| | | | |  | | By Matt Berg, Eric Bazail-Eimil and Miles Herszenhorn | |  President Joe Biden today warned against the spread of isolationism and promised that the U.S. would “not walk away” from Ukraine as he commemorated the 80th anniversary of D-day in France. | Win McNamee/Getty Images | With help from Maggie Miller Subscribe here | Email Matt | Email Eric President JOE BIDEN's grand promises to Ukraine during his trip to France aren’t enough for Kyiv, which plans to keep pushing the U.S. and its other allies to do more to help turn the war in Ukraine’s favor. Biden today warned against the spread of isolationism and promised that the U.S. would “not walk away” from Ukraine as he commemorated the 80th anniversary of D-day in France. If Ukraine loses, Biden added, “all of Europe will be threatened.” But Kyiv isn’t buying it: “His D-day speech doesn’t matter,” said a person who has spoken with officials in President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY's office, granted anonymity to speak candidly. Among top Ukrainian officials it’s seen as empty rhetoric, the person told NatSec Daily. There are a few recent moves by Biden that have led to this sense of skepticism in Kyiv. This week Biden both pushed back against the idea of Ukraine joining NATO — reasserting the administration’s stance against allowing Ukraine into the bloc right now — and opted not to attend a peace summit in Switzerland later this month, sending Vice President KAMALA HARRIS in his stead. And while Biden gave Kyiv permission last week to strike inside Russian territory, many in Zelenskyy’s admin are chafing that the permission is so limited in scope to the border around one city. “This solution remains half-hearted. Limiting the range of strikes against Russia is not capable of ensuring our victory,” YEHOR CHERNIEV, deputy chair of the Ukrainian parliament's Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence, told NatSec Daily. The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment about criticism of Biden’s speech. However, a senior administration official, granted anonymity to speak candidly, called criticism of Biden’s remarks “nonsense,” saying that Biden has created the massive coalition of countries now backing Ukraine. Washington has rallied dozens of countries behind Ukraine’s cause, providing the war-torn country with tens of billions of economic and military assistance. The White House has also gradually granted Ukraine's wishes over the course of the war, most recently by partially lifting the missile restrictions. That was a welcome change for Ukraine, but it’s unlikely to lead to a major shift in the war soon. Russian forces have advanced into the northeastern Kharkiv region in recent weeks and sparred with Ukrainian forces, who haven’t yet been able to retake territory. In order to see real results on the battlefield, Cherniev said, Ukraine must be allowed to use Army Tactical Missile Systems, which have a range of nearly 200 miles, and other long-range weapons to strike deep. The current restriction will only slightly help Ukraine’s defensive capabilities, he argued. Ukraine is starting to receive the combination of capabilities it needs to potentially turn the tide, GEORGE BARROS, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War think tank, told NatSec Daily. But Washington further loosening restrictions on how U.S. weapons can be used would allow Kyiv to make gains in the near term, he argued. The White House needs “to make a couple more changes … this could be a game changer if it's implemented correctly and on the timeline,” Barros said.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Constantly evolving to meet emerging threats. In today’s world, you need to spot the threats before they’re seen.
That’s why Lockheed Martin’s vision of 21st Century Security® means pushing the boundaries of defense tech to build a new standard of deterrence and protection. Learn more. | | | | | DEADLY STRIKE ON UN SCHOOL: An Israeli airstrike on a United Nations-run school in Gaza killed more than 30 people, including many women and children, according to U.N. and local hospital officials, our own SEB STARCEVIC reports. United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees chief PHILIPPE LAZZARINI said the school was under its management and was housing thousands of displaced Palestinians at the time of the airstrike. The Israel Defense Forces, however, wrote on X that its fighter jets conducted a “precision strike” and claimed that several Hamas fighters had “embedded themselves” in the school. The Israeli fighter jets used U.S.-made munitions to strike the school, according to analyses conducted by the Washington Post and CNN. Footage from the scene of the attack showed two U.S.-made GBU-39 small diameter bombs. European Union foreign policy chief JOSEP BORRELL called for an independent investigation into the airstrike. “Reports coming from Gaza time and again show that violence and suffering are still the only reality for hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians,” he wrote in a post on X. HOW MUCH HAMAS IS DEGRADED: About half of Hamas’ military has been wiped out since the war began, Reuters’ SAMIA NAKHOUL, HUMEYRA PAMUK and JONATHAN LANDAY report. Now, the militant group has about 9,000-12,000 fights and is relying on “hit-and-run insurgent tactics,” Reuters writes, citing U.S. and Israeli officials familiar with the matter. Israel has only lost about 300 troops during the war. “Such tactics could sustain a Hamas insurgency for months to come, aided by weapons smuggled into Gaza via tunnels and others repurposed from unexploded ordnance or captured from Israeli forces,” the outlet writes. US PILES PRESSURE ON HAMAS: The U.S. and 16 other countries today issued a public statement pushing Hamas to agree to the cease-fire proposal outlined by Biden last week, a show of unity between staunch allies of Israel and critics of Israel’s conduct of the war like Brazil, Spain and Colombia . The statement coincides with the administration’s efforts to cajole Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU into ending the war. Biden is getting more combative himself, pushing rhetorically and behind the scenes to increase pressure from regional powers, the United Nations, aid groups, Israeli citizens and Netanyahu’s political allies and foes alike, our own NAHAL TOOSI reports. “There is no time to lose. We call on Hamas to close this agreement, that Israel is ready to move forward with, and begin the process of releasing our citizens,” the statement read. IT’S THURSDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at mberg@politico.com and ebazail@politico.com, and follow us on X at @mattberg33, @ebazaileimil and @mherszenhorn. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @alexbward, @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @reporterjoe, and @JGedeon1.
| | | | POLITICO is gearing up to deliver experiences that help you navigate the NATO Summit. What issues should our reporting and events spotlight? Click here to let us know. | | | | | | | | TIKTOK’S CHIPS PLAY: The Chinese parent company of the popular, and embattled, social media platform TikTok managed to secure top-tier U.S. semiconductor chips despite export restrictions, according to The Information’s ANISSA GARDIZY. Bytedance has been renting out Nvidia chips from Oracle for its artificial intelligence operations, two people familiar with the agreement told the Information. It joins other Chinese companies, like Alibaba, Tencent and China Telecom, which have pursued deals with Oracle or worked to evade U.S. regulations designed to limit Chinese access to the U.S. semiconductor chip industry. The practice exposes a loophole in U.S. chips policy, which prevents manufacturers like Nvidia from selling the chips to China, but doesn't bar Chinese companies from using those chips if they are housed and operated on U.S. soil. The Department of Commerce declined to comment to The Information on the findings. GAZA DISINFORMATION: Current and former officials warned today that Russia is among the countries attempting to spread disinformation in the U.S. about Israel’s conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip, our own MAGGIE MILLER reports (for Pros!). Retired Gen. PAUL NAKASONE, who stepped down as head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command earlier this year, said at a Washington Post forum today that Russian actors tied to the Internet Research Agency troll farm “were active” in spreading disinformation aimed at sowing divisions among Americans in regards to the war in the Gaza Strip. Nakasone was not the only official to sound the alarm — NATHANIEL FICK, the State Department ambassador at large for cyberspace and digital policy, confirmed that foreign actors were trying “unequivocally” to spread disinformation “across multiple platforms and multiple factors.”
| | FRANCE GIVES UKRAINE WINGS: France will announce on Friday that it will transfer Mirage 2000-5 warplanes to Ukraine, French President EMMANUEL MACRON announced today in an interview with French TV channels. The transfer of the warplanes, Macron said “will allow Ukraine to protect its sky.” While Macron said the Ukrainian pilots will be trained in France, he also left open the possibility Western countries could decide in the future to send military officials to Ukraine to train Ukrainian troops. HOUTHIS’ SOUPED-UP MISSILE: Yemen’s Houthi rebels revealed they have a solid-fuel missile in their arsenal that resembles known Iranian hypersonic weapons, according to the Associated Press’ JON GAMBRELL. The new weapons, adorned with a warhead painted like a Palestinian keffiyeh checkered scarf, is called the “Palestine” missile and was fired at the southern Israeli port of Eilat on Monday. No injuries were reported as a result of the strike. The weapon represents a major advance in the technology available to the Iranian-backed fighters, which previously only had liquid-fuel missiles that were easy targets for U.S. and allied air strikes. RUSSIA GOES DOWN TO KOKOMO: Cuba’s Foreign Ministry confirmed reports that Russian naval ships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, will stop in Havana this week as part of naval exercises in the Caribbean. The port call, the Cuban government said today, “corresponds to the historic ties of friendship between Cuba and Russia and conforms to the international regulations to which Cuba is a member state.” Havana emphasized that no nuclear weapons will be aboard the ships and said the exercises and port calls do not pose a risk to the region. U.S. officials told the Associated Press’ TARA COPP on Wednesday that the vessels were headed to Venezuela and Cuba for port stops. They argued that Russia’s efforts to build more military presence in the Western Hemisphere are not concerning, though notable.
| | | | POLITICO is gearing up to deliver experiences that help you navigate the NATO Summit. What issues should our reporting and events spotlight? Click here to let us know. | | | | | | | | VIRGINIANS TACKLE SUDAN: Virginia’s Democratic senators introduced a bill that they say will improve the Biden administration’s ability to respond to the crisis in Sudan, a day after the administration's special envoy warned U.S. efforts haven’t been as effective as possible. Sens. MARK WARNER and TIM KAINE’s bill would codify the position of U.S. special envoy to Sudan, held by TOM PERRIELLO, and make the post a Senate-confirmed role reporting directly to the secretary of State. Currently, the envoy reports to the assistant secretary in charge of African affairs and has no funding or staff allocated to support his work overseeing the U.S. diplomatic and humanitarian response to the war. The bill comes as fears continue to mount over the humanitarian crisis in war-torn Sudan. The conflict has created millions of refugees and reignited fears of ethnic violence and genocide in embattled regions like Darfur. Russia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries have also meddled in the conflict. Democratic senators have been calling for more attention for Sudan’s civil war, so it’s likely that the bill would gain support among their colleagues. But the crisis has gained less traction among Republicans who have bashed Biden’s Sudan policy, so the bill’s future is ultimately unclear.
| | | NO ASSESSMENT SOON: The U.S. is considering “the complete picture” when determining whether Israel has violated international humanitarian law or not — and seems unlikely to make assessments on individual cases. The State Department responded to NatSec Daily last night following our request about potential Israeli war crimes in Gaza, which Biden said he was “uncertain” Israel has committed. “It is also important to emphasize a country’s overall commitment to IHL is not necessarily disproven by individual IHL violations,” State said in a statement to NatSec Daily. “We have to consider the complete picture, including whether that country is taking appropriate steps to investigate and, where appropriate, determine accountability when IHL violations do occur.” Israel has ongoing criminal investigations, and the U.S. is reviewing hundreds of cases, State said. But Israel rarely doles out punishments: Fewer than 1 percent of complaints about Israeli soldiers harming Palestinians and their property between 2017 and 2021 resulted in indictments. SPAIN SAYS CASO CERRADO: Spain will join South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice against Israel, Seb also reports. Spanish Foreign Minister JOSÉ MANUEL ALBARES told reporters that the government “made this decision in light of the continuation of the military operation in Gaza.” Spain, who recently recognized a Palestinian state alongside Norway and Ireland, joins Dublin in supporting the effort to hold Israel accountable as the civilian death toll continues to mount in Gaza. Prime Minister PEDRO SÁNCHEZ defended the decision to intervene in the case during a speech today. “Have no doubt that Spain will remain on the right side of history,” Sánchez said. “Given the failure of Netanyahu to comply with the ICJ’s request to stop the war, in support of respect for United Nations international law, we intervened in the procedure supported by South Africa.” IRAN GETS WRIST SLAP: The U.N.’s nuclear watchdog passed a resolution censuring Iran on Wednesday, after the country refused to allow inspectors access to its uranium enrichment program, per the Associated Press’ STEPHANIE LIECHTENSTEIN. Iran’s Foreign Ministry slammed the resolution in a statement, calling it “a politically-motivated and unconstructive move.”
| | | |   | | | | | — Former Defense Intelligence Agency Director SCOTT BERRIER has joined Booz Allen as a senior vice president in their national security practice. — Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia were elected to serve two-year terms on the U.N. Security Council, starting on Jan. 1, 2025.
| | — PATRICK KINGSLEY and BILAL SHBAIR, The New York Times: Inside the base where Israel has detained thousands of Gazans — EMILIE SWEIGART, Americas Quarterly: Saudi Arabia courts Latin America and the Caribbean — TIM MAK, POLITICO: South Africa’s belated reckoning over the war in Ukraine
| | — Atlantic Council, 8:45 a.m.: A discussion on a new report, "Reconstructing Ukraine at War: Acting now to forge the European Economic Prosperity of tomorrow" — Arms Control Association, 9 a.m.: 2024 annual meeting, with the theme "moving back from the nuclear brink" — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 11 a.m.: Centering human rights in Ukraine's reconstruction — Washington Post Live, 11 a.m.: A discussion with Adm. ROB BAUER on the Ukraine war, European security and world order. — Hudson Institute, 11:30 a.m.: NATO in the new era of collective defense — Brookings Institution, 3 p.m.: Taiwan's central role in the global economy, including the importance of semiconductor manufacturing capabilities and support to global supply chains Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, whose criticisms of our ideas don’t matter. Thanks to our producer, Gregory Svirnovskiy, whose suggestions are always “game-changers.”
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Seeing the whole picture is Lockheed Martin’s vision of 21st Century Security® – innovating defense tech to deliver answers exactly when and where they’re needed most. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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