The Cuban government, through its Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, criticized the defense budget approved by the US Congress for fiscal year 2026 on Friday, December 26, arguing that it represents a commitment to warmongering that ignores the needs of its own citizens.
With military spending of $901 billion (exceeding the $8 billion requested by the White House), the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) sets a historic record that, according to the Foreign Minister’s official statements, finances an extremely offensive strategy by Washington.
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According to Cuban diplomacy, this budget is not only a matter of defense, but also a tool to foster a climate of global tension and conflict. He warns that these funds seek to revive the Monroe Doctrine through an “aggressive corollary against Our America.”
The #US National Defense Authorization Act for 2026 sets military expenditures at 901 billion dollars, a record figure in the history of that country.
Plutocrats and warmongering rulers pursue to prop up, with more taxpayers’ funds, the disqualified “peace through strength”… pic.twitter.com/wsL4afCCuA
— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) December 26, 2025
“The plutocracy and warmongering rulers seek to uphold the discredited doctrine of ‘peace through strength,’ reigniting aggression against sovereign countries,” stated Foreign Minister Rodríguez.
Along the same lines, the Cuban government maintains that this budget aims to ensure U.S. control over strategic resources, deepening international instability in a scenario already marked by geopolitical tensions.
The NDAA, which already has the support of both houses of Congress, allocates $400 million to Ukraine, in addition to strengthening its own forces.
The legislative process for the NDAA, voted on annually with bipartisan support, concluded last Wednesday, December 24, with its approval in the Senate by a vote of 77 to 20. The document now awaits the signature of U.S. President Donald Trump. Previously, on December 10, the House of Representatives had given its approval with a vote of 312 to 112.
Between 2020 and 2024, $771 billion in Pentagon contracts went to just five firms:
· Lockheed Martin ($313 billion)
· RTX (formerly Raytheon, $145 billion)
· Boeing ($115 billion)
· General Dynamics ($116 billion) and
· Northrop Grumman ($81 billion) pic.twitter.com/JoXANjXQpn— The Costs of War Project (@CostsOfWar) September 22, 2025
House Speaker Mike Johnson described the initiative in a statement as the “cornerstone of President Trump’s peace through strength program.” Johnson emphasized that the legislation guarantees a 3.8 percent increase in military pay and includes a reinforced troop deployment to the border with Mexico to address immigration.
Furthermore, the legislation, passed annually with bipartisan support, prioritizes strengthening missile defense systems and establishes deterrent measures targeting China in the Indo-Pacific region.
Regarding spending restructuring, the bill introduces economic adjustments that include a $7 billion cut in Pentagon bureaucratic costs. Similarly, the legislation stipulates a reduction of $1.6 billion in programs related to combating climate change and the elimination of diversity initiatives worth $40.5 million.
From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.