| AUSTIN: 'THE FALSEHOODS OF THE KREMLIN'S APOLOGISTS': Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin went to Kyiv to emphasize for the umpteenth time that the U.S. support for Ukraine remains "unwavering" while announcing the latest tranche of donated U.S. weapons and ammunition, valued at $400 million. But in a speech delivered at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine Monday, Austin took aim at what he called the "falsehoods of the Kremlin's apologists," an apparent reference to comments by former President Donald Trump suggesting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky bears responsibility for allowing the war to happen. "We refuse to blame Ukraine for the Kremlin's aggression. We refuse to offer excuses for Putin's atrocities. And we refuse to pretend that appeasement will stop an invasion," Austin said in a speech laced with soaring rhetoric. "We fully understand the moral chasm between aggressor and defender. And we will not be gulled by the frauds and the falsehoods of the Kremlin's apologists." "We face a hinge in history," Austin said. "If Ukraine falls under Putin's boot, all of Europe will fall under Putin's shadow … And we can continue to stand firm against Putin's aggression, or we can let Putin have his way. And we can condemn our children and grandchildren to live in a far bloodier and more dangerous world." TRUMP: 'HE SHOULD NEVER HAVE LET THAT WAR START': In an interview last week on the PBD Podcast with Patrick Bet-David, Trump went on a familiar rant against Zelensky, repeating an inaccurate claim that "every time he comes in, we give him $100 billion." [Since 2022, the U.S. has provided $58 million in direct military aid to Ukraine, while other allies have donated roughly $51 billion]. But then Trump went further, blaming the Ukrainian president for somehow failing to prevent Russia's unprovoked invasion. "That war's a loser," Trump said. "That doesn't mean I don't want to help him, because I feel very badly for those people, but he should never have let that war start." Trump also blamed President Joe Biden for not settling the war "before it started." "It would have been so easy," he said. "If we had a president with half a brain, it would have been easy to settle." "He doesn’t understand [the war] any better today than he did in 2018 and 2019 when I served in the White House," former national security adviser John Bolton said in reaction to Trump's comments. "Look, his vice president has said that a settlement the U.S. could accept, which is basically a ceasefire along existing lines with a new de facto border, allowing Russia to have doubled its control over Ukraine territory in this war [with] a demilitarized zone and a Ukrainian commitment not to join NATO," Bolton said in a CNN interview. "In the Kremlin, they're saying, 'Well, that sounds great. We've made a mistake. We should have asked for more. We would have gotten it.'" "If Trump is elected, I think Ukraine's in a difficult, nearly impossible spot," Bolton said. "I think we're near the end of U.S. military assistance to Ukraine. And I think if, at some point, Putin made a move to have a diplomatic resolution, it would end up with a Trump administration support. Very worrisome for the outcome." PETRAEUS: 'IS IT ENOUGH? I FEAR NOT': For all of Austin's repeated promises to "get Ukraine what it needs to fight for its survival and security," the latest $400 million arms package, is far short of what Ukraine requires to turn the tide of battle, which at the moment is going against it, says retired Gen. David Petraeus, former U.S. Central commander. "Well, it's a considerable amount. It'll provide a great deal of ammunition, interceptors for the air defense, all weapons systems, and so forth," Petraeus said on CNN. "Is it enough? I fear not. What we need to be doing, all of us together, is to try to enable Ukraine to stop the Russian advances on the front lines. They're holding them back very effectively, but the Russians are achieving incremental gains on a daily basis. And over time, that does accumulate." Russian forces have suffered staggering losses in the war. Ukraine claims that in the span of one week in late September, more than 10,000 Russian troops were killed or wounded. But Ukraine is suffering, too. In his Kyiv speech, Austin revealed that Russia had killed more than 11,000 Ukrainian civilians, including more than 600 children, in their bombing of civilian targets, including more than 250 Ukrainian schools and hospitals. Ukraine does not reveal its battlefield casualties. "I was last there for the fourth time in a year and a half, about a month ago. And you can feel, you can sense the degree of war weariness that is there that I've not actually felt before," Petraeus said. "We need to do all that we can, again, to enable them to stop the Russian advances." PENTAGON ANNOUNCES NEW UKRAINE MILITARY AID AS AUSTIN TRAVELS TO KYIV Good Tuesday 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: Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel, the first stop on a Middle East trip for what he calls "intensive discussions about the importance of ending the war in Gaza, returning the hostages to their families, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people." It's Blinken's 11th visit to the region since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, and the first since the killing of top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. "In the wake of Sinwar's killing, we have had conversations with our Israeli counterparts about what the next steps are here. And we have certainly expressed, as the president did publicly, our strong desire to see what can be done to find a diplomatic path forward here to get the hostages home," John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, told reporters in a conference call yesterday. "I cannot sit here today and tell you that negotiations are about to restart in Doha or Cairo, or anywhere else for that matter. But yes, we have started to begin to think about it here and had some initial conversations with our Israeli counterparts, as you would expect we would in the wake of that truly historic news." US ENVOY MEETS WITH LEBANESE LEADERS AS ISRAEL CONDUCTS 'WIDE-SCALE' ATTACKS ON HEZBOLLAH A LEAK OR A HACK? The White House says it is still unsure whether the embarrassing discovery of top secret documents on a Telegram messaging site frequented by Iranians was a leak or a hack. "We're not exactly sure how these documents found their way into the public domain," Kirby told reporters yesterday. "I know that the Department of Defense is investigating this." The documents, which were products of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, described what U.S. intelligence had observed about Israel's preparation for a retaliatory strike against Iran for the Oct. 1 ballistic missile attack. The highly-classified documents were cleared for sharing with America's "Five Eyes" allies, the U.K., Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. "I’m just not able to answer your question, whether it was a leak or a hack at this point," Kirby said. "The President remains deeply concerned about any leakage of classified information into the public domain. That is not supposed to happen, and it’s unacceptable when it does." WHITE HOUSE DOESN'T EXPECT ADDITIONAL LEAKS AS INVESTIGATORS SEARCH FOR ISRAEL LEAKER RUBIO: 'AN ACT OF TREASON': Republicans on Capitol Hill were quick to condemn what they see as "strategic leaks" out of the Biden administration that appear to be aimed at undermining Israel. "It’s both a federal crime to leak that information. It’s also an act of treason. It’s aiding an enemy of the United States, a government in Iran that basically says 'death to America, death to Israel' every week. It’s their slogan," Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in an interview on Fox. "If we are in the majority, I guarantee you we'll be investigating not just that, but other strategic leaks that have been designed to undermine American foreign policy, and in many cases to help avowed enemies of the United States," Rubio said. "That needs to stop, that needs to end. We need to know who did this and [for them] to be punished." "We shouldn't be surprised that we've seen from this administration more than a year's worth of leaks hostile to Israel. From the very top to the very bottom, they're packed with people who are hostile to Israel and sympathetic to Iran and its terror networks," Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said, appearing with Rubio and Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) on "The Story with Martha MacCallum." "Kamala Harris who puts more pressure on Israel than she does on Iran, or her own national security adviser who associates with known Iranian influence agents in the administration, at the State Department, at the Pentagon," Cotton said. "So we've seen this pattern for a year. After this election, though, it's going to stop … because we will back Israel to the hilt, and we'll make sure that Israel wins." WICKER: BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION TOLERATES 'INSIDER THREATS': Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee, is pointing the finger at an Iranian-born American, Ariane Tabatabai, who has a top-secret clearance as chief of staff for the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict. "Last year, I called for suspending Ariane Tabatabai's security clearance for her role in an Iranian info op. Amazingly, she's still in her job," Wicker said on X, in which he posted a copy of his Sept. 29, 2023 letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin complaining about the alleged links to the Iranian regime. "The latest apparent leak to an Iranian Telegram channel reflects the Biden-Harris administration's tolerance of insider threats." Republicans say they have still not received an explanation for why Iran special envoy Robert Malley was suspended for allegedly mishandling classified material by keeping it in personal email, where it was later accessed by a "hostile cyber actor." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: White House doesn't expect additional leaks as investigators search for Israel leaker Washington Examiner: Pentagon announces new Ukraine military aid as Austin travels to Kyiv Washington Examiner: US envoy meets with Lebanese leaders as Israel conducts 'wide-scale' attacks on Hezbollah Washington Examiner: House task force details mistakes leading up to Trump assassination attempt CBS News: Israel's War with Iran-Backed Hezbollah Escalates as IDF Bombs Financial Institutions Across Lebanon New York Times: Putin Brings Together Economies He Hopes Will Eclipse the West AP: China holds live-fire drills opposite Taiwan, a week after large-scale exercise The War Zone: Our First Look at Land-Based Aegis Missile Defense System in Guam New York Times: 'Monotonous and Filthy': Paul Whelan's Life in a Russian Prison AP: Moldova narrowly votes to secure path toward EU membership after accusing Russia of interference AP: Vietnam appoints army general as new president after months of turmoil Oilprice.com: Iraq Stuck Between Israel and Iran As Tensions Rise Bloomberg: World's Costliest Weapons Program Failed to Hit Readiness Marks for Six Years, GAO Says Defense One: F-35s Still Missing Readiness Goals—Despite Rising Spending Defense.info: Opaque Ammunition Contracts Damage Ukraine's Defense Effort Defense News: Ukraine Should Lift Export Ban on Reconnaissance Drones, Vendor Says Air & Space Forces Magazine: This Air Force Unit Adds a New Voice to Operational Testing: Maintainers SpaceNews: Northrop Grumman Unveils Flying Data Center for Military Intelligence Air & Space Forces Magazine: Electronic Warfare: The Invisible Battlespace Breaking Defense: Army Plans Follow-Up to SATCOM Services Pilot for FY25 Air & Space Forces Magazine: The Fighter Pilot Factory: USAF School Forges Pilots and Friendship AP: Navy identifies 2 killed in fighter jet crash as aviators from California Air & Space Forces Magazine: New Report: Maintainer Faulted for Runaway Bomb Lift Hitting F-16, Sparking Fire TUESDAY | OCTOBER 22 8:30 p.m. 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, Maryland — National Defense Industrial Association 26th annual Expeditionary Warfare Conference, with Marine Brig. Gen. Robert Brodie, director of expeditionary warfare at OPNAV N95; Brig. Gen. Simon Doran, commanding general, Marine Corps Warfighting Lab; Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources Vice Adm. John Skillman delivers keynote remarks https://www.ndia.org/events/2024/10/22/26th-annual-expeditionary-warfare-conference 10 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute book discussion: Duty To Deter: American Nuclear Deterrence and the Just War Doctrine, with author Rebeccah Heinrichs, Hudson Institute senior fellow; and Jeremy Hunt, Hudson Institute media fellow https://www.hudson.org/events/duty-deter-american-nuclear-deterrence 10 a.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW — Henry Stimson Center discussion: “Navigating a Shifting Nuclear Landscape from Energy to Defense,” with Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins; Phil Chaffee, editor, Nuclear Intelligence Weekly; Kirk Schnoebelen, adviser at UrencoUSA; and Ella Nilsen, CNN climate reporter https://www.stimson.org/event/navigating-a-shifting-nuclear-landscape 11 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “The Spiral of Tensions: North Korea, Russia, and Ukraine,” with Duyeon Kim, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security’s Indo-Pacific Security Program; Victor Cha, CSIS Korea chair; and Sydney Seiler, CSIS nonresident senior adviser https://www.csis.org/events/impossible-state-live-podcast WEDNESDAY | OCTOBER 23 10 a.m. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace virtual discussion: “Explosive Triangle: Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah in Lebanon,” with former U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon David Satterfield, director of Rice University’s Institute for Public Policy; Kim Ghattas, Financial Times contributing editor; and Aaron David Miller, CEIP senior fellow https://carnegieendowment.org/events/2024 2 p.m. 210 Cannon — Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe briefing: “Contesting Russia: Lessons from Central and Eastern Europe,” with Indra Ekmanis, Baltic Sea fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute; Andrew Michta, director, Atlantic Council’s GeoStrategy Initiative; and Dalibor Rohac, American Enterprise Institute senior fellow https://www.youtube.com/live 2 p.m.1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discussion: “Understanding China’s Strategic Path to Great Power Status,” with Oriana Skylar Mastro, CEIP nonresident scholar; Isaac Kardon, CEIP senior fellow; Ashley Tellis, CEIP chair for strategic affairs; and Tong Zhao, senior fellow at the CEIP Nuclear Policy Program https://carnegieendowment.org/events/2024/10/understanding-china 4 p.m. 37th and O Sts. NW — Georgetown University Center for Contemporary Arab Studies book discussion: Understanding Hamas and Why That Matters, with co-author Helena Cobban, president of Just World Educational https://www.georgetown.edu/event/book-talk-understanding-hamas THURSDAY | OCTOBER 24 9 a.m. 2101 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, Virginia — National Defense Industrial Association U.S. and Japan Defense Industry Dialogue. https://www.ndia.org/events/2024/10/24/2024-japan-did 10:30 a.m. — R Street Institute virtual discussion: “Plundering the Pentagon: How Contractors Continue to Cheat Taxpayers,” with Julia Gledhill, research associate at the Stimson Center’s National Security Reform Program; Gordon Heddell, former inspector general at the Defense Department; and Nan Swift, fellow in governance studies at the R Street Institute https://www.rStreet.org/events/plundering-the-pentagon-how-contractors-continue-to-cheat 12 p.m. — RAND Corporation virtual discussion: “Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Information Warfare,” with Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga, RAND senior policy researcher; and William Marcellino, RAND senior behavioral and social scientist https://www.rand.org/events/2024/10/generative-ai 5 p.m. 7795 Arundel Mills Blvd., Hanover, Maryland — Intelligence and National Security Foundation and the National Cryptologic Foundation "Cocktails and Codebreakers event,” with National Cyber Director Harry Coker; Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh, commander, U.S. Cyber Command and director, National Security Agency and chief, Central Security Service; and retired Navy Reserve Lt. Cmdr. Montel Williams, host of “Military Makeover: Operation Career” and former host, Montel Williams Show https://www.insaonline.org/detail-pages/event FRIDAY | OCTOBER 25 9:30 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: "Plotting a Course for the Future: The First U.S. Coast Guard Operational Posture,” with Coast Guard Deputy Commandant for Operations Vice Adm. Peter Gautier https://www.csis.org/events/plotting-course-future-first | 
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