| With less than five weeks until President-elect Donald Trump takes office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is hoping for the best, while seeking to shore up ties with European allies he may have to rely more heavily on in the coming year. Zelensky is in Brussels for face-to-face meetings with European leaders and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who recently delivered an impassioned speech calling on NATO to do more. Among the leaders on his dance card are German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, European Council President António Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The meetings came as Russia continues to make gains on the battlefield in the Kursk region, and is conducting a relentless bombing campaign targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and civilian targets, intending to demoralize the war-weary population. "We need the full implementation of the agreements on air defense deliveries, particularly those made at the NATO summit in Washington," Zelensky told a summit of European countries yesterday, adding that he needs an additional 12–15 systems beyond those already promised. "We all understand that next year could be the year this war ends. We must make it happen," Zelensky told the summit. "We need to establish peace in a way that Putin can no longer break, a peace that's not just a pause, but a real, lasting peace. I am confident we can achieve this. The key is not to be afraid of our own joint strength." WAITING FOR TRUMP'S NEXT MOVE: Speaking in front of a domestic audience before heading to Brussels, Zelensky underscored that he has no clear picture of what Trump will do come Jan. 20. "I expect that we will have closer communications after the inauguration of the new President of the United States," he told a year-end meeting of local and regional authorities. "We will meet, and only after that I will be able to tell you which parts of the plan will be, or will not be, supported by President Trump." "Maybe he wants to add something of his own to it," Zelensky said. "I really believe and I hope that he will give strength to our plan. He can add strength to the relationship between Ukraine and the United States." At the same time, Zelensky outright rejected an offer by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to broker a Christmas prisoner exchange with Moscow and help negotiate a peace deal. "It's not going to happen. I won't let him," Zelensky said, accusing Orban of seeking to "somehow get something somewhere out there." "We have proved that we are a strong country on the battlefield and during all of Putin’s aggression," Zelensky said. "Has anyone else in Europe had such experiences in modern times? No one. Does Orban have such an army? No. How will he put pressure on Putin? How? With a joke or a smile. Let him keep those." NATO TAKES OVER AID MISSION: It hasn't been formally announced yet, but NATO reportedly is ready to take over from the U.S. for future coordination of Western military aid to Ukraine. The handover comes as Trump has signaled to Zelensky that he should expect less military and economic assistance from his administration and should be prepared to make a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is trying to push as much material out the door as possible before the president leaves office. A senior defense official from the Pentagon said what's left of money authorized in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, roughly $1.2 billion, would likely be used "before the end of this calendar year," according to reporters briefed yesterday. However, some $5.6 billion in the Presidential Drawdown Authority will be left on the table. "We will continue to do drawdown packages for the remainder of this administration, but $5.6 billion is a substantial amount of authority, so I would certainly anticipate that there could be additional, there could be remaining authorities that would transition and be available for the next administration to use," the official reportedly said. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Good Wednesday 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 (@chriswtremo). 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 NOTE TO READERS: Daily on Defense will be on Christmas break from Monday, Dec. 23 through Wednesday, Jan. 1. HAPPENING TODAY: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy are scheduled to make public remarks as the two meet at Rutte's official residence in Brussels. NATO says the remarks will be live-streamed on its website at 1 p.m. EST / 7 p.m. CET. https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_231791.htm ALSO TODAY: The Senate convenes at 10 a.m., with a final vote on the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act expected before noon. "The NDAA is now on a glide path towards final passage," Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said on the Senate floor. "Everyone knows this year's NDAA is not perfect, but it still takes a strong stand against the Chinese Communist Party, [and] boosts the use of AI for our national defense." HOUSE REACHES DEAL ON CR: After some acrimonious debate and dissensions with his party, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) released the text of a bipartisan Continuing Resolution that will keep the government funded more or less at current levels until March 14. The original idea was to pass a "clean" bill that didn't include any amendments except $100 billion for disaster relief, but this being the holiday season and the last chance to pass legislation before the new Congress convenes, the stopgap funding measure turned out to be a bit of a Christmas tree, with lots of goodies for parochial constituencies. There's a farm bill extension of one year, along with roughly $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers. Some horsetrading by local Washington area lawmakers turned over a choice parcel of land to the DC government for a future stadium for the Washington Commanders football team, and in return, Maryland got a National Guard air wing and full funding to rebuild the Key bridge that collapsed this year. "I am pleased these negotiations led to a bipartisan government funding agreement free of cuts and poison pills," said Schumer in a statement. "With this agreement, we are now on our way to avoiding a government shutdown." The final compromise produced a lot of grumbling from fiscally conservative Republicans, but it should not matter much because there will be plenty of Democrats who will vote for the measure, ensuring its passage and averting a government shutdown Friday at midnight. "The first 9 pages of this Continuing Resolution are all we need to keep the government open; the other 1,500+ pages are a handbook on how the government plans to waste your tax dollars for a bit," wrote Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) on X. "Most Americans cut back at Christmas when they overspend. The government just calls it a 'continuing resolution' and orders more eggnog." CONGRESS RELEASES STOPGAP SPENDING DEAL DAYS BEFORE SHUTDOWN DEADLINE TRUMP: CHENEY 'COULD BE IN A LOT OF TROUBLE': With yesterday's release of an interim report by House Administration Committee Chairman Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) calling for a criminal investigation of former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) for allegedly colluding with "star witness" Cassidy Hutchinson, President-elect Donald Trump weighed in on his Truth Social platform, thanking Loudermilk for "a job well done." "Liz Cheney could be in a lot of trouble based on the evidence obtained by the subcommittee, which states that 'numerous federal laws were likely broken by Liz Cheney, and these violations should be investigated by the FBI," Trump posted. Cheney accused the committee of "intentionally disregarding the truth" and the "tremendous weight of evidence" while fabricating "lies and defamatory allegations." "Their allegations do not reflect a review of the actual evidence and are a malicious and cowardly assault on the truth. No reputable lawyer, legislator, or judge would take this seriously," she fired back. "January 6th showed Donald Trump for who he really is — a cruel and vindictive man who allowed violent attacks to continue against our Capitol and law enforcement officers while he watched television and refused for hours to instruct his supporters to stand down and leave." HOUSE REPUBLICANS ACCUSE LIZ CHENEY OF JAN. 6 WITNESS TAMPERING AND SEEK FBI INVESTIGATION DOWN TO 27 LEFT IN GITMO: The Biden Pentagon is doing what it can in the remaining weeks to whittle down the population at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Pentagon announced three “repatriations” of prisoners to other countries over the last 24 hours. Mohammed Abdul Malik Bajabu was sent to Kenya, while two others, Mohammed Farik bin Amin and Mohammed Nazir bin Lep, were turned over to Malaysia after pleading guilty and being sentenced to five years. With the transfers, only 27 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay — 15 are eligible for transfer; three are eligible for a special review panel; seven are still involved in the military commissions process; and two have been convicted and sentenced by military commissions. "The United States appreciates the support to ongoing U.S. efforts toward a deliberate and thorough process focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing the Guantanamo Bay facility," the Pentagon said in a statement. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: Congress releases stopgap spending deal days before shutdown deadline Washington Examiner: Mike Johnson plan to fund government beset by delays and GOP opposition: 'Total dumpster fire' Washington Examiner: Victoria Spartz boycott foreshadows problems for Mike Johnson's shaky House majority Washington Examiner: Mayorkas asks for more resources to monitor drones Washington Examiner: Lindsey Graham says he's 'never been more worried' about foreign drone attack Washington Examiner: Authorities arrest suspected terrorist who was released after illegal border crossing Washington Examiner: To bolster recruiting numbers, Air Force expands waivers for people with asthma, hearing loss Washington Examiner: House Republicans accuse Liz Cheney of Jan. 6 witness tampering and seek FBI investigation Washington Examiner: Syrian rebel leader pushes 'social justice' in campaign to win global approval Washington Examiner: Russian general leading nuclear and chemical forces killed by bomb hidden in scooter Washington Examiner: McConnell misses final Senate news conference of his reign as GOP leader after fall The Atlantic: The Crumbling Foundation of America’s Military The Daily Beast: Kremlin Insiders Spill Putin's Secret Plan to Manipulate Trump New York Times: What North Korea Gains from Its Alliance with Russia—and What It Risks Bloomberg: Navy Wasted $2 Billion to Maintain Older Guided Missile Cruisers, GAO says The Hill: Why Shooting Down Mystery Drones Carries Big Risks Stars and Stripes: Advanced Fighters Bound for Okinawa Will Help Counter 'Bully' China, General Says Air & Space Forces Magazine: More Small Drones: Air Force Bases in Ohio, Utah, Germany All Report Sightings Breaking Defense: HASC Leaders Turn Up Heat on Space Force Leadership over Acquisition Plans Defense News: Space Force Must Grow to Counter China and Russia, Lawmaker Says SpaceNews: NRO Hits Milestone with More Than 100 Satellites in Low Earth Orbit Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Launches New GPS Satellite with Lightning Speed Air & Space Forces Magazine: Watchdog Finds Issues with Program Management of Nuclear Warheads Military.com: Air Force Misses Officer Diversity Goals as Trump Administration Signals an End to the Effort Air & Space Forces Magazine: Opinions of Lower-Ranking Troops Could Soon Be Considered in Officer Promotions 19fortyfive.com: The U.S. Navy's Ford-Class Aircraft Carriers: 5 Biggest Problems 19fortyfive.com: T-14 Armata: The Tank Putin Is Scared to Send to Fight in Ukraine 19fortyfive.com: Russia's Su-57 Felon: The Stealth Fighter No Nation Will Buy? 19fortyfive.com: B-21 Raider: Why the Air Force Needs This 6th-Gen Bomber Now Breaking Defense: Opinion: Hypersonic Missile Defense Deserves Predictable and Sustainable Funding Defense News: Opinion: No Runways, No Sorties: Chinese Missiles Threaten US Airpower Plans THE CALENDAR: WEDNESDAY | DECEMBER 18 9 a.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “The NATO perspective: Strengthening resilience within the Alliance,” with Assistant NATO Secretary-General for Defense Policy and Planning Angus Lapsley; Michael Carpenter, senior director for Europe at the National Security Council; and Estonian Ambassador to the U.S. Kristjan Prikk https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/the-nato-perspective 9:30 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies conference: “Security and Resilience: The Strategic Future of Subsea Cables,” with Assistant Homeland Security Secretary for Trade and Economic Security Christa Brzozowski; and Deputy Assistant Homeland Security Secretary for Economic Security Brien Andrew Beattie https://www.csis.org/events/security-and-resilience-strategic-future-subsea-cables 10 a.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee hearing: “Examining the Polar Security Cutter: An Update on Coast Guard Acquisitions" http://homeland.house.gov 10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual briefing: “Irregular Warfare in an Era of Great Power Competition,” with Christopher Maier, assistant secretary of defense secretary for special operations and low-intensity conflict https://www.cnas.org/events/mission-brief-irregular-warfare 1 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “The Defense Department’s 2024 China Military Power Report,” with Assistant Defense Secretary for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner; and Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia Michael Chase https://www.csis.org/events/discussion THURSDAY | DECEMBER 19 10 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies “Aerospace Nation” virtual discussion with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/event/an-frank-kendall-24/ | | | | "We all understand that next year could be the year this war ends. We must make it happen. We need to establish peace in a way that Putin can no longer break, a peace that's not just a pause, but a real, lasting peace." | | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in virtual remarks to the Joint Expeditionary Force summit in Estonia on Tuesday |
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