers clearer prioritisation, firmer demands on allies, and a more explicit emphasis on economic and technological power as the foundation of U.S. global influence.

Some observers have portrayed the strategy as signalling an American retreat, citing a reduced emphasis on managing every global challenge and a stronger focus on homeland security, borders, and the Western Hemisphere. This reading, however, misses the document's core logic. Rather than withdrawal, t...