‘IT’S CLEAR THAT WE CAN’T GET IT ALL BACK’: In a wide-ranging interview that aired on CNN last night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky both vowed to fight for “every inch of our territory” but also laid out a vision for a negotiated settlement to bring the war to a close this year.
The key, he argued, is to inflict heavy losses on the Russians and retake as much territory as possible to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate on Ukraine’s terms.
“Ukrainians are not ready to give up their land as new territories of the Russian Federation. This is our land. We have always said this. And we will never give it up,” Zelensky told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, but he conceded, “It’s clear that we can’t get it all back, but we need equipment and security support in order to continue the fight. But some areas lost to the Russian occupiers we will definitely win back. With the diplomatic path, there would be fewer victims.”
CHINESE STATE-OWNED COMPANY ACCUSED OF ‘SUPPORTING RUSSIA’S MILITARY’ DURING UKRAINE INVASION
‘IT IS NOT ENOUGH … TO WIN’: Zelensky expressed deep gratitude to the West, and the U.S. in particular, calling President Joe Biden the “biggest, biggest supporter of Ukraine,” but he said for all the billions of dollars of weapons pouring into Ukraine, it is not yet enough to shift the tide of battle.
“The United States is helping Ukraine, helping a lot, but it is not enough in order to win,” said Zelensky, who worries that some European countries want a “balance” between Ukraine and Russia, not all out-victory. “I appeal to all the world leaders in saying that the faster help, the increment of help will save the lives of Ukrainians and help us regain the territories occupied by Russia.”
‘THEY’RE THE OCCUPIERS OF THE RUBBLE’: Zelensky said while Ukrainian forces have been able to conduct successful counterattacks in the south and repel Russian forces in the northern city of Kharkiv, in the eastern Donbas region, Russia’s relentless scorched earth tactic of leveling cities with artillery has forced Ukrainian forces to drop back.
“As to the situation in the east, it’s very difficult,” Zelensky told CNN. “The Russians have advantage in artillery, soldiers, and they sustain more losses. But they don’t count their military equipment. They don’t count their victims … We want this disadvantage in military equipment, primarily artillery compared to Russia, to get rectified. So, we are appealing to our partners for help.”
Zelensky said 90% of the people who lived in Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, the main towns in the Luhansk region, fled ahead of the Russian advance. “They control almost all of the Luhansk region,” Zelensky admitted. “There were people who didn’t want to leave. So, the Russians do control the majority of that totally ruined region. I don’t even understand what exactly they’re controlling there. They ruined towns, schools. They’re the occupiers of the rubble?”
‘NOT SULKING … WE ARE NOT MEMBERS OF NATO’: Zelensky expressed support for Finland and Sweden joining NATO even as he lamented that Ukraine was denied the security that membership in the alliance would have afforded his country.
“The acceptance of Finland and Sweden is just a preventive measure to keep Russia from invading those territories and peoples,” Zelensky said, while adding, “It could have been easier. Ukraine could have been accepted as a NATO member. It would be much more straightforward than people imagine.”
“I’m not sulking because of this that we are not members of NATO,” he said. “I understand this decision, but they always found reasons behind not accepting Ukraine. I only can say that accepting Finland and Sweden, this is the right decision. Not accepting Ukraine, this is the wrong decision.”
‘WE CAN STOP THIS WAR’: Zelensky says if Ukraine never attains full NATO membership, it’s going to need security guarantees in order to have any confidence in any future peace deal, and who better than NATO to provide those assurances.
“Nobody has invented better security guarantees so far,” he said. “So far, I cannot see any other security guarantee apart from NATO.”
So how does it end?
“If our country will stay united and unified, if the powerful weaponry from our partners will be coming to us on time, and if good luck and God will be on our side, we can achieve a lot of things before the end of the year, and we can stop this war, we can stop the military part, at least, of this war,” Zelensky said.
“If we are strong … we can come to the point where Russia will have to sit down for negotiations. They will see the world united around Ukraine … If this happens, it will be a very strong position from which we will be able to talk. And negotiations are the final stage of any war.”
WEST SHOULD LOOK BEYOND NATO TO ARM UKRAINE WITH RUSSIAN WEAPONS, THINK TANK SAYS
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 Victor I. Nava. 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 us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.
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HAPPENING TODAY: Pat Cipollone, former White House counsel under former President Donald Trump, testifies behind closed doors today before the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“The Select Committee’s investigation has revealed evidence that Mr. Cipollone repeatedly raised legal and other concerns about President Trump’s activities on January 6th and in the days that preceded,” Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Vice Chairwoman Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) said in a statement last week.
Cipollone’s testimony will be recorded and transcribed, and comes as the committee has two more public hearings set for next week, a Tuesday daytime hearing and a Thursday night hearing in prime time.
FORMER WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL PAT CIPOLLONE TO TESTIFY BEFORE JAN. 6 COMMITTEE
ALSO TODAY: President Joe Biden visits CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, to commemorate the agency’s 75th anniversary since its founding after World War II. Biden delivers remarks at 3:40 p.m. “to thank the workforce and commemorate the agency’s achievements over the 75 years,” the White House said.
Under the Biden administration, U.S. intelligence agencies have come under fire for failing to foresee the rapid collapse of the Afghan government in the face of the Taliban onslaught and incorrectly predicting the rapid fall of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv “in a matter of days” to Russian invaders.
But U.S. intelligence did accurately predict Russia would invade Ukraine despite the Kremlin’s public denials.
RECRUITING WOES AND AN ABOUT-FACE: All the services are facing stiff headwinds meeting recruiting goals with less than three months left in the fiscal year, but the Army is in the toughest spot, having only signed up 40% of the new soldiers it needs, according to a report last week by NBC.
Having tried offering $10,000 “quick-ship” bonuses, along with flexible 2-year to 6-year contracts, and plans for recruits to be stationed with their friends, the Army briefly flirted with the idea of dropping the high school diploma requirement in a desperate bid to make the goal.
But after only a week, the Army did an about-face, reversing the policy, according to an internal memo obtained by Military.com.
That the requirement for a high school diploma or a GED equivalent would be dropped even temporarily smack of desperation, says retired Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Spoehr, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Center for National Defense, who faults the Army for the latest in a string of lowered standards.
“They’ve dropped the push-up standards to 10 total, and the two-mile run is now 22 or 23 minutes, depending on what sex you are,” Spoehr told the Washington Examiner. “They dropped some restrictions on tattoos on your hands and neck. Before that, they announced $50,000 bonuses. Before that, they announced two-year enlistment tours, all in trying to work the levers that they have furiously.”
“These aren’t making a difference. They’re not succeeding on any of these things,” said Spoehr, who argues the Army, and all the services, are up against a “systemic, long-term recruiting drought that is not going to ameliorate anytime soon.”
“I don’t think it’s the standards, and I really don’t think it’s the incentives. It’s this more basic problem of people don’t really see why they should serve their country, don’t see any benefit for them, and to some degree, not even convinced that their country is worthy of their service, which is the most troubling part of all this to me,” he said.
Read more in the current edition of the Washington Examiner magazine: CAN AMERICA’S ALL-VOLUNTEER MILITARY SURVIVE A DEARTH OF VOLUNTEERS?
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Can America’s all-volunteer military survive a dearth of volunteers?
Washington Examiner: US Army reinstates high school diploma and GED requirements for enlistment
Washington Examiner: Chinese state-owned company accused of ‘supporting Russia’s military’ during Ukraine invasion
Washington Examiner: China denies FBI and MI5 allegations of espionage and intellectual property theft
Washington Examiner: West should look beyond NATO to arm Ukraine with Russian weapons, think tank says
Washington Examiner: NASA accuses Russia of politicizing space station to support war in Ukraine
Washington Examiner: Lawyer claims Kremlin would swap Griner and Whelan for Russian arms dealer
Washington Examiner: State Department reiterates Griner is ‘wrongfully detained’ after guilty plea
Washington Examiner: Sister of American held in Russia decries Biden’s ‘uneven’ treatment of families
Washington Examiner: Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shot dead at campaign event
Washington Examiner: Trump reacts to shooting of ‘true friend’ Shinzo Abe
Washington Examiner: Greg Abbott directs Texas police and military to return illegal immigrants to border
Washington Examiner: Opinion: The Navy has a toxic command problem
Reuters: Putin Says Ukraine Is Heading For ‘Tragedy,’ Kramatorsk City Prepares Its Defence
AP: ‘Dad, that’s it. She’s dead’: Another day of loss in Ukraine
Reuters: China Military Holds Exercises Around Taiwan, Berates United States
Bloomberg: Top U.S. General Spoke With Chinese Counterpart on Reducing Risks
Defense Daily: Berger: Next Amphibs Likely Work With Unmanned Systems, Smaller
Breaking Defense: ‘Win Before Firing A Shot:’ Top Marine Explains Why The Service Is Focused On Information Warfare
Defense News: U.S. Navy Can’t Keep Up With Demand For Highly Trained Warfare Tactics Instructors
Korea Times: What’s Behind S. Korea’s Deployment Of Largest-Ever Navy Fleet To RIMPAC?
Stars and Stripes: Navy Destroyer Helps UK Ship Seize Iranian Missiles At Sea
Air Force Times: Rocket Carrying New Nuclear Missile Component Explodes in Late-Night Test
Air Force Magazine: Space Force Will Yield ‘Eye-Watering’ Intel Capabilities, Whiting Says
Air Force Magazine: Strategy & Policy: A Strategy on the Installment Plan
Military.com: Don’t Call It a Flying Car: Air Force Drone Transport Develops New Identity
19fortyfive.com: Opinion: There Is No ‘Magic Bullet’ That Can Turn the Tide for Ukraine
19fortyfive.com: Opinion: Russia Aims to Paralyze NATO Without a Single Shot
Calendar
FRIDAY | JULY 8
Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “China’s Role in Russian Energy: What’s Changed Since February 24th?” with Erica Downs, senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy; Edward Chow, senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Energy Security and Climate Change Program; Amy Myers Jaffe, managing director of Tufts University’s Climate Policy Lab; and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/chinas-role
MONDAY | JULY 11
3 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies Australia Chair webcast: “The U.S.-Australia Alliance: Aligning Priorities in the Indo-Pacific,” with Deputy Australian Prime Minister Richard Marles; Charles Edel, Australia chair and senior adviser, CSIS https://www.csis.org/events/us-australia-alliance-aligning-priorities
TUESDAY | JULY 12
10 a.m. 390 Cannon — House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol Full committee hearing on the January 6th Investigation. https://january6th.house.gov/
10 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Aerospace Nation event: “Expert Perspectives on Russia/Ukraine Conflict, with Evelyn Farkas, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia; Bryan Clark, senior fellow and director, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology, Hudson Institute; Seth Jones, senior vice president, director, International Security Program, CSIS; and Heather Penney, senior fellow for airpower studies. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register
1 p.m. Oceanside, California — House Veterans’ Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee field hearing: “Ending Veteran Hunger: Examining the Impact of COVID-19 on Food Insecurity,” with Anne Utech, national director of nutrition and food services at the Veterans Affairs Department; Matthew Rabbitt, research economist at the Agriculture Department’s Economic Research Service; Robert Smith, director of the San Diego VA Health Care System; Kimberly Gallo, director of aging and independence services at the Health and Human Services Agency, County of San Diego; Anahid Brakke, CEO and president of the SD Hunger Coalition; Casey Castillo, interim CEO of the Jacobs/Cushman San Diego Food Bank; Karla Samayoa, director of safety net services at 211 San Diego; Anthony Stewart, CEO of US4Warriors; and Lindsey Seegers, director of external affairs at Kitchens for Good. http://veterans.house.gov
WEDNESDAY | JULY 13
2 p.m. 2154 Rayburn — House Oversight and Reform National Security Subcommittee: “Protecting Military Servicemembers and Veterans from Financial Scams and Fraud” http://oversight.house.gov
3:15 p.m. — Foundation for Defense of Democracies book discussion: Degrade and Destroy: The Inside Story of the War Against the Islamic State, from Barack Obama to Donald Trump, with author Michael Gordon; retired Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland, Michele Flournoy, former undersecretary of defense for policy; and moderator Bradley Bowman, senior director, FDD Center on Military and Political Power https://fdd.wufoo.com/forms/s1wgmfy91oup26w/
THURSDAY | JULY 14
12 p.m. — Hudson Institute virtual event: “Regaining the High Ground against China,” with Diana Maurer, director, defense capabilities and management, Government Accountability Office; Derek Trunkey, principal analyst, Congressional Budget Office; Mark Gunzinger, director, future concepts and capability assessments, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies; Bryan Clark, senior fellow and director, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology, Hudson Institute; and Timothy Walton, senior fellow, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology, Hudson Institute https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-event-regaining-the-high-ground
TUESDAY | JULY 19
Aspen Meadows Resort, Colorado — Aspen Strategy Group three-day (19-22) Aspen Security Forum with White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan; Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Q. Brown; CIA Director William Burns; Chief of Space Operations Gen. John “Jay” Raymond; U.S. Northern Commander Gen. Glen VanHerck; former Defense Secretary Robert Gates; former Defense Secretary Mark Esper; Army Gen. Richard Clarke, commander U.S. Special Operations Command; Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.; former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; Kay Bailey Hutchison, former U.S. ambassador to NATO; and others. https://www.aspensecurityforum.org
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“If we are strong … we can come to the point where Russia will have to sit down for negotiations. They will see the world united around Ukraine. It depends on the strength of Ukraine and certain victories in certain directions or operations. If this happens, it will be a very strong position from which we will be able to talk. And negotiations are the final stage of any war.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a CNN interview, on the prospects for ending the war this year.
