ZELENSKY PIVOTS, DECLARES VICTORY: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky went from expressing deep disappointment to unabashed satisfaction in a matter of hours after arriving at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
“The Ukrainian delegation is bringing home a significant security victory for Ukraine, for our country, for our people, for our children,” Zelensky gushed at an appearance with President Joe Biden and Fumio Kishida, where the Japanese prime minister was announcing a Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine by G-7 nations.
The about-face came as Zelensky received multiple assurances that Ukraine would be invited to join NATO once the war with Russia ends, along with concrete plans to provide Ukraine with security guarantees well into the future.
“These are concrete security guarantees that are confirmed by the top 7 democracies in the world. Never before have we had such a security foundation, and this is the level of the G7,” Zelensky tweeted as he headed back to Kyiv. “On this foundation, we will build a new, legally binding architecture of bilateral security treaties with the most powerful countries.”
“Ukraine’s future lies with NATO,” said Biden. “Allies all agreed to lift the requirements for Membership Action Plan for Ukraine and to create a path to NATO membership while Ukraine continues to make progress on necessary reforms.”
“Allies agreed a new multi-year assistance package for Ukraine to help transition Ukraine from Soviet-era to NATO equipment and standards, and make their forces fully interoperable with NATO,” said Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in his closing press conference. “Ukraine is now closer to NATO than ever before,” he added. “And as Ukraine continues to liberate territory, we will stand by them for as long as it takes.”
‘EQUAL AMONG EQUALS’: Zelensky seemed particularly pleased with the new NATO-Ukraine Council, which was convened for the first time in Vilnius.
“The Council is different from the previous Commission, first and foremost because this is a body that can make decisions and we meet as equals,” said Stoltenberg. “It is not 31 allies meeting a partner, it’s a council that actually makes decisions where we meet as equals.”
“Never before have the words ‘you are equal among equals’ for Ukraine from other NATO members sounded truly meaningful,” Zelensky said in his post-summit tweet. “Now everyone understands that this is a fact. Equal among equals. And we will definitely reaffirm this fact with our victory, and with our accession to NATO.”
DESIRE FOR INVITATION WAS ABOUT ‘SIGNALING’ RUSSIA: While Zelensky went into the summit hoping for a formal invitation to join NATO in the future, he said the promises he received would send the same message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We understand that someone is afraid of talking about our membership now, because nobody is willing to have a world war, which is logical and understandable,” Zelensky said at a joint news conference with Stoltenberg. “Ukraine is fighting and it truly understands that Ukraine cannot be a member nation to NATO as long as the war continues in our territory. This is absolutely clear.”
“As for the invitation to NATO, It’s a signal … those signals are important … but today I can see another important signal,” Zelensky said, referring to the G7 security guarantees. “These guarantees will be valid on our way to NATO. This is very important. This is going to be a very specific signal.”
“Previously, Russia’s rulers wanted to have their own fence in front of NATO’s door. We have left this Russian ambition on the margins of European history – behind the fence of our unity in Europe and, more broadly, in the free world,” he tweeted.
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HAPPENING TODAY, BIDEN IN FINLAND: Today, President Joe Biden is in Helsinki, Finland, meeting with NATO’s newest member, and attending a summit of the leaders of five Nordic nations, including Sweden, which is now on the track to becoming NATO’s 32nd member.
It’s a victory lap showcasing NATO’s growing strength and dominance of the Baltic Sea, which will soon be encircled by NATO nations, save for a small sliver of Russian territory in Kaliningrad.
“NATO is stronger, more energized and yes, more united than ever in its history,” Biden said in a speech before departing Lithuania last night. “When Putin and his craven lust for land and power unleashed his brutal war on Ukraine, he was betting NATO would break apart. He was betting NATO would break. He thought our unity would shatter at the first testing. He thought democratic leaders would be weak. But he thought wrong.”
Biden has a joint press conference scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Eastern time with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto before returning to Washington tonight.
MEANWHILE, IN CONGRESS: Work has begun on the National Defense Authorization Act amid concerns that divisions in the House over so-called “culture war” issues could jeopardize passage of the bill, which usually enjoys wide bipartisan support.
In particular, anti-abortion lawmakers want to force the Pentagon to end a policy that allows the use of federal funds to reimburse travel expenses for servicemembers seeking abortions. “They are appropriated dollars to the Pentagon, out of the Pentagon’s defense budget, that they are paying for travel and paying for lodging in unlimited numbers. There’s no cap on it,” said Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL). “That is a direct violation of the Hyde Amendment. I mean, there’s just no question about it. And the Pentagon is essentially shrugging their shoulders at the law.”
The Pentagon, relying on a Justice Department legal opinion, argues the Hyde Amendment bans the use of federal funds to perform abortions, not for travel or other related expenses.
Nevertheless, the inclusion of the abortion travel restriction is a poison pill that would likely mean the House would have to pass the NDAA on a straight party-line vote, and some Republicans are wary about politicizing the annual must-pass defense policy bill.
“We’re going to continue to have amendments and bills that are not going to be compassionate to women, and we’re going to lose seats, we’re going to lose races because of this,” Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) told CNN.
Waltz says it’s the Pentagon, not the House GOP, that is politicizing the issue. “We asked the Pentagon not to do this because we warned them it would politicize the defense bill process,” said Waltz. “To dive the Pentagon into such a political issue, I think, was wholly unnecessary.”
HOUSE BRACES FOR NDAA FIGHT AS CONTROVERSIAL AMENDMENTS THREATEN PASSAGE
MTG: NATO ‘NOT A RELIABLE PARTNER’: While Biden was in Lithuania touting Americans’ “ironclad commitment to NATO, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) was introducing six amendments to the NDAA, including one that would direct Biden to withdraw from NATO.
“The United States has been financing and promising to defend NATO countries for decades and paying more than its fair share,” said Greene. “They are not a reliable partner whose defense spending should not be paid for by American citizens.”
Other Greene amendments would have cut off all aid to Ukraine and barred the U.S. from providing long-range missiles. Late yesterday, Greene tweeted that she would vote against the House NDAA because it did not include her amendments.
SENATE REPUBLICANS PROPOSE BILL TO FIX PENTAGON’S $6 BILLION UKRAINIAN AID ERROR
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Russian general accuses leaders of treachery amid political infighting and officers’ deaths
Washington Examiner: Senate Republicans propose bill to fix Pentagon’s $6 billion Ukrainian aid error
Washington Examiner: Biden and Zelensky to discuss long-range missiles in Wednesday meeting, Sullivan says
Washington Examiner: House braces for NDAA fight as controversial amendments threaten passage
Washington Examiner: Tuberville hits back and calls Biden ‘a better senator than a president’
Washington Examiner: Pentagon official and Chinese ambassador meet in first defense contact since November
Washington Examiner: House foreign policy panel chairman subpoenas State Department for China documents
Washington Examiner: Kerry to become next Biden official to travel to China
Washington Examiner: China warns no climate cooperation without other US concessions
Washington Examiner: US-Israel air exercises inadvertently highlight divisions in dealing with Iran’s nuclear program
Washington Examiner: Marco Rubio slams Biden administration for handling of Iran envoy: ‘It’s not good’
AP: Biden is closing out his Europe trip by showcasing new NATO member Finland
New York Times: Biden Braces NATO For Slog Against Russia
AP: Ukraine wins G7 security pledges, but NATO membership remains elusive
Breaking Defense: US, NATO Weapons Stockpile ‘Dangerously Low’: USAF General
Washington Post: In Drone-Guided Duel, Ukraine Faces Dug-In Russian Forces
Defense One: France Is Already Sending Ukraine Long-Range Missiles
Defense News: Opinion: Ukraine’s Push for F-16s Risks a Battlefield Advantage: Simplicity
Washington Post: Greece Request for US Fighter Jets Sticking Point for Turkey’s F-16s
AP: Thousands of Ukraine civilians are being held in Russian prisons. Russia plans to build many more
Defense News: Biden nominates Mingus as next US Army vice chief of staff
Breaking Defense: Biden nominates Space Force’s Whiting to head SPACECOM
USNI News: VCNO Franchetti Set to be Interim Navy Head as White House Stays Silent on CNO Nominee
Washington Post: Cabinet Head Among Those Hit In Chinese Email Breach
Reuters: Blinken To Meet China’s Wang Yi In Jakarta
Reuters: U.S. Navy Plane Flies Through Taiwan Strait After Chinese Drills
DefenseScoop: Senate Panel Wants to Green-Light US Military Cyber Ops Against Mexican Cartels
C4IRSNet: Congress Queries Space Force Plan for Fewer Missile Warning Satellites
The War Zone: NGAD Fighter’s Performance: What Can We Expect?
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Wants to Cut F-15E Fleet in Half to Focus on Modernizing, Brown Says
Air & Space Forces Magazine: How the Air Force Will Guard its New Sentinel ICBMs,
Air & Space Forces Magazine: 6 Key Insights from the Next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force C-21 VIP Jet Departs Middle East For Last Time After 32 Years
The Cipher Brief: NATO Intel Chief Warns Russia: Ukraine ‘Belongs in the NATO Family’
The Cipher Brief: Erdogan’s ‘Poker Game’ Uses Sweden As Chip
Calendar
THURSDAY | JULY 13
10 a.m. 2154 Rayburn — House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing: “Beyond the Budget: Addressing Financial Accountability in the Department of Defense,” with testimony from John Tenaglia, principal director, Defense Pricing and Contracting, and Brett Mansfield, deputy inspector general for audits, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/beyond-the-budget
10 a.m. Pentagon — Maj. Gen. William Zana, director for strategic plans and policy, and international affairs, National Guard Bureau, conducts an on-camera press briefing on the 30th anniversary of the State Partnership Program https://www.defense.gov/News/Live-Events
12 p.m. 201 Waterfront St., National Harbor, Md. — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association and the Intelligence and National Security Alliance Intelligence and National Security Summit, with Deputy FBI Director Paul Abbate; George Barnes, deputy director of the National Security Agency; Deputy CIA Director David Cohen; John Kirchhofer, chief of staff of the Defense Intelligence Agency; Troy Meink, principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office; Tonya Wilkerson, deputy director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; Senate Intelligence Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA); Senate Intelligence Vice Chairman Marco Rubio (R-FL); Scott Bray, deputy director of naval intelligence and director of Naval Intelligence Activity; Lt. Gen. Leah Lauderback, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and cyber effects operations at the Air Force Headquarters; and Joseph Rouge, deputy director of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance at the Space Force https://www.insaonline.org/detail-pages/event
7 p.m. 390 Cannon — House select committee on the Chinese Communist Party hearing: “Risky Business: Growing Peril for American Companies in China,” with testimony from Piper Lounsbury, chief research and development officer, Strategy Risks; Shehzad Qazi, chief operating officer and managing director, China Beige Book International; and Desmond Shum, author of Red Roulette: An Insider’s story of Wealth, Power, Corruption and Vengeance in Today’s China https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/committee-activity/live
TUESDAY | JULY 18
2 p.m. HVC-210 — House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe hearing: “Stability and Security in the Western Balkans: Assessing U.S. Policy,” with testimony from Gabriel Escobar, deputy assistant secretary, State Department Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing/stability-and-security-in-the-western-balkans
2 p.m. — Foundation for Defense of Democracies virtual and in-person discussion: “Iran’s Terror Proxies on Israel’s Borders,” with retired Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, former international spokesman of the Israel Defense Forces; Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research, FDD; Joe Truzman, research analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal; and moderated by Enia Krivine, senior director, FDD Israel Program https://www.fdd.org/events/2023/07/18/irans-terror-proxies-on-israels-borders/
FRIDAY | JULY 21
9 a.m. 201 Waterfront St., National Harbor, Md. — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association and the Intelligence and National Security Alliance Intelligence and National Security Summit, with Julian Gewirtz, deputy coordinator for China global affairs at the State Department; Rear Adm. Thomas Henderschedt, intelligence director, J2, at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; Lt. Gen. Robert “Bob” Ashley Jr., CEO of Ashley Global Leadership and Security and former deputy chief of staff for intelligence, G2, at the Army; Aastha Verma, chief of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Cybersecurity Division; Rachel Grunspan, AI lead for the intelligence community in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; Lakshmi Raman, CIA director of artificial intelligence innovation; and Jason Wang, technical director of the National Security Agency’s Computer and Analytic Sciences Research Group; and Jon Finer, deputy national security adviser https://www.insaonline.org/detail-pages/event
10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies in-person and virtual event: “Acquisition for Decision Advantage: The Role of the CDAO in Scaling Software Solutions,” with Margie Palmieri, deputy chief digital and artificial intelligence officer, Department of Defense; and Cynthia Cook, director, Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group, and senior fellow, International Security Program https://www.csis.org/events/acquisition-decision-advantage
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“What Tuberville is doing here is weakening the United States in terms of our military readiness. Doesn’t make any sense. If he’s got a policy complaint, take it up in the defense authorization bill, take it up in the appropriations process, but for goodness sakes, allow these people to be able to assume their responsible positions in our military.”
Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, on Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-AL) block of all senior military promotions.
