‘A TURNING POINT’: In a nighttime video address to his people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the latest “peace” negotiations with Russia as only “words, with no specifics” and said the “alleged withdrawal” of Russian forces around Kyiv and Chernihiv was due to heavy losses inflicted by Ukrainian defenders, not a sign of Russian goodwill.
“We know this is not a withdrawal, but the consequences of exile, consequences of the work of our defenders,” Zelensky said. “We do not believe anyone. We do not trust any beautiful verbal constructions. There is a real situation on the battlefield.”
As if to underscore the point, both Kyiv and Chernihiv suffered another night of heavy bombardment, despite Russia’s claim it would “drastically” reduce operations in the north.
Zelensky said Russian forces are regrouping for new strikes in the Donbas region in the east, already partially held by Russian-backed separatists. “It is that kind of moment, a turning point when we talk only about the most important thing,” he said. “We will not give up anything, and we will fight for every meter of our land, for every person.”
ZELENSKY, BIDEN TALK: Zelensky spent almost an hour on the phone yesterday with President Joe Biden expressing thanks for all the help the U.S. is providing but pleading for more weapons.
In a statement, the White House said, “The leaders discussed how the United States is working around the clock to fulfill the main security assistance requests by Ukraine, the critical effects those weapons have had on the conflict, and continued efforts by the United States with allies and partners to identify additional capabilities to help the Ukrainian military defend its country.”
In his video address, Zelensky said his day has been filled with difficult diplomacy as he pushed for more weapons, new sanctions on Russia, and economic aid. He referenced his talks with Biden and said, “Of course I thanked the United States for a new $1 billion humanitarian aid package and an additional $500 million in direct budget support.”
But Ukraine has sent the U.S. a wish list that includes more reconnaissance and attack drones, mobile medical hospitals, radars, and jammers. “If we really are fighting for freedom and in defense of democracy together, then we have a right to demand help in this difficult turning point. Tanks, aircraft, artillery systems. Freedom should be armed no worse than tyranny.”
In a speech to the Norwegian Legislature, Zelensky also appealed for Harpoon anti-ship missiles to sink Russian ships in the Black Sea, a U.S. weapons system that the Pentagon says is too sophisticated for the Ukrainians to operate without extensive training.
REFUGEES FLEEING UKRAINE AMID RUSSIAN INVASION TOPS 4 MILLION
NOT FAST ENOUGH: In a briefing for lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Pentagon officials insisted they are moving heaven and earth to get the Ukrainians what they need as soon as possible and said the Switchblade ‘kamikaze’ attack drones promised two weeks ago are finally being delivered to Ukraine.
“The latest $800 million package that President Biden just approved a little more than a week ago, we’ve already started delivering shipments of that material,” said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby on Fox. “We’re trying to focus in these early shipments on the weapons and the systems that we know they’re using the most effectively — anti-armor and anti-air missile systems, to be exact.”
While some lawmakers said it appears the Pentagon is doing its best, others, such as South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, are not satisfied the U.S. is doing all it can.
“I came out of there very frustrated. We’re five weeks into this thing. And it seems like nothing changes. Every briefing’s the same,” Graham said to reporters afterward. “The same people that told us this will last four days are giving us excuse after excuse. So, why can’t we do more?”
“We cannot let Putin tell us how to help the Ukrainians defend themselves.”
US COMMANDER ACKNOWLEDGES BIDEN FAILED TO DETER RUSSIA FROM INVADING UKRAINE
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HAPPENING TODAY: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg presents his “Annual Report for 2021” in a briefing at NATO headquarters in Brussels set for 7 a.m. Washington time. Livestream at https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news
PUTIN IN A BUBBLE? A senior U.S. official told reporters yesterday that a U.S. intelligence assessment, just declassified, strongly suggests Russian President Vladimir Putin is not being told the truth about haw badly the war is going in Ukraine, and that as Putin becomes aware that he was misinformed by his generals, a rift has developed between him and his formerly trusted Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
The report was confirmed by Kate Bedingfield, the White House communications director, at a briefing yesterday.
“We have information that Putin felt misled by the Russian military, which has resulted in persistent tension between Putin and his military leadership,” Bedingfeld told reporters. “We believe that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the Russian military is performing and how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions because his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth.”
UK SPY CHIEF SAYS RUSSIAN FORCES ‘ACCIDENTALLY’ SHOT DOWN OWN AIRCRAFT
‘A LITTLE DISCOMFORTING, TO BE HONEST’: At the Pentagon, spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. military concurs that “Putin has not been fully informed by his ministry of defense at every turn over the last month.”
“The fact that he may not have all the context, that he may not fully understand the degree to which his forces are failing in Ukraine, that’s a little discomforting, to be honest with you,” Kirby said, suggesting it may be affecting Putin’s negotiating position in talks with Ukraine set to resume in Istanbul tomorrow.
“Certainly, one outcome of that could be a less than faithful effort at negotiating some sort of settlement here,” Kirby said. “If he’s not fully informed of how poorly he’s doing, then how are his negotiators going to come up with an agreement that is enduring and certainly one that respects Ukrainian sovereignty.”
Speaking in Algiers, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the situation where subordinates fear telling the truth to their leaders “one of the Achilles’ heels of autocracies.”
“You don’t have people in those systems who speak truth to power or who have the ability to speak truth to power. And I think that is something that we’re seeing in Russia,” he said.
PENTAGON BELIEVES PUTIN ‘HAS NOT BEEN FULLY INFORMED’ ON ASPECTS OF WAR
RUSSIAN TROOPS REPOSITIONING, REFITTING: The Pentagon’s latest assessment is that some of the troops that were attacking Kyiv have been ordered back to Belarus to lick their wounds and reform into new units with other troops who also suffered heavy casualties at the hands of the Ukrainians.
“We have seen, over the last 24 hours, the repositioning of a small percentage of the troops and the battalion tactical groups that Russia had arrayed against Kyiv, probably in the neighborhood of 20% of what they had. They are beginning to reposition,” said Kirby. “Our assessment would be that they’re going to refit these troops, resupply them, and then probably employ them elsewhere in Ukraine.”
“We think some of them, not all, but some of them, have already moved into Belarus,” he said.
ISW REALITY CHECK: The latest assessment from the independent Institute for the Study of War is that while some Russian troops are leaving to be redeployed to the east, remaining Russian forces around Kyiv are digging in and are “unlikely to give up their secured territory around the city.”
“The Kremlin is falsely presenting its partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Kyiv and Chernihiv as a major Russian concession in service of peace talks with Ukraine. In reality, Russian forces are withdrawing to recuperate after suffering severe losses in their failed operations to seize those cities,” the ISW analysis concludes.
It also notes that despite heavy pressure from Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko continues to resist sending his troops into Ukraine to fight on Russia’s behalf.
RUSSIA APPEARS TO HAVE USED CLUSTER BOMBS IN UKRAINE AT LEAST 24 TIMES: UN OFFICIAL
NEW GAO REPORT ON AI: The Government Accountability Office is out with a new report on how the Pentagon is developing policies to incorporate artificial intelligence into warfare.
Artificial intelligence, or “AI,” sometimes called “machine learning,” is defined by the Pentagon as “the ability of machines to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence.”
The new GAO report suggests the Pentagon has a ways to go in implementing a comprehensive strategy and making organizational changes to incorporate AI technology.
“For example, DOD’s nine AI-related strategies and plans do not include full descriptions of resources and investments and risk associated with adoption of AI-enabled technologies,” the report says. “Issuing guidance to include all characteristics of a comprehensive strategy in future AI-related strategies could help DOD be better positioned to help managers ensure accountability and responsible use of AI.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Pentagon believes Putin ‘has not been fully informed’ on aspects of war
Washington Examiner: Refugees fleeing Ukraine amid Russian invasion tops 4 million
Washington Examiner: Russia appears to have used cluster bombs in Ukraine at least 24 times: UN official
Washington Examiner: US commander acknowledges Biden failed to deter Russia from invading Ukraine
Washington Examiner: Biden meets with parents of former Marine detained in Russia
Washington Examiner: UK spy chief says Russian forces ‘accidentally’ shot down own aircraft
Washington Examiner: Ukraine says Russian arms depot near Chernobyl ‘huge’ threat to nuclear facility
Washington Examiner: Ukrainian official: Russian arms depots are targets — but not near civilians
Washington Examiner: One person killed and two rescued in US Navy plane crash off Eastern Shore
Washington Examiner: Space Force gets big bump in Biden budget proposal
Washington Examiner: Military items may be renamed due to Confederacy references
Washington Examiner: Why Russia faces a growing threat to its navy off Ukraine
Washington Examiner: Opinion: War and the pretense of peace: How Russia is trying to deceive everyone over Ukraine
CNN: Putin Is Attacking ‘Core Of Transatlantic Security,’ U.S. Secretary Of Defense Says
Reuters: U.S. Opted To Vacate Warships From Black Sea Before Ukraine War, General Says
Washington Post: Invasion Deepens Rift Between U.S. And Gulf Nations
Yonhap: S. Korea, U.S. sign military document for war plan update
CNN: North Korea Not Telling The Whole Truth About Latest ICBM Test, South Korean Official Says
Air Force Magazine: NATO Commander Increases Prediction to 550 F-35s in Europe by 2030
Daily Press: ‘The Navy Owes The American Public An Apology,’ Luria Says During Rebuke Of Biden’s Budget Proposal
Military.com: Navy Names The Ships It Wants Scrapped As Congressional Protests Grow
USNI News: Congress Orders Pause On Second Frigate Shipyard Until Navy Proves Design
Air Force Magazine: Boeing Scales Up Capacity to Build Small Satellites at Calif. Factory
Military Times: DoD Wants Another $1 Billion To Fix Hawaii Water Crisis
USNI News: Navy Stops COVID-19 Vaccine Separations For 4,095 Sailors Who Requested Religious Exemptions
19fortyfive.com: Littoral Combat Ship: The US Navy’s Doomed Warship?
19fortyfive.com: Tochka: The Missile Ukraine Could Use to Attack Russia?
19fortyfive.com: NGAD and F-15EX: Why the F-35 Stealth Fighter Is Being Cut?
The Cipher Brief: Analysis: April is likely to be a busy month for North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un
Calendar
THURSDAY | MARCH 31
7 a.m. NATO headquarters — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg presents his “Annual Report for 2021” https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news
10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces hearing: “Updates on Modernization of Conventional Ammunition Production,” with testimony from Douglas Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology; Army Gen. Edward Daly, commanding general, Army Materiel Command; Army Brig. Gen. William Boruff, program executive officer, Joint Program Executive Office, Armaments and Ammunition; Army Brig. Gen. Gavin Gardner, commanding general, Joint Munitions Command; Jason Gaines, senior vice president and general manager, munition systems, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems; retired Army Brig. Gen. John McGuiness, president, American Ordnance, LLC; Brian Gathright, vice president and general manager, BAE Systems Ordnance Systems Inc; and Brett Flaugher, president, Olin-Winchester https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
2 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittees on Seapower and Projection Forces and Readiness Joint hearing: “Posture and Readiness of the Mobility Enterprise,” with testimony from Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost, commander, U.S. Transportation Command; and Lucinda Lessley, acting administrator, Maritime Administration https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
2 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Implications for Cybersecurity in Western-Chinese Technology Decoupling,” with former U.S. Director of National Intelligence Adm. Dennis Blair; and Arthur Coviello, former president and CEO of RSA Security https://www.csis.org/events/report-launch
10 a.m. — House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing on “Helping Veterans Thrive: The Importance of Peer Support in Preventing Domestic Violent Extremism,” https://www.youtube.com/channel
7 p.m. — Henry Stimson Center virtual discussion: “North Korea’s ‘Checkerboard’ Threat: Obstacles and Opportunities for the U.S.-Republic of Korea Alliance,” with retired Gen. Vincent Brooks, chairman of the Korea Defense Veterans Association; retired South Korea Gen. Ho-Young Leem, ROK vice chairman at KDVA; former ROK Army Lt. Gen. In-Bum Chun; Clint Work, fellow at 38 North; Natalia Slavney, research associate at 38 North; and Jenny Town, director at 38 North https://www.stimson.org/event/north-koreas-checkerboard-threat
FRIDAY | APRIL 1
9 a.m. — Middle East Institute virtual discussion: “Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine and Implications for Black Sea Security,” with former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Philip Breedlove, chair at the Frontier Europe Initiative; Iulia Joja, director at the Frontier Europe Initiative; Mamuka Tsereteli, nonresident scholar at the Frontier Europe Initiative; and Gonul Tol, director of the MEI Turkey Program https://www.mei.edu/events/russias-invasion-ukraine
10 a.m. — American Security Project virtual discussion: “A View From Kyiv,” with former Ukrainian Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture Minister Tymofiy Mylovanov, president of the Kyiv School of Economics https://www.americansecurityproject.org/event
10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittees on Intelligence and Special Operations hearing: “FY23 hearing to Review Department of Defense Strategy, Policy, and Programs for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction,” with testimony from John Plumb, assistant secretary for space policy; Deborah Rosenblum, assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical, and biological defense programs; Vice Adm. Collin Patrick Green, deputy commander, U.S. Special Operations Command; Rhys Williams, acting director, Defense Threat Reduction Agency and undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security Defense Program virtual event: “Assessing the FY 2023 Defense Budget Request,” with Stacie Pettyjohn, senior fellow and director, defense program, Center for a New American Security; Frederico Bartels, senior policy analyst for defense budgeting, Heritage Foundation; Mackenzie Eaglen, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute: Todd Harrison, director of the defense budget analysis and aerospace security project, Center for Strategic and International Studies; and Becca Wasser, fellow, defense program, Center for a New American Security https://www.cnas.org/events/cnas-special-event
10:30 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “Protecting the global marine transportation system against cyber threats,” sith Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas; and Dutch Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/protecting-the-global-marine-transportation-system
1 p.m. Tampa Convention Center — U.S. Central Command “change of command” ceremony as Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie turns over command to Army Gen. Erik Kurilla. https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/28237
TUESDAY | APRIL 5
TBA NATO headquarters — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg briefs reporters ahead of Wednesday’s in-person meeting of NATO foreign ministers https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news
9:30 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: “Fiscal Year 2023 Defense Budget Request” with testimony from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin; and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
3 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems Hearing: “Operations in Cyberspace and Building Cyber Capabilities Across the Department of Defense,” with testimony from John Plumb, incoming principal cyber adviser to the secretary of defense; and Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, commander, U.S. Cyber Command and director, National Security Agency https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
12 p.m. — Association of the U.S. Army “Noon Report” webinar, with James Helis, director, Army Resilience Directorate. https://info.ausa.org/e/784783/USA-Noon-Report
WEDNESDAY | APRIL 6
TBA NATO headquarters — Day 1 of an in-person meeting of NATO foreign ministers chaired by the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news
2 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Hearing: “Fiscal Year 2023 Strategic Forces National Security Space Programs,” with testimony from John Plumb, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy; Air Force Lt. Gen. Guetlein, commander, United States Space System Command; Tonya Wilkerson, deputy director, National Geospatial Agency; Christopher Scolese, director, National Reconnaissance Office; and Jon Ludwigson, director, Contracting and National Security Acquisitions, Government Accountability Office https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings
THURSDAY | APRIL 7
TBA NATO headquarters — Day 2 of an in-person meeting of NATO foreign ministers, a special session including ministers from Australia, Finland, Georgia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Sweden, Ukraine, the European Union and the European Commission. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will brief reporters at the conclusion of the meeting https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“One of the Achilles’ heels of autocracies is that you don’t have people in those systems who speak truth to power or who have the ability to speak truth to power. And I think that is something that we’re seeing in Russia.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking in Algiers Wednesday, about U.S. intelligence that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been misinformed by his generals about how badly the war in Ukraine is going.
