| 'HE SHOULD BE MORE APPRECIATIVE': President Donald Trump — still seething over what he views as an egregious show of disrespect by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Friday's Oval Office meeting — has ordered an immediate halt to U.S. military aid to Ukraine until Zelensky apologizes and begs for forgiveness. "Well, I just think he should be more appreciative because this country has stuck with them through thick and thin," Trump said at an event announcing new investments in semiconductor manufacturing. For Trump, the last straw appeared to be an Associated Press story headlined "Zelensky says end of war with Russia is 'very, very far away,'" which prompted Trump to lash out on his Truth Social platform. "This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelensky, and America will not put up with it for much longer!" Trump posted. "This guy doesn't want there to be peace as long as he has America's backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelensky, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S." Trump saw that "very far away" comment as a flat rejection by Zelensky of his plan for immediate peace talks with Russia and a ceasefire within weeks. "He said he thinks the war’s going to go on for a long time. And he better not be right about that. That’s all I’m saying." Trump and his senior officials continue to promote the widely debunked estimate of U.S. aid to Ukraine as $350 billion, a highly inflated figure for which there is no evidence. "We gave $350 billion, they probably gave 100. But on top of it all, they get their money back because they’re doing it in a form of a loan. And it’s a secured loan." However, in his public remarks, Trump insisted that it was not about money. "The money is one thing, but the death, and they’re losing thousands of soldiers a week. And that’s not including the people that get killed every time a town goes down or a missile goes into a town. And I want to see it stop." "The president has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well," a White House official said in a statement. "We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution." TRUMP BLASTS ZELENSKY FOR SAYING CEASEFIRE IS 'VERY, VERY FAR AWAY' ZELENSKY: 'WE NEED PEACE — REAL, FAIR PEACE — NOT ENDLESS WAR': In a video address to his people last night and in posts on X, Zelensky has continued to argue for what he called "proper diplomacy, for the soonest possible end to this war with a decent peace." "We need peace – real, fair peace – not endless war. And we need security guarantees," Zelensky said. "It was precisely the lack of security guarantees for Ukraine 11 years ago that allowed Russia to start with the occupation of Crimea and the war in Donbas. Then, the absence of security guarantees allowed Russia to launch the full-scale invasion. And now, because there are still no defined security guarantees, it is Russia that is keeping this war going. The whole world sees this, the whole world acknowledges this." "Of course, we understand the importance of America, and we are grateful for all the support we've received from the United States," Zelensky said on X. "There has not been a day when we haven't felt gratitude. It's gratitude for the preservation of our independence — our resilience in Ukraine is based on what our partners are doing for us — and for their own security." "We want this war to end. But Russia does not, and continues its aerial terror," Zelensky said in a separate post on X. "Over the past week, more than 1,050 attack drones, nearly 1,300 aerial bombs, and more than 20 missiles have been launched at Ukraine to destroy cities and kill people." WALTZ: 'HE’S NOT READY TO TALK PEACE AT ALL': In an appearance on Fox News yesterday, national security adviser Mike Waltz seemed unimpressed with Zelensky's public protestations, indicating that only an act of complete contrition would get the peace talks back on track. "What we need to hear from President Zelensky is that he has regret for what happened. He’s ready to sign this minerals deal and that he’s ready to engage in peace talks," Waltz told Fox anchor Bill Hemmer. "I don’t think that’s too much to ask." "But here’s the problem. Time is not on his side," Waltz said. "Time is not on the side of just forever continuing this conflict. The American people’s patience is not unlimited. Their wallets are not unlimited. And our stockpiles and munitions are not unlimited … So the time to talk is now." "It was really confounding to us that Zelensky could have left the White House Friday, having the U.S. and Ukraine bound together economically for a generation," Waltz said. "This was no ambush. This was an opportunity and a moment. And I think President Zelensky truly did his country a real disservice by not having a positive outcome Friday." TRUMP ORDERS HALT ON US MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE 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 TONIGHT: Technically, tonight's speech by President Trump to a joint session of Congress is not a State of the Union address, which comes after the first year in office, but it serves the same function. Trump is promising to make news, posting on Truth Social, in all caps, "TOMORROW NIGHT WILL BE BIG. I WILL TELL IT LIKE IT IS!" The White House says the speech’s theme will be "the renewal of the American dream." Trump is expected to tout the unprecedented pace of changes he has effected through a blizzard of executive orders and DOGE initiative spearheaded by Elon Musk, as he seeks to transform the government and U.S. foreign policy to align with his campaign promises. The speech, set for 9 p.m., will occur in the House chamber. WHAT WE NEED TO HEAR FROM TRUMP VANCE: 'WHAT I TRIED TO DO ORIGINALLY WAS ACTUALLY TRY TO DEFUSE THE SITUATION': Vice President J.D. Vance — who some saw as the primary antagonist who triggered Trump's angry harangue of Zelensky in Friday's contentious Oval Office meeting — defended himself in an appearance last night on Sean Hannity's Fox News program. Most have not seen the full 50-minute meeting, available on C-SPAN, which Vance described as cordial, if not overly friendly. "For the first 25, 30 or so minutes, [Trump] tried to sort of bend over backwards to be gracious and kind to Zelensky. Even when Zelensky was kind of needling him, even when Zelensky was saying things that I thought were untrue, the president just tried to be diplomatic, right? I think that’s his natural instinct in that situation." Vance said the meeting "really went off the rails" when a Polish journalist asked a question. "The president answered it, and then I answered it. And then something about my answer just really set Zelensky off." The record shows the actual sequence of events unfolded when Zelensky had the temerity to suggest that Putin can't be trusted because he broke the previous ceasefire deal Zelensky signed in 2019 when Trump was in office. "What kind of diplomacy, J.D., you are speaking about?" Zelensky asked. "What do you mean?" That prompted Vance to accuse Zelensky of being "disrespectful" for coming into the Oval Office and trying "to try to litigate this in front of the American media." "What I tried to do originally was actually try to defuse the situation a little bit," Vance said, arguing it was Trump who was spoiling for a fight. "I tried again to say, well, maybe we should have this conversation in private. And the president was like, nope, actually, I don’t want to have it in private anymore. I want to have this actual conversation in public for the American people to see." Vance insisted, "the door is open so long as Zelensky is willing to seriously talk peace." He dismissed European security assurances as no substitute for the might of the U.S. "If you want to actually ensure that Vladimir Putin does not invade Ukraine again, the very best security guarantee is to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine," Vance said. "That is a way better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years." "I think Zelensky wasn’t yet there, and I think, frankly, now still isn’t there, but I think will get there eventually. He has to." VANCE URGES ZELENSKY TO CHANGE TUNE ON CEASEFIRE: TRUMP THE 'ONLY GAME IN TOWN' IMMEDIATE EFFECT ON THE BATTLEFIELD: "Cutting the current flow of aid to Ukraine would directly undermine President Trump's stated goal of achieving a sustainable peace in Ukraine," the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said in a post on X last night. "A suspension of ongoing U.S. military assistance to Ukraine would encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin to continue to increase his demands and fuel his conviction that he can achieve total victory through war." The ISW has been arguing for weeks that contrary to popular belief and the narrative advanced by Vance and other administration officials, Ukraine is not losing the war. In fact, it's Russia that is nearing a breaking point. "Ukrainian forces, enabled by essential U.S. assistance, are inflicting unsustainable losses on Russian forces while holding them to marginal gains," the ISW says in its latest battlefield assessment. "Ukrainian efforts, aided by the steady flow of Western aid, have significantly slowed Russian advances along the front, inflicted significant Russian personnel and equipment losses, and undermined Russia’s efforts to project economic and domestic stability amid rising pressures from the war." In a Feb. 21 fact sheet, the ISW argued that "Zelensky does not imminently risk losing all of Ukraine." "Russian forces currently occupy around 20% of Ukraine, leaving the remaining 80% of the country under Ukraine’s sovereign control," the ISW assesses. "At the current rate of advance, it would take Russian forces over 83 years to capture the remaining 80% of Ukraine, assuming that they can sustain massive personnel losses indefinitely." EMMANUEL MACRON CALLS FOR EUROPE TO BOOST DEFENSE SPENDING FOLLOWING TRUMP-ZELENSKY CLASH FIRST BRAGG, NOW BENNING: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has done it again. After searching the annals of U.S. military heroes, he found another World War I soldier whose name matched that of a former Confederate general whose name was stripped from an Army base under an act of Congress. "Secretary of Defense Hegseth directed the Army to change the name of Fort Moore to Fort Benning in honor of Cpl. Fred G. Benning, a Distinguished Service Cross recipient, who heroically served in Machine-Gun Company, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, American Expeditionary Forces, in France during World War I," the Army said in a statement. The move restored the Georgia base’s original name and removed the honor from another Distinguished Service Cross recipient, Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife Julia Compton Moore, both of whom are buried on post. "Fort Benning, home of the Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence, trains thousands of Infantry, Armor, and Ranger warfighters to answer their nation's call. Secretary Hegseth's directive honors the warrior ethos and recognizes the heroes who have trained at the installation for decades," the Army said. On Feb. 10, Hegseth signed a memorandum renaming Fort Liberty in North Carolina to Fort Bragg, honoring Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II hero. That's two of ten name changes reversed by Hegseth, leaving eight to go. HEGSETH BRINGS BACK FORT BENNING NAME WITH NEW NAMESAKE THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: Trump orders halt on US military aid to Ukraine Washington Examiner: Trump blasts Zelensky for saying ceasefire is 'very, very far away' Washington Examiner: Hegseth issues pause on cyber offensive operations against Russia Washington Examiner: Trump's chumming gift to the Russian cyber shark Washington Examiner: Emmanuel Macron calls for Europe to boost defense spending following Trump-Zelensky clash Washington Examiner: Egyptian-created Gaza reconstruction proposal ready for Arab summit Washington Examiner: Hegseth brings back Fort Benning name with new namesake Washington Examiner: Republicans praise Trump after migrant arrests fall to lowest in 'recorded history' Washington Examiner: Vance urges Zelensky to change tune on ceasefire: Trump the 'only game in town' Washington Examiner: The Democrats boycotting Trump's presidential address to Congress AP: Ukrainians grapple with consequences of Trump's pause on all military aid Wall Street Journal: Trump's Embrace of Russia Rocks NATO Alliance AP: France's prime minister tears into Trump's attack on Zelenskyy as a staggering show of 'brutality' New York Times: A Thousand Snipers in the Sky: The New War in Ukraine Der Spiegel: Three years after the invasion, the Churchill of Ukraine seeks a new role Defense News: How Trump's 'Golden Dome' Could Speed Up Hypersonic Range Expansion Air & Space Forces Magazine: America's First Unmanned Fighters Are Here: YFQ-42 and YFQ-44 Air & Space Forces Magazine: Allvin's Case for 'More Air Force': His Answer to New Administration's Priorities Air & Space Forces Magazine: F-35 Hits 1 Million Flight Hours as Price Rise Stays Below Inflation The War Zone: Private F-16 Aggressors Getting Ability to Insert Synthetic Bandits into Live Training Breaking Defense: How Metrea Hopes to Grow the Private Air Refueling Market Air & Space Forces Magazine: 'Whatever it Takes': Saltzman Says 'Space Superiority' Is USSF's Mission Space News: BAE Lands $151 Million Contract for Missile-Warning Satellite Ground System Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Leaders: SDA Mission Is 'Critical' Despite Uncertainty Air & Space Forces Magazine: How Is the Space Force Handling Civilian Personnel Cuts? THE CALENDAR: TUESDAY | MARCH 4 9 a.m. 2401 M St., NW — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group coffee discussion: "An Exclusive, Advance Preview of the Reagan Institute's National Security Innovation Base Report Card for 2025," with Roger Zakheim, director, Ronald Reagan Institute; and Rachel Hoff, policy director, Ronald Reagan Institute RSVP: [email protected] 9:15 a.m. 390 Cannon — House (Select) Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party Committee hearing: “End the Typhoons: How to Deter Beijing’s Cyber Actions and Enhance America’s Lackluster Cyber Defenses.” https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov 9:30 a.m. 106 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the nomination of Elbridge Colby to be undersecretary of defense for policy. http://www.armed-services.senate.gov 10 a.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the nominations of Matthew Whitaker to be U.S. permanent representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization http://foreign.senate.gov 11:15 a.m. Aurora, Colorado — Air and Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium: “The Threat is Now: Building the Force to Win,” with Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, commander, Air Combat Command; and Greg Ryckman, deputy director for global integration, Defense Intelligence Agency https://www.afa.org/afa-warfare-symposium 12 p.m. — Association of the U.S. Army “Noon Report” webinar: "USACE: Providing solutions through partnerships." with Army Lt. Gen. William Graham, commanding general, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers https://www.ausa.org/events/noon-report/usace-providing-solutions 2 p.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee hearing: “The Digital Battlefield: How Terrorists Use the Internet and Online Networks for Recruitment and Radicalization.” http://homeland.house.gov 6 p.m. — Council on Foreign Relations virtual discussion: “Common Sense and Strategy in Foreign Policy,” with Margaret MacMillan, emeritus professor of history, University of Toronto https://www.cfr.org/event/leslie-h-gelb-memorial-event-common-sense-and-strategy 8 p.m. House Chamber, U.S. Capitol — President Donald Trump delivers an address to a joint session of Congress, with Vice President J.D. Vance; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD); and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) 9:30 p.m. — Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) delivers the Democratic response to President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress 9:40 p.m. — Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) delivers the Spanish language Democratic response to President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress WEDNESDAY | MARCH 5 8 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia — Association of the U.S. Army seminar: “Holistic Health and the Resilient Soldier," with Army Chief of Chaplains Maj. Gen. William Green; and Lt. Gen. David Francis, commanding general of the Army Center for Military Training https://www.ausa.org/events/hot-topic/holistic-health-and-resilient-soldier 8:30 a.m. 850 18th St. NW — Reagan Institute Center for Peace Through Strength National Security Innovation Base Summit, with Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) vice chair of the House Armed Services Committee; Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO); Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA); Rep. Chrissy Houlahan; (D-PA); Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE); former Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX); Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations; Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MI); Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA); and Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) https://www.reaganfoundation.org/events/2025-national-security-innovation-base-summit 9 a.m. — Wilson Center virtual discussion “Protecting Maritime Security and Stability in the Indo-Pacific: Challenges for the U.S. and Japan,” with Yurika Ishii, associate professor, National Defense Academy of Japan; Yasuhiro Matsuda, professor, University of Tokyo’s Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia; James Kraska, professor, Naval War College’s Center for International Law; and James Schoff, senior director of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation’s U.S.-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/protecting-maritime-security 9:15 a.m. 390 Cannon — House (Select) Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party Committee hearing: “End the Typhoons: How to Deter Beijing’s Cyber Actions and Enhance America’s Lackluster Cyber Defenses.” https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov 10 a.m. Aurora, Colorado — Air and Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium: “The Threat is Now: Building the Force to Win,” with Gen. Thomas Bussiere, commander, Air Force Global Strike Command and U.S. Strategic Command; and Navy Vice Adm. Richard Correll, deputy commander, U.S. Strategic Command https://www.afa.org/afa-warfare-symposium/ 10 a.m. 2154 Rayburn — House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing: "Sanctuary cities policies," with testimony from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (D); Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D); Denver Mayor Michael Johnston (D); and New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) http://oversight.house.gov 10 a.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing: “Advancing American Interests in the Western Hemisphere,” with testimony from Joseph Ledford, fellow and assistant director of the Stanford University Hoover Institution’s Hoover History Lab, Stanford, Calif. http://foreign.senate.gov 10 a.m. 2167 Rayburn — House Transportation and Infrastructure Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee hearing: “America Builds: Coast Guard Acquisitions and Infrastructure.” http://transportation.house.gov 10 a.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Committee hearing: “Countering Threats Posed by the Chinese Communist Party to U.S. National Security.” http://homeland.house.gov 2:30 p.m. 106 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee hearing: “The Posture of the U.S. Transportation Command in Review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2026 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Air Force Gen. Randall Reed, commander, U.S. Transportation Command http://www.armed-services.senate.gov THURSDAY | MARCH 6 6:30 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, Virginia — Association of the U.S. Army "Coffee Series" discussion with Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer https://www.ausa.org/events/coffee-series/sma-weimer 9:30 a.m. 1777 F St. NW — Council on Foreign Relations discussion: “Securing Ukraine’s Future," with Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg https://www.cfr.org/event/securing-ukraines-future 9:30 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Rebuilding America’s Maritime Industrial Base,” with Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) https://www.hudson.org/events/rebuilding-americas-maritime-industrial-base 5:30 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Iran on the Brink: Resistance, Repression, and Global Power Shifts,” with Mariam Memarsadeghi, founder and director of the Cyprus Forum for Iran’s Future; Ladan Boroumand, co-founder of the University of Parma’s Abdorrahman Boroumand Center; and Zineb Riboua, program manager, Hudson Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East https://www.hudson.org/events/iran-brink-resistance-repression FRIDAY | MARCH 7 9 a.m. 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — American Bar Association forum: "Air and Space Law," with former Deputy FAA Administrator Katie Thompson; Nikki Harding, deputy assistant TSA administrator for compliance; and Alex MacDonald, former NASA chief economist https://events.americanbar.org/event | | | | "U.S. credibility is on the line here. It's not just U.S. security. It's the value of the dollar. Its U.S. ability to enter into any contracts anywhere. You can't treat people this way. So, I hope President Zelenskyy will quickly apologize. I hope the Trump administration will realize this is a bridge too far." | | Former NATO Supreme Commander retired Army Gen. Wes Clark, speaking on CNN Monday night |
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