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PUTIN ACKNOWLEDGES ‘QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS’: The awkward moment for Russian President Vladimir Putin came in televised remarks at the start of his Thursday meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Uzbekistan. “We highly appreciate the balanced position of our Chinese friends in connection with the Ukrainian crisis,” Putin said, looking a bit uncomfortable. “We understand your questions and concerns in this regard.” It was a rare admission and somewhat oblique reference by Putin to the reality that Russia’s war in Ukraine is going badly, and that has strained what Putin and Xi declared back in February was “a friendship without limits.” “This is remarkable. Xi is not supporting Putin,” tweeted former U.S. ambassador to Moscow Michael McFaul. “No weapons, no ammo, no chips, no real words of solidarity. Just a willingness to buy Russian energy at very discounted prices.” In his opening remarks, Putin promised to “explain in detail our position” on Ukraine in his private meeting with Xi. ‘PUTIN STANDS WITH XI MUCH DIMINISHED’: While not exactly a snub, the ostensible words of friendship — Xi called Putin a “dear and longtime friend” — belied a caution over linking China’s fortunes to Russia’s. “This meeting is a far cry from the meeting that they had in February where they declared no limits, because apparently, there were limits, because China offered no military assistance to Putin or Russia during their incursion into Ukraine,” said Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH), ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee. “It's very significant,” he said on CNN. “Putin stands with Xi much diminished. When he first stood there, even the United States thought that he would go easily into Ukraine, he did not. That complicates things for President Xi as he looks to what he might want to accomplish militarily with Taiwan,” Turner said. “Also, Putin rallied the entire world around their military incursion, which of course, makes it more difficult for China to then undertake a similar incursion toward Taiwan.” “Well, it is pretty revealing,” said Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) of the Putin-Xi interchange. “This is the first time that Putin has met with President Xi since the war has kicked off. And it shows a couple of things. Number one, President Putin, Vladimir Putin is desperate. He needs friends. He doesn't have many, and he is looking for support. And number two, the Chinese and Xi is potentially amenable to be that friend.” XI TO PUTIN: ‘WE ARE READY TO TEAM UP WITH OUR RUSSIAN COLLEAGUES’ WHITE HOUSE: CHINA KNOWS PUTIN ‘ISOLATED’: In an early morning appearance on CNN, NSC spokesman John Kirby said China “has a choice to make.” “They clearly have chosen not to condemn that war in Ukraine, but we also haven't seen, importantly, we haven't seen them violate the sanctions or in any other way provide direct material assistance to Mr. Putin,” Kirby said. “We haven't seen the Chinese do anything overtly to support the effort by Mr. Putin inside Ukraine.” “I think the Chinese, as they watch what's going on here, they recognize how isolated Moscow is from the rest of the international community. They recognize the economic costs and consequences that this war is having on the Russian economy. I think they're taking note of that.” OPINION: WHY XI JINPING SQUIRMED IN DISCOMFORT AT PUTIN MEETING 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. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE
Subscribe today to the Washington Examiner magazine and get Washington Briefing: politics and policy stories that will keep you up to date with what's going on in Washington. SUBSCRIBE NOW: Just $1.00 an issue! HAPPENING TODAY: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hosts the Pentagon's annual POW/MIA recognition ceremony in the Pentagon Hall of Heroes at 11 a.m. The ceremony will be livestreamed on defense.gov. ALSO TODAY: President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with the families of WNBA star Brittney Griner and security consultant Paul Whelan, as Biden administration attempts to secure their release from a Russian prison have yet to bear fruit. “While I would love to say that the purpose of this meeting is to inform the families that the Russians have accepted our offer and we are bringing their loved ones home, that is not what we’re seeing in these negotiations at this time,” said press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at yesterday’s White House briefing. “The President wanted to make sure that their families understood that they were front of mind and that his team was working tirelessly every day to get Brittney and Paul home safely.” BIDEN TO MEET WITH GRINER AND WHELAN FAMILIES AS RUSSIAN DETENTION CONTINUES THE AID JUST KEEPS ON COMING: On the heels of Ukraine's stunningly successful northern counteroffensive, the Biden administration announced the flow of weapons from the U.S. arsenals will continue unabated. The latest package is valued at $600 million and brings the total military assistance since the war began on Feb. 24 to more than $15 billion. Here’s what’s in the 21st drawdown from the Pentagon’s inventory: - Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS)
- 36,000 105 mm artillery rounds
- 1,000 precision-guided 155 mm artillery rounds
- Four counter-artillery radars
- Four trucks and eight trailers to transport heavy equipment
- Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems
- Mine clearing equipment
- Claymore anti-personnel munitions
- Demolition munitions and equipment
- Small arms and ammunition
- Night vision devices, cold weather gear, and other field equipment
Yesterday, Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), a former Army Ranger, called on the Biden administration to send longer-range ammunition for the HIMARS rocket launchers. “I think we have to make a decision to fully help win this war for the Ukrainians, and that means some of the longer range missiles,” Crow said on CNN. “One thing I've learned about war in all my time in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting overseas is that one day is never the same as the next. War changes. It evolves … So, it is time for us, in my view, to provide those longer-range missiles. I think that will help put Ukraine in a position to win. And I do not believe there would be any additional escalatory that what've already done.” BLINKEN ANNOUNCES $600 MILLION DRAWDOWN OF US MILITARY EQUIPMENT FOR UKRAINE PRESSING THEIR ADVANTAGE: Meanwhile, Ukraine is not letting up in the north after routing demoralized Russian troops, and Russia has been responding with missile attacks on civilian infrastructure in an attempt to increase the suffering of the Ukrainian people. “Ukrainian forces are continuing counteroffensive operations in eastern Ukraine, increasingly pressuring Russian positions and logistics lines in eastern Kharkiv, northern Luhansk, and eastern Donetsk oblasts,” says the Institute for the Study of War in its latest battlefield assessment. “Russian sources reported that Ukrainian forces are continuing ground operations southwest of Izyum, near Lyman, and on the east bank of the Oskil River, reportedly compelling Russian forces to withdraw from some areas in eastern Ukraine and reinforce others.” “Russian forces in eastern Ukraine will likely struggle to hold their defensive lines if Ukrainian forces continue to push farther east,” the ISW says. ZELENSKY SAYS 'MASS BURIAL SITES' FOUND IN RECENTLY LIBERATED CITY LETTERS NEVER SENT DESCRIBE ‘PHYSICAL AND MORAL EXHAUSTION’: A cache of letters apparently written by Russian troops found by Ukrainian forces who liberated Izyum last weekend provide more evidence of the declining morale of Russian forces suffering “physical and moral exhaustion,” after more than six months of war. The authenticity of the handwritten letters, which were posted on Twitter, could not be verified, but they track with Pentagon assessments that many poorly-equipped Russian troops are severely demoralized. The Washington Post reported 10 letters were found dated Aug. 30, in which soldiers were “begging their superiors to dismiss them from their roles.” “I refuse to complete my duty in the special operation on the territory of Ukraine due to lack of vacation days and moral exhaustion,” wrote a man who identified himself as the commander of an anti-aircraft missile platoon from the Moscow region, the Post reported. “Another soldier asked to be released citing ‘the worsening of my health and not receiving the necessary medical aid.’ Still another said he was experiencing ‘physical and moral exhaustion’” according to the Post’s translation. CONSERVATIVE GROUPS SPLINTERING OVER US AID TO UKRAINE ‘THEY HAVE A BONA FIDE TRIAD NOW’: There was a time when China’s nuclear arsenal, believed to number about 300 warheads, was considered to be a “minimal deterrent” — just enough to deter an attack, but not enough to start and win a nuclear war. But in Senate testimony yesterday, Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, President Joe Biden’s nominee to be the next U.S. nuclear commander, said it’s clear that is no longer the case. “Minimum of deterrence was what we thought of when we talked of China as recent as 2018,” Cotton testified at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. “We have seen the incredible expansiveness of what they're doing with their nuclear force, which does not, in my opinion, reflect minimal deterrence. They have a bona fide triad now.” Cotton, who appears to have a clear path to confirmation to head the U.S. Strategic Command, said he believes America’s nuclear arsenal effectively deterred Russian President Vladimir Putin from acting on his veiled threat to use so-called “battlefield nukes” in Ukraine. “I absolutely believe that our nuclear deterrent force held. We did not see Russia do anything with our NATO partners,” Cotton testified. “We may have heard the rhetoric, but I think at the end of the day, Russia and China both understand that we have a strong, resilient nuclear force that is offering deterrence to ourselves, and extended deterrence to our allies.” ‘I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT WEAPON SYSTEM’: Cotton repeatedly dodged the one controversial question he was asked during the hearing, namely whether he would support development of a sea-launched nuclear-tipped cruise missile that is favored by the Pentagon but opposed by the Biden administration. Cotton acknowledged what he called a “capability gap” in not having a submarine-launched nuclear cruise missile but when pressed, he insisted he needs to do his own assessment of the value of adding a “SLCM” to the arsenal. “I am not familiar with that weapon system on the specifics on what it can do with the capabilities to close the capability gap that we might perceive,” he said. “If confirmed, I still would like to be able to assess and analyze how do you broaden that portfolio to provide more options for the president of the United States.” “If confirmed, my job is to be able to present the decision-maker, the president of the United States with a wide variety of options to be able to meet challenges that we have seen to be warranted due to a requirement. In this case, I would want to be able to present the maximum amount and the maximum capabilities that are available.” CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The RundownWashington Examiner: Blinken announces $600 million drawdown of US military equipment for Ukraine Washington Examiner: Conservative groups splintering over US aid to Ukraine Washington Examiner: Zelensky says 'mass burial sites' found in recently liberated city Washington Examiner: Ukrainian medic once held by Russians shares horrifying details Washington Examiner: Biden to meet with Griner and Whelan families as Russian detention continues Washington Examiner: Putin celebrates Iran joining Asian security alliance including China Washington Examiner: Xi to Putin: ‘We are ready to team up with our Russian colleagues’ Washington Examiner: Opinion: Why Xi Jinping squirmed in discomfort at Putin meeting Washington Examiner: Voiding an asteroid threat Washington Examiner: Judge denies DOJ request on classified docs and appoints Trump pick as special master Washington Examiner: Rioter who wore 'Camp Auschwitz' shirt at Capitol sentenced to 75 days Washington Examiner: Trump chief used book assessing boss's mental health: Report Washington Post: Letters of despair — by Russians Washington Post: U.S. expects months of intense fighting in Ukraine-Russia war Washington Post: Short of soldiers to send to war, Russia’s mercenaries recruit in prisons The Drive: Ukraine Situation Report: Top U.S. Marine Praises Battlefield Lessons Learned New York Times: Biden Issues Order Aimed At Restricting Investments By China In American Tech NBC News: Friction between White House and senior Homeland Security officials mounts as migrant border crossings soar Air & Space Forces Magazine: ‘Bona Fide’ Chinese Nuclear Triad Means STRATCOM Has Work to Do, Cotton Says Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Traffic at Turning Point as US Seeks ASAT Ban, Pentagon to Hand Off Tracking Military.com: Marine Corps Planning for Wars Where Robots Kill Each Other Seapower Magazine: Commandant: Long-Range USV Will Be Primarily an ISR Platform That Launches Unmanned Assets Breaking Defense: ‘On the Table’: Hicks Says DOD, IC Considering Indemnifying Commercial Space Providers Defense One: White House Announces New Restrictions on Foreign Investment in US Tech, Supply Lines Defense News: Congress Races to Reauthorize Innovation Grants Favored by Pentagon 19fortyfive.com: China's First Aircraft Carrier Is Really A Russian Aircraft Carrier 19fortyfive.com: How Much Territory Can Ukraine Take Back from Russia? 19fortyfive.com: Zelensky's Gamble: Why Ukraine Had to Launch an Offensive Against Russia 19fortyfive.com: Was Vladimir Putin Nearly Assassinated? Forbes: Five Reasons Buying An All-New Engine For The Air Force’s F-35 Fighters Is A Real Bad Idea CalendarFRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 16 9 a.m. 201 Waterfront St. National Harbor, Maryland — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association and the Intelligence and National Security Alliance 2022 Intelligence and National Security Summit, with Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks; Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Director Stefanie Tompkins; Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, National Reconnaissance Office Director Christopher Scolese, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency Director Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth, and National Security Agency Deputy Director George Barnes https://intelsummit.org/# 9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: "Strengthening Somalia's Security,” with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud https://www.csis.org/events/strengthening-somalias-security 10 a.m. — United States Institute of Peace virtual discussion: “(Mis)interpreting U.S.-China Signaling on Taiwan,” with Carla Freeman, senior expert on China, U.S. Institute of Peace; Alison McFarland, research analyst in China and Northeast Asia, U.S. Institute of Peace; Andrew Scobell, fellow on China, U.S. Institute of Peace; and Evan Medeiros, senior adviser on China, U.S. Institute of Peace https://www.usip.org/events/misinterpreting-us-china-signaling-taiwan 10:30 a.m. — Washington Post Live virtual discussion: “Americans held hostage abroad," with Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live 11 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “Russia Retreats, Ukraine Advances: What's Next?" with Illia Ponomarenko, defense reporter at the Kyiv Independent; former Supreme Allied Commander Europe retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark; former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center; Andriy Zagorodnyuk, fellow at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center; and Melinda Haring, deputy director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/russia-retreats 11 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: "Russia in the Arctic," with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Doug Jones; Principal Defense Department Director for the Arctic and Global Resilience Greg Pollock; former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands; Rebecca Pincus, assistant professor at the U.S. Naval War College; Katarzyna Zysk, professor at the Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies; and Jim Townsend, adjunct senior fellow at CNAS https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-russia-in-the-arctic 1 p.m. 1200 South Hayes St., Arlington, Virginia — House Intelligence Committee Republicans and RAND Corporation panel discussion: “Preparedness Against Biological Weapons,” with Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) top Republican on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH); Jason Matheny, president and CEO, RAND Corporation; Luciana Borio, senior fellow for global health, Council on Foreign Relations; Asha George, executive director, Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense; Daniel Gerstein, senior policy researcher, RAND; John Parachini, senior international and defense researcher, RAND; and Patricia Stapleton, political scientist, RAND https://www.rand.org/events/2022/09/16/register.html MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 19 7:30 a.m. Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center — Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference (Sept. 19-21) https://afresearchlab.com/events/afa-air-space-cyber-conference-2022 WEDNESDAY | SEPTEMBER 21 8:30 a.m. — Foundation or the Defense of Democracies discussion: “Assessing America’s Cyber Resiliency: A Conversation with the CSC 2.0 Co-Chairs,” with Sen. Angus King (I-ME) and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI); moderated by Tim Starks, author of the Cybersecurity 202 newsletter at The Washington Post. https://www.fdd.org/events/2022/09/21/assessing-americas-cyber-resiliency 2 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing: "Update on the Implementation of Recommendations of the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military and the Establishment of the Office of Special Trial Counsels,” with testimony from Gilbert Cisneros, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness; Gabe Camarillo, undersecretary of the Army; Erik Raven, undersecretary of the Navy; and Gina Ortiz Jones, undersecretary of the Air Force https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings 2 p.m. — House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing: Putin’s Proxies: Examining Russia’s Use of Private Military Companies,” with testimony from Kimberly Marten, professor, Political Science Department, Barnard College, Columbia University; Catrina Doxsee, associate director, Transnational Threats Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies; and Joseph Siegle, director of research, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University https://oversight.house.gov/news/press-releases THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 22 10 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Spacepower Forum discussion on Space Force training, education and doctrine and STARCOM’s contributions to space warfighting, with Maj. Gen. Shawn Bratton, commander, Space Training and Readiness Command https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/event THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 29 10 a.m. 2172 Rayburn — House Foreign Affairs Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia and Nonproliferation Subcommittee hearing: "Assessing the Biden Administration's U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa." http://foreignaffairs.house.gov
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“Minimum of deterrence was what we thought of when we talked of China as recent as 2018. We have seen the incredible expansiveness of what they're doing with their nuclear force, which does not, in my opinion, reflect minimal deterrence. They have a bona fide triad now.” |
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Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, the nominee to lead the U.S. Strategic Command, testifying about China’s growing nuclear arsenal before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
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