United States | Defence spending

The Biden administration’s defence-spending proposal is a muddle

It looks hasty and lacks a needed sense of strategy

|Washington, DC

BY INVADING UKRAINE, Vladimir Putin has revitalised the world’s democracies and strengthened NATO’s resolve, President Joe Biden told an audience in Warsaw on March 26th. Two days later he submitted a budget to Congress that included $813bn in defence spending. He called it “one of the largest investments in our national security in history”.

This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Rhetoric v reality”

Why Ukraine must win

From the April 2nd 2022 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from United States

President Donald Trump talks to reporters after signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.

A controversial idea to hand even more power to the president

Impoundment is about to come a step closer

William McKinley.

Checks and Balance newsletter: Trump revives McKinley’s imperial legacy


Incoming "border czar" and former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Tom Homan speaks during a visit to Camp Eagle, Eagle Pass, Texas, USA.

Tom Homan, unleashed

America’s new border czar spent decades waiting for a president like Donald Trump


An unfinished election may shape a swing state’s future

A Supreme Court race ended very close. Then the lawyers arrived.

Donald Trump cries “invasion” to justify an immigration crackdown

His executive orders range from benign to belligerent

To end birthright citizenship, Donald Trump misreads the constitution

A change would also create huge practical problems