ZELENSKY: ‘DO NOT BE AFRAID TO TAKE THE PATH OUT OF THIS WAR’: Feeling emboldened by Ukraine’s ability to strike deep into Russia with its homegrown drones — including striking St. Petersburg during an annual economic conference — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sent an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, both goading him and appealing to him to meet in a neutral country to end the war, now in its fifth year.
“Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us — and you. I am proposing a meeting,” Zelensky wrote, suggesting Switzerland, Turkey, or an Arab country as a possible venue. “The choice is yours now. Enough of war.”
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“Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire for the duration of the negotiations. This is standard practice,” Zelensky said. “Many did not believe that Ukraine would be able to hold out for so long. You did not believe it. And those who advised you did not believe it either. That was a mistake … Do not be afraid to take the path out of this war. That is the main thing that is required of you now.”
Zelensky argued that Russians are growing weary of war, which resulted in staggering losses of Russian soldiers, and implied that Putin’s grip on power may be slipping. “The world has not grown tired of Ukraine, as you long hoped it would. But there is growing fatigue with Russia,” Zelensky wrote. “You cannot fail to notice it. After 26 years in power, age is beginning to take its toll. And with time, the fatigue with you will only grow.”
“This is not a threat from me or from Ukraine. It is a fact of Russian history that you know well: when Russia grows tired, change comes.”
ZELENSKY PROPOSES ‘FULL CEASEFIRE’ AND FACE-TO-FACE MEETING WITH PUTIN IN DIRECT OPEN LETTER
PUTIN: ‘RUSSIAN TROOPS ARE ADVANCING’: Putin is scheduled to speak today at the St. Petersburg economic forum, but yesterday he took questions from international news agencies and insisted the war is going well and Russia is winning.
“Russian troops are advancing along the entire line of contact. There is not a single place where Russian troops are not advancing,” Putin said, while claiming Ukrainian forces are facing “a disastrous shortage of personnel.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin hadn’t seen Zelensky’s letter yet, while Putin himself said any deal would have to include assurances he insisted President Trump gave him at the Alaska summit last August. “Russia agrees to the compromises discussed in Anchorage. It is necessary that Ukraine also agrees to make them. Then, the conflict will be resolved naturally and quickly.”
Ukraine was not part of the Alaska summit and said it’s not bound by any promises Trump made there. “You can see for yourself that Ukrainian and European issues are not decided in Anchorage,” Zelensky wrote in his open letter.
Putin conceded that Russia needs to improve its air defenses after a strike by a long-range Ukrainian drone left a literal cloud over the economic conference on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, some of them do break through,” Putin said of Ukraine’s drones, while downplaying the threat. “Russia has its own air defense system. We must sure refine it. Yes, we must reinforce it, and we will by all means do it.”
But he insisted Russia maintains an overwhelming airpower advantage and cited Zelensky’s public admission that it is out of Patriot interceptor missiles. “They have Patriots and other types of weapons, but the shortage is catastrophic,” Putin said. “Ukraine has no strike systems like those the Russian Federation has. By that I mean hypersonic missiles, cruise missiles – sea-, air-, and ground-launched.”
POLAND ASKS US TO BUILD PERMANENT MILITARY BASE ON ITS TERRITORY
HOUSE APPROVES $8 BILLION FOR UKRAINE: By a 226-195 vote, the House passed a bill that would make another $8 billion available for Ukraine’s military through loans, plus another $1 billion in security and reconstruction aid. The legislation would also toughen sanctions against key segments of the Russian economy.
The bipartisan vote, which overcame objections that the support could undermine negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, came after a handful of Republicans joined Democrats to force a vote by signing a discharge petition.
“Are we going to stand with good or are we going to stand with evil? That’s what this is about tonight,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said in an impassioned speech on the House floor before the vote. “This decision is needed now. Russia is bombing Ukrainian cities every night with ballistic missiles and hypersonic missiles, and we better be there to help them, or in the history books it’s gonna say, ‘United States failed when it’s most needed.'”
18 HOUSE REPUBLICANS DEFY TRUMP AND VOTE TO SEND $1.3 BILLION TO UKRAINE
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.
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HAPPENING THIS MORNING: HOUSE, SENATE PASS MAJOR LEGISLATION: In sessions that went into the early hours of the morning, the House Armed Services Committee passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2027, and the Senate passed a $70 billion immigration enforcement bill that will fund ICE and other DHS agencies for the remainder of President Trump’s term.
Republicans in the Senate beat back multiple efforts by Democrats and some Republicans to permanently ban Trump’s paused weaponization compensation fund, including an amendment from Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) that would have used the $1.776 billion to compensate law enforcement officers who were injured in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE ADVANCES $1.15 TRILLION NDAA AFTER 14 HOUR DEBATE
BALLROOM BRAWL: A three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit is scheduled to hear oral arguments challenging a lower court ruling that construction on President Trump’s White House ballroom is illegal.
In his March 31 ruling granting a preliminary injunction barring any above-ground construction, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon rejected Trump’s claim that existing statutes give him the authority to construct his East Wing ballroom project with private funds.
“No statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have,” Leon wrote. “The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!”
The Justice Department is appealing, arguing that the ballroom is more than an entertainment venue; it’s a national security necessity. “The DronePort, and ALL of the other many Military elements, which are all vital for National Security, that are being built throughout the whole integrated, cohesive Project. It is desperately needed, and will be very special!” Trump posted on Truth Social last night.
The appeals court issued a stay, allowing the construction to continue pending today’s hearing. “The Ballroom is coming along fantastically well. It’s on time, and under budget … and at a much higher quality than I ever promised,” Trump said in his post.
BALLROOM, BUNKER, OR BOONDOGGLE? WHAT EXACTLY IS TRUMP BUILDING ON THE WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS?
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Senate sends immigration enforcement bill to the House without ‘lawfare’ fund ban
Washington Examiner: House Armed Services Committee advances $1.15 trillion NDAA after 14 hour debate
Washington Examiner: Ayatollah says Iran has ‘defeated’ US as Trump, Rubio acknowledge he’s playing active role in regime
Washington Examiner: Zelensky proposes ‘full ceasefire’ and face-to-face meeting with Putin in direct open letter
Washington Examiner: Israel-Lebanon ceasefire could undermine Hezbollah and Iran with state-to-state cooperation
Washington Examiner: US sanctions Cuban president as Trump turns up heat on island’s leadership
Washington Examiner: Nearly 70% of Americans want Iran war ended now: Poll
Washington Examiner: ICE to stop reporting deaths of detainees released within 30 days: Report
Washington Examiner: Poland asks US to build permanent military base on its territory
Washington Examiner: Trump’s European nuclear weapons plan risks backfiring
Washington Examiner: Trump says Iran war will restart if Tehran kills more US troops
Washington Examiner: Senate GOP defeats attempt to block ‘anti-weaponization’ fund
Washington Examiner: IAEA’s inability to enter Iran blocks oversight of nuclear program
Washington Examiner: Ballroom, bunker, or boondoggle? What exactly is Trump building on the White House grounds?
Washington Examiner: John Bolton reaches plea deal in classified documents case: Report
Washington Examiner: The military needs more innovative risk takers
Washington Examiner: Opinion: China, or why Pentagon-Israel tech agreement must exclude top US secrets
The Hill: Senate Democrats block extension of spy powers to protest Trump’s choice of Pulte for DNI
AP: House Passes Bill to Aid Ukraine and Impose New Sanctions on Russia
AP: Senate in overnight session as Republicans debate limits on $1.8B Trump settlement
AP: Hezbollah rejects latest ceasefire agreement
Foreign Affairs: Ukraine Turns the Tide
Politico: Pentagon Likely to Cancel Missile Deal with Germany over Fears of Russia
The Hill: House Panel Adopts Measure on Fired Senior Officers, Putting Pressure on Hegseth, Pentagon
Military.com: DOD Officially Drops 180 Faiths From Military’s Recognized Religion List
Air & Space Forces Magazine: House Panel Votes to Prohibit F-22 Retirements Through Fiscal 2032
Breaking Defense: Pentagon’s Cyber Defense Command Drafting Plan to Defend Critical Infrastructure
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Vice Chief: Demand for New Airplanes ‘Outstripping’ Production
The War Zone: USAF Wants ‘MQ-9 Next’ Reaper Replacement to Be Modular, Cheap
Task & Purpose: What Is China’s Government Saying About the F-47?
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Lawmakers Push Space Force to Seek More Commercial Integration
Air & Space Forces Magazine: KC-46’s New Remote Vision System Completes Initial ‘Non-Contact’ Testing
DefenseScoop: Hegseth Launches ‘Patriot Pipeline’ Portal
Haaretz: How the US Air Force Is Turning Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport into Its Own Base
THE CALENDAR:
FRIDAY | JUNE 5
8 a.m. H-140, U.S. Capitol — House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee markup of the FY2027 Homeland Security bill http://appropriations.house.gov
10 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: “Missile Defense: Assessing the Effectiveness and Looking to the Future,” with former National Nuclear Security Administration Deputy Administrator Frank Rose, president of Chevalier Strategic Advisers https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/missile-defense-assessing-the-effectiveness
10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “Russia and Ukraine: Societies transformed by war,” with Anna Colin Lebedev, senior lecturer and researcher for Paris Nanterre University’s Institute of Social Sciences of Politics
10 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “Russia’s Illicit Exploitation of Foreign Nationals for its War Against Ukraine,” with Ilya Nuzov, head of the International Federation for Human Rights’ Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk; Rosemary Tollo, co-founder and program director of Journalists for Justice; Maria Tomak, associate researcher at Truth Hounds; and Brig. Gen. Dmytro Usov, secretary of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War at the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/russias-illicit-exploitation-of-foreign-nationals
TUESDAY | JUNE 9
9:30 a.m. G-50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2027 http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
2:30 p.m. 232-A Russel — Senate Armed Services Committee CLOSED markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2027 http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
WEDNESDAY | JUNE 10
9 a.m. 232-A Russel — Senate Armed Services Committee CLOSED markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2027 http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
10 a.m. 2359 Rayburn — House Appropriations Committee markup of the FY2027 Homeland Security bill nhttp://appropriations.house.gov
THURSDAY | JUNE 11
9 a.m. 232-A Russell — Senate Armed Services Committee CLOSED markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2027. http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
9 a.m. H-140, U.S. Capitol — House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee CLOSED markup of the FY2027 Defense bill. http://appropriations.house.gov9 a.m. 1001 16th St. NW — Center for a New American Security 2026 National Security Conference: “New Rules” https://events.cnas.org/cnasconference2026newrules
