ZELENSKY: ‘WE HAVE PRESERVED UKRAINE’: On this fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, cities across Ukraine paused for a moment of silence to remember those who have been lost in the war, and President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a longer-than-usual video address from the secure location where he took refuge on that fateful Thursday when it seemed Kyiv might fall in days.
“This small room in the bunker on Bankova Street — this is where I held my first conversations with world leaders at the start of the war. Here I spoke with President Biden, and it was right here that I heard, ‘Volodymyr, there is a threat. You need to leave Ukraine urgently. We are ready to help with that.’ And here I replied that I need ammunition, not a ride,” Zelensky recalled. These days, he works mostly out of his above-ground office, but still sleeps in the bunker on most nights.
“Looking back at the beginning of the invasion and reflecting on today, we have every right to say: we have defended our independence, we have not lost our statehood. Ukraine exists not just on the map. Ukraine is an actor in international relations. Our capital stands,” Zelensky said. “Putin has not achieved his goals. He has not broken Ukrainians. He has not won this war. We have preserved Ukraine, and we will do everything to secure peace and justice.”
ZELENSKY ACCUSES PUTIN OF STARTING WORLD WAR III AHEAD OF FOUR-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF INVASION
‘STAY ON OUR SIDE’: In the lead-up to today’s somber anniversary, Zelensky has been giving multiple interviews to news organizations, and one theme has been consistent — frustration that President Trump seems to be putting all the pressure on Ukraine to make concessions, while allowing Russia to stick to its demands and veto any compromise.
It’s two against one. “Both the Americans and the Russians say that if you want the war to end tomorrow, get out of Donbas,” Zelensky told Agence France-Presse, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand that Ukraine give up its heavily defended eastern front, which has been a graveyard for Russian troops unable to make significant advances.
Time after time, Zelensky has bent to U.S. demands that Ukraine give up hope of liberating more of the eastern Donbas region, even as, in recent days, its forces have made gains in the south when Russian forces lost Starlink service.
“We already said that we are ready for the compromise to freeze the points where we stay, the places. It’s a frozen contact line. We are ready for this,” Zelensky said in an interview with CNN. “But if Russians or partners in dialogue with Russians want just to withdraw our army from our fortifications, I mean, we can’t be such, sorry, foolish guys. We are not children.”
When asked by CNN’s Clarissa Ward what he would like to hear from President Trump at tonight’s State of the Union address, Zelensky paused and then said, “I want him to stay on our side.”
‘WE’RE NOT SUPERHEROES. WE’RE ORDINARY PEOPLE’: Western reporters who have visited Kyiv in recent weeks report that war-weary Ukrainians have become increasingly disenchanted by allies who praise the dogged determination of the Ukrainian people, while failing to fully support the war effort.
“And after this brutal winter with these constant blackouts and power outages, you really have a sense, as this war now enters its fifth year, that people here are reaching a breaking point,” Ward said on CNN. “For the first time that you can definitely feel some bitterness when you talk to Ukrainians. Arguably, understandably, they feel to a certain extent that the U.S. has abandoned them.”
“I had one woman from Ukraine send me a message saying, ‘I never want to hear the word resilient again,’” Ward said. “‘You know, we’re not robots,’ is what another woman told me. We’re not superheroes. We’re ordinary people.”
In his video address, Zelensky spoke about the suffering war has brought to his people. “Less than a week until spring. We are getting through the hardest winter in history. This is a fact. And it is very difficult. Difficult for all of us,” he said. “The strength that has sustained us all these years is you. Our people. Our resistance is you. Ukrainian men. Ukrainian women. Everyone who does not give up. Our eyes may be tired, but our backs are unbroken.”
ORDINARY UKRAINIANS SUFFER WITHOUT NEGOTIATION BREAKTHROUGHS AS FOUR-YEAR ANNIVERSARY APPROACHES
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HAPPENING TONIGHT: President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address at 9 p.m., where he is expected to defend his record on handling the economy and tout his foreign policy success in Venezuela as the prospect of a major war with Iran looms.
“We have the greatest economy we’ve ever had. We have the most activity we’ve ever had. I’m making a speech tomorrow night, and you’ll be hearing me say that,” Trump told reporters at the White House yesterday.
The theme of the speech is “America at 250: Strong, Prosperous, and Respected,” and Trump is expected to unveil new measures meant to lower costs, as polls show the American public is increasingly concerned about the economy.
Last March, Trump delivered a record-long 99-minute stemwinder before a joint session of Congress, raising the question of whether this year’s address will set a new record for loquaciousness. “I mean, it’s going to be a long speech because we have so much to talk about,” Trump said.
IRAN BUILDUP HANGS OVER TRUMP STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
NO CAINE MUTINY: Trump yesterday took great exception to multiple media reports that during a White House strategy session a week ago, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine counseled Trump that sustained operations against Iran would face challenges due to the military’s depleted stocks of munitions and the fact that no allies have signed on to join the effort.
Caine, who doesn’t command any troops, has as his primary role serving as the senior military adviser to the president and the defense secretary. The reports — from Axios, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal — all made clear that Caine was prepared to execute orders from Trump to carry out attacks on Iran, but was advising the president that this operation was a different order of magnitude than the quick strike on Venezuela.
Nevertheless, Trump was triggered. “Numerous stories from the Fake News Media have been circulating stating that General Daniel Caine, sometimes referred to as Razin, is against us going to War with Iran,” Trump posted on Truth Social, mischaracterizing the reportage. “The story does not attribute this vast wealth of knowledge to anyone, and is 100% incorrect.”
“General Caine, like all of us, would like not to see War but, if a decision is made on going against Iran at a Military level, it is his opinion that it will be something easily won,” Trump continued. “Razin Caine is a Great Fighter, and represents the Most Powerful Military anywhere in the World. He has not spoken of not doing Iran, or even the fake limited strikes that I have been reading about, he only knows one thing, how to WIN and, if he is told to do so, he will be leading the pack.”
“I am the one that makes the decision, I would rather have a Deal than not but, if we don’t make a Deal, it will be a very bad day for that Country,” Trump concluded.
TRUMP DISMISSES ‘FAKE’ REPORTS OF PLAN FOR LIMITED STRIKE ON IRAN TO FORCE DEAL
‘METHINKS THOU DOST PROTEST TOO MUCH’: Given that the munitions shortage is real, the complexities of a sustained campaign are obvious, and the size of the U.S. armada, while impressive, is not nearly as big as the logistics buildup before the 2023 Iraq invasion, the concerns Caine has raised are totally reasonable.
As Washington Examiner editor and foreign policy writer Tom Rogan pointed out in a Feb. 5 analysis, war with Iran would seriously deplete the U.S. military stocks of air defense missiles that would be needed to fend off Iranian drones and missiles, which would also impact America’s ability to deter China from moving against Taiwan.
“Observing the depletion of air defense munition stocks, the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, Adm. Sam Paparo, has noted that, ‘Inherently, it imposes costs on the readiness of America to respond in the Indo-Pacific region, which is the most stressing theater for the quantity and quality of munitions,’” Rogan wrote.
IRAN REGIME CHANGE WOULD COST BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND CHINA WAR READINESS
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER LETHAL BOAT STRIKE: With yesterday’s “lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” the number of boat strikes conducted during Operation Southern Spear so far this year stands at nine strikes, 27 people dead.
The latest strike came yesterday with the standard short video clip and the boilerplate language citing U.S. intelligence as concluding “the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.”
Three alleged “narco-terrorists” were killed in the strike.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Zelensky accuses Putin of starting World War III ahead of four-year anniversary of invasion
Washington Examiner: Ordinary Ukrainians suffer without negotiation breakthroughs as four-year anniversary approaches
Washington Examiner: UK imposing ‘nearly 300 new sanctions on Russia’ over attacks on Ukraine
Washington Examiner: Iran buildup hangs over Trump State of the Union address
Washington Examiner: Trump dismisses ‘fake’ reports of plan for limited strike on Iran to force deal
Washington Examiner: US evacuates nonessential personnel from Beirut embassy over Iran tension
Washington Examiner: ‘Biggest dilemma’ in homeland counter drone strategy is ‘how broad the threat exists’
Washington Examiner: Kim Jong Un reelected as North Korean leader, teen daughter to serve as ‘missile chief’
Washington Examiner: Trump’s ‘worldwide tariff’ sets stage for rebuke from Congress ahead of midterm elections
Washington Examiner: Judge permanently blocks release of Trump classified documents report
Washington Examiner: France bars US ambassador over failure to address death of right-wing activist
Washington Post: Trump’s top general foresees acute risks in an attack on Iran
Military Times: Massive US Air Force warplane movements in Bulgaria raise stakes for Iran talks
New York Times: Binance Employees Find $1.7 Billion in Crypto Was Sent to Iranian Entities
Washington Post: Coast Guard investigating swastika found at recruit training center
Wall Street Journal: Mexico, U.S. Tracked Drug Lord’s Lover Before Deadly Raid
AP: Security forces keep up fight with cartel gunmen a day after the Mexican military killed a drug lord
Wall Street Journal: As War Enters Fifth Year, Ukraine Shows Russian Victory Is Anything but Inevitable
New York Times: These Ukrainians Don’t Want to Be Traded to Russia for Peace
Axios: Hegseth to Meet Anthropic CEO as Pentagon Threatens Banishment
Breaking Defense: Reconciliation Revealed: How the Pentagon Plans to Spend All $152 Billion in FY26
New York Times: ICE Whistle-Blower Calls Training for New Agents ‘Deficient’ and ‘Broken’
Wall Street Journal: No U.S. Hospital Ship Has Been Ordered to Greenland, Despite Trump’s Post
Bloomberg: Pentagon Will ‘Accelerate’ Navy Fighter Despite Early Reluctance
Breaking Defense: Lockheed Test-Flies F-35 with Artificial Intelligence to Quickly ID Unknown Contacts
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Announces B-21 Production Deal, 2027 Entry into Service
Defense One: Replacement B-52 Test Engine Deliveries Expected in 2027
New York Times: Anthropic Accuses 3 Chinese Companies of Harvesting Its Data
Air & Space Forces Magazine: CCAs Start Carrying Inert Missiles, Live Fire Shots Expected Later This Year
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Eyes Small Engines for Future CCAs with New Contracts
Air & Space Forces Magazine: General Atomics, Northrop Both Give Their CCAs Nicknames
Aviation Week: L3Harris Outlines New Capabilities for OA-1K Skyraider II
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Meink Lays Out New Vision for Acquisition
The War Zone: Straight Talk on State of US Airlift Capabilities from General Who Ran Air Mobility Command
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Starts Briefing Stakeholders on 15-Year Vision
Air & Space Forces Magazine: New CMSAF Speaks: Wolfe on Standards, Teaching, and Rapport with Wilsbach
The Atlantic: Opinion: America Doesn’t Need a Deal or a War With Iran
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
THE CALENDAR:
TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 24
3:30 a.m. EST Brussels. Belgium — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte makes remarks at a ceremony at NATO headquarters marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine Livestream at https://www.nato.int/en
6 a.m. EST London, England — International Institute for Strategic Studies releases “The Military Balance 2026,” with Douglas Barrie, IISS senior fellow for military aerospace; and Henry Boyd, IISS senior fellow for military capability and data assessment https://www.iiss.org/events/2026/02/the-military-balance-2026-launch/
9:30 a.m. 216 Hart — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “Rebuilding American Critical Minerals Supply Chains,” with testimony from Michael Cadenazzi, assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy; and Acting Assistant Deputy Defense Secretary for Industrial Base Resilience Jeffrey Frankston http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
10 a.m. 2172 Rayburn — House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing: “Advancing National Security through Commercial Diplomacy,” with testimony from Jacob Helberg, undersecretary of state for economic growth http://foreignaffairs.house.gov
10 a.m. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace virtual discussion: “Russia’s War Against Ukraine: Four Years and Counting,” with former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk, nonresident scholar, CEIP Russia and Eurasia Program; Eric Ciaramella, senior fellow, CEIP Russia and Eurasia Program; Alexandra Prokopenko, fellow, CEIP Russia Eurasia Center; and Aaron David Miller, senior fellow, CEIP American Statecraft Program https://carnegieendowment.org/events/2026/02/russias-war-against-ukraine
10 a.m. 2247 Rayburn — House Oversight and Government Reform Government Operations Subcommittee hearing: “An Update on DoD’s Struggling Background Check System” http://oversight.house.gov
10:30 a.m. Aurora, Colorado — Air and Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium: “Integrated Superiority and Security: Aligning Spacepower and Airpower to Win,” with Air Force Chief of Staff Kenneth Wilsbach https://26ws.expotracker.net/index.aspx
2 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee and Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing: “Modernization of the Organic Industrial Base,” with testimony from Brent Ingraham, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology; and Army Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, commanding officer, Army Materiel Command http://www.armedservices.house.gov
3 p.m. Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Assessing the Scope and Impacts of Xi’s Military Purges,” with Sheena Chestnut Greitens, associate professor, University of Texas at Austin School of Public Affairs; John Culver, nonresident senior fellow, Brookings Institution China Center; Jon Czin, fellow, Brookings Institution’s China Center; and Taylor Fravel, director, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Security Studies Program https://www.csis.org/events/assessing-scope-and-impacts-xis-military-purges
6 p.m. Harvard University Kennedy School Institute of Politics virtual discussion: “Iran at a Crossroads: Human Rights in a Changing Landscape, with Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran; Siamak Namazi, Iranian-American business leader; Morad Tahbaz, businessman and environmentalist; Jared Genser, international human rights lawyer; and Massih Alinejad, Iranian activist https://www.youtube.com/@HarvardIOP/streams
9 p.m. House floor, U.S. Capitol — President Donald Trump delivers 2026 State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress
10 p.m. — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) delivers the Democratic response to President Trump’s State of the Union Address
10:15 p.m. — Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) delivers the Democratic Spanish-language response to President Trump’s State of the Union Address
WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 25
10 a.m. 562 Dirksen — Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing: “The Water Resources Development Act of 2026 and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Projects, Programs, and Priorities,” with testimony from Adam Telle, assistant secretary of the Army for civil works; and Lt. Gen. William Graham, chief of engineers and commanding general, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers http://epw.senate.gov
5 p.m. 1521 16th St. NW — Institute of World Politics lecture: “Peace Through Strength: The Path Forward in Russia-Ukraine,” with Gentry Beach, founder of America First Global; Glenn Corn, IWP faculty member; and James Robbins, IWP faculty member https://www.iwp.edu/events/peace-through-strength
8 p.m. — Jews United for Democracy and Justice virtual discussion: “What is the Endgame? U.S. Policy and the Future of Venezuela and Beyond,” with Max Boot, senior fellow in national security studies, Council on Foreign Relations and contributor to the Washington Post; and Larry Diamond, senior fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies https://www.jewsunitedfordemocracy.org/blog/event
THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 26
8 a.m. 1800 Presidents St., Reston, Va.— Potomac Officers Club GovCon Executive Leadership Summit discussion: “Digital Warfighters: The New Power Players in Defense Tech” www.potomacofficersclub.com/events/2026-govcon-executive-leadership-summit/
8 a.m. 11493 Sunset Hills Rd., Reston, Va.— Government Executive Media Group forum: “Cybersecurity Futures: Built on Zero Trust,” with William Streilein, former principal staff at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory and former inaugural chief technology officer, Defense Department Chief Digital and AI Office https://events.atarc.org/built-on-zt25/home/
9 a.m. — Peterson Institute for International Economics virtual discussion: “Will Europe Ever Get its Defense Act Together?” with Cornelia Woll, professor of international political economy and president of the Hertie School, Berlin https://www.piie.com/events/2026/will-europe-ever-get-its-defense-act-together
9:30 a.m. G-50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing on Mark Ditlevson to be assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs; and Brian Birdwell to be an assistant secretary of defense for sustainment. http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
5:30 p.m. 2300 N St. NW — Aspen Institute book discussion: Statecraft 2.0: What America Needs to Lead in a Multipolar World, with author Dennis Ross, Washington Institute for Near East Policy fellow https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 27
9:30 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW —Brookings Institution in-person and virtual discussion: “U.S. policy in a changing nuclear landscape,” with Michael O’Hanlon, Philip H. Knight chair in Defense and Strategy, senior fellow and director, Talbott Center, Brookings; Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), ranking member, Armed Services Committee; Suzanne Maloney, vice president and director, foreign policy, Brookings; Tom Wright, senior fellow, Talbott Center, Brookings; Andrew Yeo, SK-Korea Foundation Chair in Korea Studies and senior fellow, Brookings Center for Asia Policy Studies; Mara Karlin, visiting fellow, Talbott Center, Brookings; Bruce Jones, senior fellow, Talbott Center, Brookings; Caitlin Talmadge, nonresident senior fellow, Talbott Center, Brookings; and Melanie Sisson, senior fellow, Talbott Center, Brookings https://connect.brookings.edu/register-to-watch-us-nuclear-landscape
9:30 a.m. 775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “U.S. Policy in a Changing Nuclear Landscape, with Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), Armed Services ranking member https://www.brookings.edu/events/us-policy-in-a-changing-nuclear-landscape ]
10 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: “Nuclear Testing Explained: History, Risks, and the Road Ahead,” with Henry Sokolski, executive director, Nonproliferation Policy Education Center; Don Cook, former deputy administrator for defense programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration; and James Petrosky, NIDS president https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event
1 p.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “Reporters at risk: Navigating Iran’s internet blackout,” with Holly Dagres, senior fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy Viterbi Program on Iran and U.S. Policy; Nate Swanson, resident senior fellow and director, Atlantic Council Iran Strategy Project, Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, Rafik Hairi Center and Middle East Programs; Adrienne Arsht, executive vice chair, Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Adrienne Arsht National Security Resilience Initiative; and Andrew Peek, director, Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Adrienne Arsht National Security Resilience Initiative https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/reporters-at-risk-navigating-irans-internet-blackout/
TUESDAY | MARCH 3
226 Dirksen — Senate Judiciary Committee hearing: “Oversight of the Homeland Security Department,” with testimony from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem http://judiciary.senate.gov
WEDNESDAY | MARCH 4
10 a.m. 2154 Rayburn — House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing: “Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part II,” with testimony from Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) http://oversight.house.gov
