| BLINKEN: 'WE WANT UKRAINE TO WIN': The U.S. and the U.K. appear close to approving a plan that would loosen the restrictions placed on the use of Western long-range weapons by Ukraine to counter Russia's relentless attacks on civilian targets and vital energy infrastructure. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will confer tomorrow in Washington after being briefed by their emissaries, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine yesterday. "And among other things, we discussed long-range fires, but a number of other things as well," Blinken said at a news conference in Kyiv. "We're going to take what we learned back to President Biden in my case, and the prime minister in David's case. The two of them will meet in just a few days' time in Washington to discuss how our countries will continue to support Ukraine." "We have to remove all the obstacles and limitations with the use of British equipment, American equipment in the territory of Russia against military targets," said Ukraine's new Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha. "We need also more decisiveness in downing Russian rockets, missiles, and drones over the territory of Ukraine. That will provide for sustainable peace and strong position of Ukraine." "The bottom line is this: We want Ukraine to win," Blinken said. "And we're fully committed to keep marshaling the support that it needs for its brave defenders and citizens to do just that." FEAR OF ESCALATION: Biden has been reluctant to give Ukraine free rein to use American ATACMS long-range rocket systems and has pressured the U.K. to withhold permission to employ British Storm Shadow missiles for strikes deep into Russian territory. However, the decision by Iran to provide Russia with fresh stocks of short-range ballistic missiles and its continued bombing of civilian targets has changed the calculus, Blinken seems to be saying. "From Day One, as you heard me say, we have adjusted and adapted as needs have changed, as the battlefield has changed, and I have no doubt that we'll continue to do that as this evolves," he said. "We've seen Russia now pursue and indeed escalate its attacks inside Ukraine on civilians, on energy infrastructure, as well as on the Ukrainian military that's defending its country. And we've now seen this action of Russia acquiring ballistic missiles from Iran, which will further empower their aggression in Ukraine," Blinken said. "So if anyone is taking escalatory action, it would appear to be Mr. Putin and Russia." "Escalation," he said, is "one of the factors that we always consider, but it's certainly not the only factor, and it's not necessarily a dispositive factor." RUSSIA VOWS 'APPROPRIATE" RESPONSE: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier this week that Russia believes the Biden administration has already decided to allow the use of longer-range weapons against targets on Russian soil, and said the Russian response "will be an appropriate one." “The involvement of the United States of America and European countries in the conflict over Ukraine is direct, and each new step increases the degree of this involvement,” he said, according to Reuters. "The escalator here is Putin," said Lammy. "It is Putin who has escalated this week with the shipment of ballistic missiles from Iran, and we're seeing this new axis — Russia, Iran, North Korea; we urge China not to throw their lot in with this group of renegades, renegades in the end that are costing lives here in Ukraine." 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 Christopher Tremoglie. 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: The Senate Armed Services Committee holds a confirmation hearing for two key Pentagon positions: Lt. Gen. Steven Nordhaus to be chief of the National Guard Bureau, which would be a promotion to four-star general and a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Vice Adm. Alvin Holsey to be commander of the U.S. Southern Command, another four-star billet. Meanwhile, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has placed a hold on the promotion of Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark, a senior military aide to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, to become commander of U.S. Army forces in the Pacific. A spokeswoman for Tuberville, Hannah Eddins, told the Associated Press that the senator has concerns about Clark's role during Austin's hospitalization last January when he initially failed to inform President Joe Biden or other U.S. leaders. "As a senior commissioned officer, Lt. Gen. Clark's oath requires him to notify POTUS when the chain of command is compromised," Eddins said. "When we did our review, it was clear that at no time was there a gap in the chain of command," Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder, press secretary of the Pentagon, said Tuesday. "I would just say up front, you know, General Clark is a highly qualified senior officer, a leader. He was nominated for this critical position because of his expertise and his strategic level experience." “So we would urge the Senate to confirm all of our qualified nominees, Ryder said. “And as we’ve seen before, these kinds of holds really can undermine our military readiness.” Last year, Tuberville blocked 425 military promotions for months over his displeasure with the Pentagon's abortion travel policy. He was finally forced to drop the holds in November. TUBERVILLE BLOCKS PENTAGON NOMINEE OVER ROLE IN LLOYD AUSTIN'S TWO-WEEK ABSENCE JOHNSON REGROUPS AFTER FUNDING EFFORT FUMBLES: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is considering his next move after his plan for a six-month stop-gap funding bill with a proof-of-citizenship voter registration rider failed to garner the need votes for passage. At least eight Republicans said they were planning to vote against the short-term bill because they oppose funding the government by continuing resolutions or CRs. “So people have concerns about all sorts of things. That’s how the process works. And sometimes, it takes a little more time,” Johnson said yesterday. “We’re in the consensus-building business here in Congress with small majorities; that’s what you do … We’re having thoughtful conversations, family conversations within the Republican conference, and I believe we’ll get there.” Democrats are pushing for what they call a clean CR, a temporary measure without any "poison pill" amendments that would move the funding deadline from the end of the month to after the November election. “We’re watching a movie we’ve seen over and over again as House Republicans are trying to pass a bill so partisan that it even splits their own caucus. This proposal isn’t even serious. It’s dangerous. It would endanger troop readiness, risk troop pay, hinder our efforts to outcompete the Chinese government,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said this week. “Even the head of the Joint Chiefs sent a letter. You can’t run a military and just put everything on pause for six months when you have to sign contracts, build weapon systems, et cetera.” “The House should stop wasting time on a partisan CR that’s going nowhere and work in a bipartisan way to get this done,” Murray said. “It’s time for Republicans to work with us on a bipartisan package with input from both sides that avoids harmful cuts, free of poison pills. We’ve done it before. We can do it again.” SENATE GOP DELIVERS LATEST BLOW TO JOHNSON'S DOOMED SPENDING PLAN THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: Due to 2021 Capitol riot, Jan. 6, 2025 will be designated as special security event Washington Examiner: House GOP scraps vote on government spending bill over intraparty disagreement Washington Examiner: Senate GOP delivers latest blow to Johnson's doomed spending plan Washington Examiner: Veterans Affairs shortfall nearing breaking point nine days before benefits could be affected Washington Examiner: Top Israeli official suggests safe passage for Hamas leader — on one condition Washington Examiner: 9/11 anniversary sparks renewed warnings about US homeland security from lawmakers Washington Examiner: 9/11-related illnesses have killed more FDNY than attack itself Washington Examiner: Senate Republicans fear Trump missed opportunity to define Harris at debate Washington Examiner: House passes bill to reinstate Trump-era program rooting out Chinese spies in US research Washington Examiner: Opinion: From 9/11 to today: How a refusal to enforce border security is undermining our safety Bloomberg: Russian Commander Says Counterattack To Ukraine Incursion Starts AP: Israeli airstrikes hit UN school and homes in Gaza and kill at least 34 people, hospitals say New York Times: North Korean Missiles Rain Down on Ukraine Despite Sanctions AP: South Koreans are starkly divided over North Korea's nuclear threat AP: The candidates to be Japan's next leader include a former premier's son and a defense expert Agence France Presse: China Will 'Crush Hostile Encroachment' In South China Sea, Senior Military Official Says Reuters: Philippines Stands Firm On Sabina Shoal But Looks To Ease Tension With China Newsweek: China’s Navy Achieves Aircraft-Carrier Milestone Defense One: The Big Loophole Allowing Russia to Access US Chips? China Washington Post: Meet Margarita Simonyan, Queen Of Russia's Covert Information Wars SpaceNews: The Invisible Battle for Space Dominance USNI News: USS Georgia Now In Middle East, Houthis Take Week-Long Pause On Ship Attacks AP: USS Theodore Roosevelt Heading Home From Middle East Navy Times: How A Sailor Shortage Is Crippling Ship Maintenance At Sea Air & Space Forces Magazine: 'We Work in a Memorial': Pentagon Leaders Remember 9/11 Air & Space Forces Magazine: Anduril Unveils New Low-Cost Cruise Missiles Meant for Large-Scale Production DefenseScoop: Watchdogs Move to Evaluate NGA's Maven Integration Task & Purpose: The A-10 Era Is Over for This Legendary Air Force Attack Squadron Breaking Defense: Army Selects Two 'Attritable' UASs for Company-Level Recon, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition Breaking Defense: DARPA 'Quantum Skeptic' Challenges Industry: Prove Me Wrong AP: Australia strips medals from military commanders over Afghanistan war crime allegations Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Academy Investigating Cadet's Death on Campus THE CALENDAR: THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 12 8 a.m. — Atlantic Council and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S. virtual seminar: “Narrative Warfare in Taiwan,” with Min Hsuan Wu, co-founder and CEO, Doublethink Lab; Gittipong Paruchabutr, Atlantic Council nonresident senior fellow; Kenton Thibaut, Atlantic Council senior resident China fellow; and Markus Garlauskas, director, Atlantic Council Indo-Pacific Security Initiative https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/a-cross-strait-and-beyond-seminar 9:30 a.m. 216 Hart — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the nominations of Lt. Gen. Steven Nordhaus to be chief of the National Guard Bureau; and Vice Adm. Alvin Holsey to be commander of the U.S. Southern Command http://www.armed-services.senate.gov 10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Navigating the National Security Inflection Point,” with Assistant Commerce Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew Axelrod 10:30 a.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW — Henry Stimson Center in-person and virtual "Ground Forces and Great Powers: A Conversation with U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth," with Brian Finlay, president and CEO, Stimson Center https://stimsoncenter.zoom.us/webinar/register 2 p.m. — Brookings Institution virtual discussion: “What We Learned from the First Harris-Trump Presidential Debate,” with Elaine Kamarck, founding director, Brookings Institution Center for Effective Public Management and senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution; William Galston, chair and senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution; Suzanne Maloney, vice president and director, Brookings Institution Foreign Policy Program; and Camille Busette, interim vice president and director, Brookings Institution Governance Studies Program and director, Brookings Institution Race, Prosperity, and Inclusion Initiative https://www.brookings.edu/events/what-we-learned 4 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies book discussion: Midnight in Moscow: A Memoir from the Front Lines of Russia War Against the West, with author John Sullivan, former U.S. ambassador to Russia https://www.csis.org/events/midnight-moscow-conversation 4 p.m. 1717 K St. NW — Institute of World Politics lecture: “World in Crisis: National Security Priorities for the Next Administration,” with Noah Rothman, senior writer at the National Review; Michael Brendan Dougherty, senior writer at NationalReview.com; Dan Caldwell, public policy adviser at Defense Priorities; James Robbins, senior fellow in national security affairs at the American Foreign Policy Council; and John Callahan, adjunct professor at IWP https://www.iwp.edu/events/world-in-crisis-national-security-priorities 5 p.m. 390 Cannon — National Defense Industrial Association Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict Division fall reception: "The critical role of SO/LIC forces in our national security." https://www.ndia.org/events/2024/9/12/ndia-solic-fall-reception-on-the-hill 5 p.m. — Jews United for Democracy “Israel In Crisis” virtual briefing: “The status and progress of hostage and ceasefire negotiations,” with Aaron David Miller, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and Larry Mantle, host, AirTalk with Larry Mantle https://www.jewsunitedfordemocracy.org/event 7 p.m. Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW — Radio and Television Correspondents Association of Capitol Hill 2024 Congressional Correspondents’ Dinner. https://site.pheedloop.com/event 7:30 p.m. — Brookings Institution, the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, and the Institute for Global Engagement virtual discussion: “American Foreign Policy Toward Ukraine, Russia, and NATO Beyond 2024,” with Fiona Hill, senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution Center on the U.S. and Europe, and former deputy assistant to the president on the National Security Council; David Kramer, executive director, George W. Bush Institute and vice president, George W. Bush Presidential Center; Liz Brailsford, president and CEO, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth; Adam Wright, president of Dallas Baptist University; Constanze Stelzenmuller, director of and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution Center on the U.S. and Europe; and Rudolph Bush, editorial page editor at the Dallas Morning News https://www.brookings.edu/events/american-foreign-policy-toward-ukraine-russia-and-nato FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 13 11 a.m. 1957 E St. NW — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs discussion: “The U.S., NATO, and the World,” with U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO Julianne Smith https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/the-us-nato-and-the-world 2 p.m. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace virtual discussion: “Political Violence and the 2024 Elections,” with former Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary McCord, executive director, Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection; Eric Ward, executive vice president of Race Forward; and Aaron David Miller, senior fellow at the CEIP American Statecraft Program https://carnegieendowment.org/events/2024/09/political-violence 2 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies Wadhwani Center for AI and Advanced Technologies virtual discussion: "AI and Advanced Technologies in the Fight: Combatant Command and Service Collaboration," with Schuyler Moore, chief technology officer, U.S. Central Command; Justin Fanelli, acting chief technology officer, Department of the Navy; Alex Miller, chief technology officer, chief of staff of the Army; and Gregory Allen, director, Wadhwani Center for AI and Advanced Technologies, CSIS https://www.csis.org/events/ai-and-advanced-technologies TUESDAY | SEPTEMBER 17 9 a.m. 2401 M St., NW — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group coffee-conversation with Jane Harman, chair, and Eric Edelman, vice chair, Congressional Commission on the National Defense Strategy RSVP: [email protected]. THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 19 10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW— Center for Strategic and International Studies International Security Program and the U.S. Naval Institute for a Maritime Security Dialogue in-peron and virtual discussion: "America Warfighting Navy," with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti; Seth Jones, CSIS senior vice president and ISP director; and retired Navy Capt. Bill Hamblet, editor-in-chief, Proceedings, U.S. Naval Institute https://www.csis.org/events/americas-warfighting-navy 1 p.m. 2212 Rayburn — House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing: “Oversight of Extremism Policies in the Army" http://www.armedservices.house.gov3 p.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution in-person and virtual discussion: "Great power competition and overseas bases," with Michael O'Hanlon, Knight chair in Defense and Strategy, senior fellow and director, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, Brookings; Geoffrey Gresh, professor, College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University; Dawn Murphy, associate professor, National Security Strategy, National War College; Andrew Yeo, senior fellow and SK-Korea Foundation Chair in Korea Studies, Brookings; and Isaac Kardon, senior fellow for China Studies, Asia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace https://connect.brookings.edu/register-to-watch | | | | "The bottom line is this: We want Ukraine to win. And we're fully committed to keep marshaling the support that it needs for its brave defenders and citizens to do just that." | | Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Kyiv after discussing "long-range fires" with President Volodymyr Zelensky |
|
| | 
Comments
Post a Comment