TRUMP: ‘WE DON’T WANT TO WASTE A LOT OF TIME’: As senior officials from Ukraine, France, Germany, and the U.K. plan to meet tomorrow in Paris to work on the U.S. proposal to end the war in Ukraine, President Donald Trump is expressing frustration with the process and suggested further discussion may just be a “waste of time.”
“The President is extremely frustrated with both sides of this war, and he is sick of meetings just for the sake of meeting. He doesn’t want any more talk. He wants action,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters yesterday. “It’s still up in the air whether we believe real peace can be accomplished and we can truly move the ball forward.”
“We’ll see whether or not we attend the meeting,” Trump said later in an Oval Office session with reporters, indicating he would only send representatives if there were “a good chance” of progress. He continued to blame Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for not embracing Trump’s plan without reservations. “I thought we were very close with Ukraine to having a deal. In fact, other than President Zelensky, people loved the concept of the deal.”
The U.S. proposal would require Ukraine to give up parts of the eastern Donbas regions that Russia has been unable to capture despite nearly four years of bloody ground combat. “It’s, you know, a little bit complicated because you’re cutting up land in a certain way. It’s not the easiest thing,” Trump said. “It’s sort of like a complex real-estate deal times a thousand.”
ZELENSKY: ‘WE ARE READY TO WORK WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP IN ANY FORMAT’: Zelensky keeps heaping the praise on Trump, attempting to mollify him, even as he works to fashion the 20-point peace plan into something he and his country can live with.
Yesterday, in a group video session that included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, NATO commander Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte — Zelensky stressed the importance of keeping the U.S. happy.
“We need to coordinate everything so that the Americans are fully onboard in every process,” Zelensky said. “Yesterday, we sent the American team a revised version of the framework document we worked on. It includes 20 key points. This can be the foundation for everything,” Zelensky said. “We are ready to work with President Trump in any format. And if President Trump is speaking more about elections in Ukraine, I want to say this very openly – we can try to hold elections.”
“I do wonder about, you know, how long is it going to be until they have an election? Yeah, it’s a democracy. It’s a long time, they haven’t had an election in a long time,” Trump said Wednesday, and yesterday he indicated the U.S. would agree to help provide for Ukraine’s long-term security, but gave no details.
“It’s called the security agreement, basically, that they call it. The security agreement,” Trump said. “Yes, we would help. We would help with security because it’s, I think, a necessary factor in getting it done.”
Meanwhile, the French newspaper Le Monde reported that in the revised peace plan Zelensky sent to Washington, Ukraine indicated it was ready to accept the establishment of a demilitarized zone in the Donbas. “In Kyiv’s view, the demilitarized zone would require both Ukrainian and Russian forces to withdraw from either side of the current front line in the Donbas,” the newspaper reported. “The DMZ could then be placed under the supervision of an international force, including the U.S.”
LAVROV: Meanwhile in a roundtable discussion with reporters in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov continued to push Vladimir Putin’s hard line stance against any concessions in what he called the “Ukraine crisis,” which he said “was orchestrated by the West in an effort to turn Ukraine into an anti-Russia, and pumping it full of weapons for preparing it to wage war against our country.”
According to the Institute for the Study of War, Lavrov effectively rejected seven points of the original U.S. proposal, including “territorial swaps based on the line of contact” and “the provision of reliable security guarantees for Ukraine.”
The ISW listed the following provisions as non starters for Moscow:
- Freezing the current line of contact in Zaporizhia and Kherson oblasts;
- Restarting the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) rather than Russia;
- Requiring NATO only to cease further enlargement rather than insisting on rolling NATO back to its pre-1997 borders;
- Permitting European fighter jets to be stationed in Poland;
- Providing reliable security guarantees to Ukraine;
- Confirming Ukraine’s sovereignty; and
- Accepting EU regulations on the protection of religious minorities as the required basis for Ukrainian laws on the subject.
“Lavrov’s reiteration of the Russian demand for Ukrainian withdrawal from unoccupied parts of Zaporizhia and Kherson oblasts contradicts the 21st point of the original peace plan, which states that Zaporizhia and Kherson oblasts will be frozen along the line of contact and that both Ukraine and Russia would de facto recognize the line of contact,” the ISW said. “Russia’s commitment to establishing full control of Zaporizhia Oblast also contradicts the 19th point of the original peace plan, which states that the ZNPP would restart its operations under the IAEA and would equally distribute electricity between Russia and Ukraine.”
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Good Friday 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.
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NOTE TO READERS: Daily on Defense will be on holiday break beginning the week of Monday, Dec. 22, and continuing through Jan. 1, 2026. We’ll be back in the new year.
HAPPENING TODAY: In a ceremony at the headquarters of the U.S. Southern Command in Doral, Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey will turn over command to Air Force Lt. Gen. Evan L. Pettus. The circumstances of Holsey’s early retirement — one year into a three-year term — remain unclear amid reports he clashed with War Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Holsey met privately in a remote, classified session earlier this week with Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee; and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), leaders of the House Armed Services Committee.
“He gave us a full readout on what happened. We saw the video, got all our questions answered,” Rogers said afterward, referring to the controversy over the Sept. 2 boat strike, in which two survivors were killed in a second follow-on strike. “We got all the facts. We don’t have to do anything else. We’re done.”
In the classified call, Holsey did not provide a reason for his retirement, except to say it was a personal decision, according to Reed. “There are still many questions to be answered,” he said.
TREASURY SANCTIONS SEVERAL MADURO FAMILY MEMBERS AND VENEZUELAN SHIPPING COMPANIES
NORTHCOM COMMANDER INSISTS GUARD TROOPS STAYING IN THEIR LANE: The commander of the U.S. Northern Command told Congress yesterday that National Guard troops deployed to U.S. cities are scrupulously following the law limiting the use of the military for law enforcement, and are operating under rules of engagement that adhere to both the letter and spirit of the Posse Comitatus statute.
“I’ve directed that every service member participating in federal protection missions be thoroughly trained on their authorities and limitations. It is essential that everyone involved in this mission understands precisely what they are authorized to do, but perhaps more importantly, what they are authorized not to do,” Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The troops are operating under what’s called Title 10 authority, meaning they are under federal, not state, control.
“Title 10 Forces are prohibited from conducting traditional law enforcement activities, including arrest, seizure, search, or evidence collection in connection with the enforcement of laws,” Guillot said. “Their mission is to take reasonable measures to protect the destruction or defacement of federal government property, including preventing civilians from attacking federal facilities, stopping ongoing interference with federal functions by civilians, or preventing civilians with a demonstrated intent to interfere with the federal functions from such interference.”
“To date, only one civilian has been temporarily detained by military personnel. That occurred on June 13th when, despite verbal warnings, an individual crossed a clearly marked boundary surrounding the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles,” Guillot said. “In accordance with applicable law and policies, that individual was only detained until they could be handed over to proper law enforcement personnel.”
WICKER: CRITICISM ‘MANUFACTURED AND MISGUIDED’: In his opening comments, Committee Chairman Roger Wicker praised the performance of the Guard in support of efforts to combat violent crime in American cities.
“Democratic governors and left-wing pundits have decried these deployments. They have raised concerns about violations of the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the use of military for domestic policing, except in specific circumstances,” Wicker said. “These concerns are both manufactured and misguided, in my judgment.”
“They serve purely in support roles, never crossing the line into law enforcement functions,” Wicker said. “They are limited to protecting federal employees and federal buildings, providing logistics and communications to law enforcement operations, and most importantly, to providing a visible security presence.”
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who had pressed for the hearing, called the Guard deployments illegal and a waste of time.
“President Trump has taken our troops away from their core mission just to do his personal bidding, forcing them to patrol tourist areas in D.C. or invade a city where residents are peacefully protesting his inhumane policies,” Duckworth said. “Right now, thousands of troops are deployed across the country under false pretenses. Here in D.C., the National Guard has been performing missions that don’t help with their military training, like spreading mulch and picking up trash.”
NOEM REBUTS DEMOCRAT WHO CALLED NATIONAL GUARD SHOOTING ‘UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT’
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Senior military leader has received no orders about ‘the enemy within’ over National Guard deployments
Washington Examiner: Concern US would pull back from AUKUS abandoned after review
Washington Examiner: Bulgarian government toppled by citizens over claims of corruption, embezzlement
Washington Examiner: US admitted 18,000 known and suspected terrorists from Afghanistan in 2021: Official
Washington Examiner: Treasury sanctions several Maduro family members and Venezuelan shipping companies
Washington Examiner: Noem faces impeachment and resignation calls after Trump defends her
Washington Examiner: Federal judge orders release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from ICE custody
Washington Examiner: Raising cover-up fears, Department of War moves to weaken Havana Syndrome team
New York Times: Zelensky Says Revised U.S. Plan Still Calls for Ukraine to Leave Donbas
Washington Times: Underground nuclear tests would be authorized by provision in Defense bill
Wall Street Journal: Disguised and in Danger: How a Nobel Peace Prize Winner Escaped Venezuela
Washington Post: How a U.S. admiral decided to kill two boat strike survivors
AP: Judge orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia to be immediately released from immigration detention
Air & Space Forces Magazine: NORTHCOM Boss: No Plans for Military Training Grounds in US Cities
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force to Take Back on Looking Glass Mission for Nuclear C3
Breaking Defense: To Field Weapons Quicker, Pentagon Should Improve Testing and Evaluation Process: GAO
The War Zone: F-35A Joint Strike Fighters Deploying to Caribbean
Air & Space Forces Magazine: B-52s, Japanese Fighters Fly Together After China and Russia Fly Bomber Patrol
AP: US Ambassador to Ankara Says Trump Is Moving Closer to Resolving Turkey’s F-35 Ban
DefenseScoop: Air National Guard Adding Cyber Operations Squadron at Louisiana Base
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Snakes, Sharks, and Ghosts: Space Force Reveals Themes for Naming Platforms
Breaking Defense: AMTI ASAP: Space Force Readying Multi-Source Acquisition for Satellites to Track Aircraft
Air & Space Forces Magazine: USSF to Keep Implementing Space-Focused Elements of Re-Optimization
THE CALENDAR:
FRIDAY | DECEMBER 12
9 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute event: “Antisemitism as a National Security Threat,” with Michael Doran, senior fellow and director, Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East; Bernard Haykel, non-resident senior fellow, Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East; Rebeccah Heinrichs, senior fellow and director, Keystone Defense Initiative; Can Kasapoglu, non-resident senior fellow, Hudson Institute; Liel Leibovitz, senior fellow, Hudson Institute; and Michael Sobolik, senior fellow, Hudson Institute Invite only: [email protected]
10 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar, “Peace Through Strength: Renewing America’s Nuclear Deterrent, A Proposed Nuclear Posture Review for 2026,” with James Petrosky, NIDS president; Curtis McGiffin, NIDS co-founder; and Kirk Fansher, NDSs senior fellow https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/peace-through-strength
10:30 a.m. 2401 M St., NW — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security a Defense Writers Group coffee and discussion with Sen. Mark Warner, vice chairman, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence RSVP: [email protected]
11 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual event to launch a report titled “Russian economy in 2025: Between stagnation and militarization,” with Alexandra Prokopenko, fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center; Elina Ribakova, nonresident senior fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics; Charles Lichfield, director of economic foresight and analysis and senior fellow, Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center; Mikhail Zygar, nonresident senior fellow, Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center; and former United States Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, senior director, Atlantic Council Eurasia Center https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/report-launch
TUESDAY | DECEMBER 16
9:30 a.m. 106 Dirksen — Senate Judiciary Border Security and Immigration Subcommittee and Crime and Counterterrorism Subcommittee joint hearing: “Biden’s Afghan Parolee Program – A Trojan Horse with Flawed Vetting and Deadly Consequences” http://judiciary.senate.gov
10 a.m. 2172 Rayburn — House Foreign Affairs Europe Subcommittee hearing: “Hybrid Warfare in Europe Against U.S. Interests: Moscow and Beijing’s Playbook,” with testimony from: Craig Singleton, China Program senior director and senior fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Christopher Walker, vice president, Center for European Policy Analysis; and Laura Cooper, adjunct assistant professor, Georgetown University http://foreignaffairs.house.gov
2 p.m. 2167 Rayburn — House Transportation and Infrastructure Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee hearing: “Changes in Maritime Technology: Can the Coast Guard Keep Up?” http://transportation.house.gov
