| BLINKEN: 'WE’VE ADAPTED AND ADJUSTED': NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, as pressure grows to provide Ukraine with not just more air defense but also the flexibility to use long-range weapons in cross-border strikes on Russian positions. During a visit to Moldova ahead of today's meetings, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has reportedly been working behind the scenes to craft a new policy, hinted strongly that President Joe Biden may agree to a modification of the U.S. ban on using American weapons to strike Russian soil. "As the conditions have changed, as the battlefield has changed, as what Russia does has changed in terms of how it’s pursuing its aggression, escalation, we’ve adapted and adjusted, too," Blinken said. "And at every step along the way, we’ve adapted and adjusted as necessary, and so that’s exactly what we’ll do going forward. We’re always listening, we’re always learning, and we’re always making determinations about what’s necessary to make sure that Ukraine can effectively continue to defend itself. And we’ll continue to do that." "We haven’t encouraged or enabled strikes outside of Ukraine, but Ukraine, as I’ve said before, has to make its own decisions about the best way to effectively defend itself," said Blinken, repeating a cryptic formulation he has used many times before. In a teleconference with reporters later in the day, John Kirby, whose title is now White House national security communications adviser, was similarly cagey about whether Ukraine might soon be free to use U.S. weapons in limited circumstances. "Whatever the needs are, we’re in touch with them and we’re talking to them, and those conversations continue right now," Kirby said. "Our support to Ukraine has evolved appropriately as the battlefield conditions have evolved, and that’s not going to change, but right now, there’s also no change to our policy." BLINKEN HINTS AT LOOSENING UKRAINE MILITARY SHACKLES STOLTENBERG: 'THESE ARE NATIONAL DECISIONS': NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who first suggested it's time to consider a change in policy in an interview with the Economist last week, has moved to full-throated advocacy of giving Ukraine a free hand to counter Russia's unrelenting air assault that has been reducing some northern villages to rubble. "Ukraine has, according to international law, the right to self-defense, to defend themselves, and the right of self-defense includes also striking targets outside Ukraine, legitimate military targets inside Russia," Stoltenberg said Tuesday at a meeting of European Union defense ministers in Brussels. "The most heavy fighting is now taking place in the Kharkiv region, close to the Ukrainian-Russian border. And part of the border is actually the front line." "It will be very hard and difficult for the Ukrainians to defend themselves if they cannot hit military targets just on the other side of the border," Stoltenberg said. "These may be missile launchers. It may be artillery. It may be airfields which are used to attack Ukraine. And if Ukraine cannot hit those military targets, it will be much harder for them to defend themselves." But aware that he leads an alliance with 32 members with different internal political situations, Stoltenberg avoided any criticism of specific nations. "These are national decisions. It’s not that NATO decisions on restrictions. Some allies have not imposed restrictions on the weapons they have delivered. Others have. I believe the time now has come to consider those restrictions. … And also, we have to remember that doesn’t make NATO allies party to the conflict. We have the right to provide support to Ukraine, to help them uphold the right for self-defense." THE LIST IS GROWING: The Biden administration’s position is increasingly out of step with its closest allies. "Thus far 10 countries have expressed support for Ukraine’s use of weapons they have provided to strike military targets on Russian territory with some or no restrictions: the UK, France, Sweden, Czechia, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Canada," the Institute for the Study of War reported in its latest Ukraine war update. "Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly stated on May 29 that Canada 'does not have any conditions for the use of arms supplied to Ukraine' and that Canada does not oppose Ukraine using Canada-provided weapons against military targets in Russia," the ISW noted. "Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk stated that Poland also has no restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Polish-supplied weapons on military targets in Russia. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen stated that Finland has not set 'special restrictions' on its military assistance to Ukraine as Finland 'assumes that it will be used in accordance with international law.'" Ukraine said it blunted Russia's ground assault in the Kharkiv region but still is at a disadvantage in the constant artillery duels. "Although U.S. weapons have begun to arrive on the battlefield, it will take weeks of gradual increases to reach critical volumes," Bloomberg reported, citing an interview with Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak. "At the moment, Russian troops have the absolute advantage in shells, missiles, etc.," Podolyak said. "They will try to press along the front line to advance. And then they may try to force the pro-Ukrainian coalition to accept unacceptable terms: 'Let's freeze the conflict. We will stay where we are — or otherwise, we will continue to kill.'" Russian forces have launched more than 10,000 glide bombs from positions about three miles back from the Ukrainian border, Podolyak told Bloomberg. "One recent such attack on a home-improvement superstore in Kharkiv this month killed at least 18 people." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Good Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre's Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Stacey Dec. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn't work, shoot us an email and we'll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE HAPPENING TODAY: Vice President Kamala Harris gives the commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy's 2024 graduation ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Livestream at https://www.defense.gov/News/Live-Events ALSO TODAY: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg holds a news conference in Prague at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. https://www.nato.int SENATORS TO SHANGRI-LA: After a stop in Taipei to meet with Taiwan's new president Lai Ching-te, a small bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators is now voicing support for Taiwan at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, where Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is scheduled to give a speech on U.S.-China relations tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m. Eastern timee. The congressional delegation is being led by Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and includes Sens. Laphonza Butler (D-CA) and Chris Coons (D-DE). "This annual meeting with defense and foreign ministers throughout the Indo-Pacific is a critical opportunity to deepen America's alliances, particularly as the threat from the Chinese Communist Party continues to grow and threaten countries in the region," Sullivan said in a press release. "The United States is an ally-rich nation, while China is ally poor. This is a critical advantage we have over China and other dictatorships around the world that we will work to strengthen at this year's meetings in Singapore." "We have to show up and support our partners and allies, and that means we must continue to lead in the Indo-Pacific," Duckworth said. "If we abandon our Indo-Pacific partners, we'd be leaving a vacuum that the PRC both can and likely will take advantage of, making it harder for America to compete with China and weakening our standing on the global stage all while giving our adversaries and competitors an easy path to overtaking us." WICKER'S LAMENT: DOD SPENDING $55 BILLION SHORT: Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) has made no secret of his deep dissatisfaction with the anemic defense budget proposed by the Biden administration and the constraints imposed by last year's debt ceiling deal that has hamstrung the ability of Congress to do anything about it. He rails about it at the beginning of every hearing on the Pentagon's budget. Now, Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has released his own spending blueprint, which calls for a much greater investment in the U.S. military and defense industrial base. His report, "21st Century Peace Through Strength: A Generational Investment in the U.S. Military," lists 20 "focus areas" where he believes the U.S. needs to "accelerate the development of new capabilities and build up existing ones." "My plan outlines why and how the United States should aim to spend an additional $55 billion on the military in the 2025 fiscal year and grow military spending from a projected 2.9% of our national gross domestic product this year to 5 percent over the next five to seven years," Wicker wrote in an accompanying essay in the New York Times. "Our military leaders are being forced to make impossible choices. The Navy is struggling to adequately fund new ships, routine maintenance and munition procurement; it is unable to effectively address all three. We recently signed a deal to sell submarines to Australia, but we've failed to sufficiently fund our own submarine industrial base, leaving an aging fleet unprepared to respond to threats. Two of the three most important nuclear modernization programs are underfunded and are at risk of delays. The military faces a backlog of at least $180 billion for basic maintenance, from barracks to training ranges. This projects weakness to our adversaries as we send service members abroad with diminished ability to respond to crises," Wicker wrote, calling for a course correction that would "avoid that extreme vulnerability and resurrect American military might." Wicker does not lay out a legislative strategy to get around the congressionally imposed spending caps that limit overall defense spending at $895 billion for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. GOP DEFENSE HAWKS CHAFE UNDER BUDGET CAPS THEY IMPOSED ON THEMSELVES THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: Blinken hints at loosening Ukraine military shackles Washington Examiner: Lloyd Austin expected to meet with Chinese counterpart in Singapore Washington Examiner: Israeli national security adviser says war will extend through 2024 Washington Examiner: Sen. Roger Wicker warns significant defense investment needed to counter threats Washington Examiner: Greg Abbott says construction of Eagle Pass military base almost complete Washington Examiner: North Korea sends dirty balloons to South Korea in retaliation Washington Examiner: NATO ally Erdogan blames US for Palestinian deaths in Gaza and denounces 'vampire' Netanyahu Defense News: Sweden to Send Ukraine Military Equipment Worth $1.3 Billion New York Times: Pentagon Opens Ammunition Factory to Keep Arms Flowing to Ukraine Washington Post: U.S. concerned about Ukraine strikes on Russian nuclear radar stations Reuters: U.S. Accuses China’s Leadership Over Ukraine, Delivers New Sanctions Warning Defense One: China's Effort to Take Over Taiwan Without Firing a Shot Nikkei Asia: China’s Drills Appear To Be ‘Rehearsal’ For Taiwan Invasion: U.S. Admiral Reuters: Taiwan Says China Is ‘Nibbling Away’ At Its Space, Trying To Create A New Normal AP: Another MQ-9 Reaper Drone Goes Down in Yemen, Images Purportedly Show New York Times: Gaza Offensive To Last At Least To Year's End, Israeli Official Says AP: The US-built pier in Gaza broke apart. Here's how we got here and what might be next Bloomberg: Navy 'Botched' Design Oversight of $22 Billion Frigate, Audit Finds New York Times: Elon Musk Dominates Space Launch. Rivals Are Calling Foul. Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Mission Capable Rates Fall in 2023, Led by Declines for F-15C and B-1 Breaking Defense: USAF Acting Undersecretary Jones on Sentinel, Wedgetail, and Australia Aviation Week: Boeing, Northrop Only Competitors for New Protected Satcom Payloads Air & Space Forces Magazine: USAF B-52 Bombers Fly Over Baltics Near Russian Territory SpaceNews: GOP Senator Calls for Boosting Space Force Capabilities to Counter China Air & Space Forces Magazine: SASC Ranking Member: Air Force Needs to Add Hundreds of New Fighters, Double B-21 Fleet Defense Scoop: Air Force Aims to Field New Moving Target Indication Capability in 2027 Military.com: New 911 Calls, Police Records Raise More Questions in Senior Airman Roger Fortson Shooting Death Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Pilot Who Was Flying F-35B in Crash at Kirtland, in Stable Condition Navy Times: Dozens Of Navy TH-73 Thrasher Helicopters Damaged In Florida Storm Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Reservists Can Apply to Become Full-Time Guardians in June New York Times: Opinion: Sen. Roger Wicker: America's Military Is Not Prepared for War — or Peace Forbes: Opinion: Lift The Constraints on Ukraine and Reverse the Deterrence Calculus THE CALENDAR: THURSDAY | MAY 30 8 a.m. 2941 Fairview Park Dr., Falls Church, Virginia — Potomac Officers Club forum: “Joint Coalition Operations in 2030,” focusing on technologies needed to operate effectively with coalition partners, with Defense Department Director of Intelligence Lt. Gen. Dimitri Henry https://potomacofficersclub.com/events 8:40 a.m. — Advanced Technology Academic Research Center 2024 Federal Quantum Summit discussion: “Quantum Use Cases: Bridging the Gap Between Science Fiction and Reality," with Air Force Lt. Col. Ken Corigliano, deputy chief of future capabilities and innovation, and Garfield Jones, associate chief of strategic technology at the Homeland Security Department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency https://atarc.org/event/federal-quantum-summit/ 9:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “The Axis of Upheaval,” focusing on China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, with Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security https://www.csis.org/events/axis-upheaval 10 a.m. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace virtual discussion: “Growing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah along the Israeli-Lebanese border, attacks by Iranian-backed Houthis against international shipping in the Red Sea, threatening global supply chains and freedom of navigation, and the danger of another direct clash between Israel and Iran,” with Amos Hochstein, White House senior adviser for energy and investment https://carnegieendowment.org/events 11 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Leading in the Cyber Competition with China,” with Israel Soong, director for cyber policy, National Security Council https://www.hudson.org/events/leading-cyber-competition-china-conversation-israel-soong 11 a.m. — Wilson Center Mexico Institute virtual discussion: “The Future of U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation,” with Mariana Campos Villasenor, director general of Mexico Evalua, and former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Earl Anthony Wayne, diplomat in residence at American University’s School of International Service https://www.wilsoncenter.org/node/119261 1 p.m. — Washington Post Live virtual discussion of a new documentary film, “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom,” with former Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live FRIDAY | MAY 31 10 a.m. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Wilson Center Global Europe Program discussion: “How to Defeat an Autocracy? Lessons from Ukraine’s Defense Against Russia’s Invasion,” with former Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov and Mariana Budjeryn, senior research associate at Harvard University’s Project on Managing the Atom https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/how-defeat-autocracy | | | | "I think sometimes there's an expectation of the U.S. military because they're so good that everything that they touch is just going to turn to gold in an instant." | | John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, on the $320 million U.S.-built Gaza pier that was torn apart by strong winds and heavy seas just over a week after it became operational. |
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