| | | | |  | | By Matt Berg and Eric Bazail-Eimil | |  China worked with the European Space Agency, France, Italy and Pakistan on a mission that retrieved the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon this week. | Jin Liwang/Xinhua via AP | With help from Miles J. Herszenhorn, Joe Gould and Alex Ward Subscribe here | Email Matt | Email Eric Beijing is making major advancements in space exploration — and while other countries stand to benefit from the progress, Washington isn’t getting in on the action. China worked with the European Space Agency, France, Italy and Pakistan on a mission that retrieved the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon this week. NASA wasn’t invited to take part in the moon probe, agency spokesperson FAITH McKIE told NatSec Daily. NASA also didn't get “any direct invitation” to study China’s moon rocks, McKie said, after China welcomed all scientists from around the world to apply to study them. It’s unclear if China specifically invited any countries, but those who took part in the probe will likely study the rocks — which could help countries better understand the lunar surface that Washington and Beijing have been trying to develop. The U.S. has long warned China’s rapidly growing space program is tied too closely to its military and neither side is eager to work with the other. One reason the U.S. wasn’t invited to the party is likely because of a law in Congress that hinders any potential galactic relationship with Beijing. Prompted by concerns over Beijing’s history of stealing intellectual property, using technology developed by other nations or companies to bolster its military and violating human rights, Congress in 2011 passed the 2011 Wolf Amendment, which requires NASA to seek a specific exception from the FBI if it wants to work with China. If the U.S. wants to promote cooperation with China in space, “it must take practical measures to remove these obstacles,” Chinese space official BIAN ZHIGANG told reporters on Thursday, in the first public comments since the samples landed. He added that Washington can’t stop Beijing's “giant steps” in space. There would be advantages to China and the U.S. working together — or at least communicating more about space, several U.S. analysts told NatSec Daily. “We have to accept that even if there are countries that we have uncomfortable relationships with, we should look for ways to coordinate activities to ensure we don't accidentally impede each other's work,” VICTORIA SAMSON, Washington Office Director at the Secure World Foundation think tank, told NatSec Daily. Other experts argue that Washington is so far ahead of Beijing in space that it shouldn’t worry about China gaining some ground — and work on its own U.S. space priorities. “Our focus is rightly on our own science and exploration programs and building a broad coalition of nations through the Artemis Accords to go back to the moon with us,” said TODD HARRISON, an expert on space policy at the American Enterprise Institute. He was referring to the international agreement led by the U.S. to create a set of norms for space exploration. While China’s space program is growing (it has launched large numbers of satellites in the past few years and is developing equipment to possibly prepare for conflict in space), TORY BRUNO, CEO of aerospace giant United Launch Alliance, emphasized that it is also particularly costly for Beijing. The Chinese space program employs three times the number of employees as the U.S. and uses many more launch sites than the United States. “What you’re seeing is a brute force approach,” Bruno told NatSec Daily. If the economy isn’t thriving, “then this easily falls back, because it's so inefficient.”
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Bringing every domain closer, no matter the distance.
Today’s battlespace has no room for miscommunication. At Lockheed Martin, we’re building the strongest communication network possible, no matter where the battle lines are drawn. Defense tech you can count on when every second counts. Learn more. | | | | | FOR PIER’S SAKE: Rough seas have forced the U.S. military to pull its pier to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza to protect it — and the U.S. is considering not reinstalling it while aid piles up on the coast, The Associated Press’ TARA COPP and LOLITA C. BALDOR report. Millions of pounds of aid have been delivered via the pier in recent weeks, Pentagon officials say, but most of it is sitting in a storage yard because agencies have had trouble moving it to parts of Gaza where it is needed most. The storage area is now almost full and rough seas have recently damaged the pier. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have ramped up their criticism of the pier this week, calling on the administration to pull the project entirely. WEST BANK DEAL: Israel tentatively agreed to release some frozen funds to the embattled Palestinian Authority, in exchange for bolstering Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, The New York Times’ AARON BOXERMAN and ADAM RASGON report. Far-right Finance Minister BEZALEL SMOTRICH has long withheld hundreds of millions to the PA, which administers parts of the West Bank, and believes Israel should fully rule the territory. His stance has concerned the Biden administration, which wants the PA to play a role in governing Gaza after the war and worries an economic crash in the West Bank could lead to violence. “To mollify Mr. Smotrich, cabinet ministers agreed in a late-night meeting Thursday to measures including retroactively authorizing five Israeli settlement outposts in the West Bank that had been built illegally, according to Mr. Smotrich’s office and two other Israeli officials,” the Times writes. Smotrich would then agree to releasing funds for the authority and extend a banking waiverֿֿ that protects Israeli banks that deal with Palestinian ones. Even with the temporary measure in place, the finance minister could demand more concessions in the future. BLACK SEA SPAT: Russia is warning that it’s preparing for a “response” following U.S. drone flights over the Black Sea, accusing the flights of aiding Ukraine’s war efforts. The flights show “an increased involvement of the U.S. and other NATO countries in the conflict in Ukraine” the Russian defense ministry said in a statement today. The drones “conduct intelligence and targeting for precision weapons supplied to the Ukrainian military by Western countries for strikes on Russian facilities.” The drone flights significantly raise the risk for direct confrontation between the U.S. and Russia, the ministry added, saying that NATO will bear the responsibility for the flights. A new clash would fuel tensions between Moscow and Washington, following last year’s Black Sea dispute. DRINKS WITH NATSEC DAILY: At the end of every long, hard week, we like to highlight how a prominent member of the national security scene prefers to unwind with a drink. Today we’re featuring JAKOV MILATOVIĆ, the president of Montenegro, who our own ALEX WARD ran into at the NATO Youth Summit in Miami last month. Milatović likes to enjoy a glass of fine white wine with his wife on the Montenegro coastline, “with Europe’s most beautiful views of the Mediterranean.” Cue the awwwws, what a romantic. We hear, however, that the Med has nothing on the Potomac this time of year. (That’s what we tell ourselves, crying on the inside and sipping a $17 cocktail at some rooftop bar at the Wharf.) Živjeli, Mr. President! IT’S FRIDAY. WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND: 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 and @ebazaileimil. 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, @JGedeon1 and @mherszenhorn.
| | | | Understand 2024’s big impacts with Pro’s extensive Campaign Races Dashboard, exclusive insights, and key coverage of federal- and state-level debates. Focus on policy. Learn more. | | | | | | | | | ABOUT THAT DEBATE…: You know things are bad when the Polish foreign minister appears to link your debate performance with the decline of the Roman empire, adding that “it’s important to manage one’s ride into the sunset.” President JOE BIDEN is fielding international criticism today for his lackluster showing last night against DONALD TRUMP, which has also spurred panicky speculation among Democrats about who could — or should — replace the oldest sitting president in history. It wasn’t entirely bad for Biden: “Enormous lies by Trump,” one Western diplomat told our colleagues late last night. But the person continued, “On the other hand, at least we understood what he says.” International officials and diplomats hoped Biden would present as stronger and more vigorous, but some were questioning whether either was fit to lead by the end of the debate: “Internationally this isn’t a great look for America, at the risk of stating the obvious,” a European diplomat texted our colleagues. Meanwhile, Putin allegedly snored through the debate. Drama and speculation aside, our long-held hypothesis that this is a foreign policy election held strong last night. Here’s your roundup of our live feed: Afghanistan: Biden brings up one of his weak spots — totally unprovoked Israel-Hamas war: Biden and Trump talk about Israel-Hamas war Russia: Trump says he wouldn't accept Putin's terms World War III: World War III has come up quite a few times...
| | RUSSIANS IN THE EMAILS: Microsoft informed customers that Russian hackers stole emails from its customers, Reuters’ ZEBA SIDDIQUI reported late Thursday. The tech giant disclosed six months ago that Russian hackers had entered into its systems and stolen emails from its employees. In a statement to Reuters, the company said “we are continuing notifications to customers who corresponded with Microsoft corporate email accounts that were exfiltrated by the Midnight Blizzard threat actor.” The company did not say how many customers were impacted or how many emails were stolen, but has previously stated the hackers were specifically targeting cybersecurity researchers looking into Midnight Blizzard’s activities.
| | | |   | | | | | WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS: Ukraine will receive $60 billion annually of military assistance over the next four years from the 20 security agreements it has signed with its partners, Ukrainian Prime Minister DENYS SHMYHAL announced today, according to Reuters. And that figure could rise higher. Polish Prime Minister DONALD TUSK told reporters today it is very likely his country will sign a bilateral security agreement with Kyiv prior to the start of the NATO summit in July. “I must, together with the defense minister, determine how we can continue to help Ukraine, but we cannot weaken Poland's defense capabilities,” Tusk said. JUST SOME SCHOOL PROJECTS: A group of Chinese universities with military ties are involved in European Union-funded research projects, our own PIETER HAECK scoops. The EU over the past decade has funded at least 14 projects for $28 million that worked with Chinese universities deemed “high-risk” by experts, eight of which are still ongoing. The topics of the research projects ranged from decarbonization, climate modeling and heating and cooling technology to antennas and motor propulsion technology.
| | | HOW MANY WEAPONS WITHHELD? House Foreign Affairs Chair MICHAEL McCAUL (R-Texas) is accusing the U.S. of blocking at least six weapon systems intended for Israel in addition to a shipment containing 1,800 to 2,000-pound bombs, our own JOE GOULD writes in. McCaul refused to provide details about the weapon systems, but accused Biden of withholding Israeli military assistance to “put leverage over” Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU “to enter into ceasefire talks.” McCaul’s assertion comes after he held a one-on-one meeting with Israeli Defense Minister YOAV GALLANT this week during Gallant’s visit to Washington. The Biden administration has insisted that it is blocking only one shipment of bombs over concerns that they will be used by Israel in civilian areas. Rep. GREGORY MEEKS (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the foreign affairs committee, told Joe that he has not recently had discussions with the administration about releasing the shipment of bombs, but signaled that he would support it — especially if it would help deter a war with Hezbollah. “We’ve got to do everything that we can to prevent that,” he said. “And if having certain weapons there helps to deter that from happening, that’s something that has to be considered.” FOR THE FAR RIGHT: The House narrowly cleared its version of annual Pentagon funding legislation today that Republicans loaded with conservative policy measures that are sure to be rejected by the Democratic-led Senate, our own CONNOR O’BRIEN reports. The $833 billion defense appropriations bill passed almost entirely with GOP support, as Democratic leaders ripped Republicans for tacking on restrictions for abortion access, gender-affirming care, climate change efforts and diversity and inclusion programs. The final 217-198 vote, which fell largely along party lines, reflected that rift. BIPARTISAN AZERBAIJAN CONDEMNATION: Reps. ANNA ESHOO (D-Calif.) and CHRIS SMITH (R-N.J.) introduced a resolution in the House Thursday evening that would slam Azerbaijan for “ethnic cleansing” in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The resolution comes as Armenia and Azerbaijan continue inching toward a long-term settlement to their decadeslong territorial dispute, and as the government in Yerevan faces increased pressure from the diaspora to address aggressive moves from Baku.
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | | HE’S NOT RUTTE ENOUGH: Some European leaders slammed incoming NATO chief MARK RUTTE’s frugal attitude toward European defense spending at the EU summit, our own SEB STARCEVIC reports. Tusk took Rutte to task over his opposition to using eurobonds for financing defense projects. “Everybody, almost everybody, loudly reminded Mark Rutte that he will soon take up the role of NATO secretary general, and that he should be doing everything to make sure that Europe doesn't save money and resources [on defense],” Tusk told reporters. "He is a strong personality, an experienced politician, but I saw a blush on his face after everyone pointed out to him: ‘Wait a minute, man, you should be mobilizing everyone to spend more, not less, on defense,” Tusk added. VROOM VROOM: North Korean leader KIM JONG UN probably wouldn’t have been pictured giggling alongside chauffeur VLADIMIR PUTIN earlier this month if he had known some of the car parts came from South Korea. “The luxury sedan was intended to epitomize Russia's domestic prowess and reduced dependence on imported technology and goods when unveiled in 2018,” Reuters’ GLEB STOLYAROV writes, citing customs records from the company that builds the cars. The imports underscore Russia’s reliance on Western tech even as it tries to skirt sanctions amid its war in Ukraine. Now, NatSec Daily is taking bets on whether or not Kim scraps the limo (a gift from his Russian pal).
| | — European Commission President URSULA VON DER LEYEN has been nominated for a second term at the helm of the continental bloc. Former Portuguese Prime Minister ANTÓNIO COSTA was also nominated to serve as European Council President.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Clear insight means stronger foresight.
When threats come from anywhere, you have to be able to communicate everywhere. Lockheed Martin’s cross-domain connectivity is key to keeping every mission on track. Learn more. | | | | | — Editorial board, Bloomberg: U.S. chip dreams will fade without more immigrants — RICHARD BENNETT, The New York Times: Women must be invited to shape Afghanistan’s future — BOJAN PANCEVSKI, The Wall Street Journal: A den of spies: Vienna emerges as hub for Russian espionage
| | — The Atlantic Council, 9:30 a.m.: What’s Next for the EU? — The Brookings Institution, 10:30 a.m.: The Biden administration’s foreign policy and the role for U.S. leadership in navigating this critical moment, featuring Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN. — The Atlantic Council, 1 p.m.: Marking the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Bretton Woods Conference. — The McCain Institute, 2 p.m.: Conflict: The evolution of warfare from 1945 to Ukraine. — The Atlantic Council, 4 p.m.: Discussion about its report on “Executing Distributed Operations in a Contested Maritime Environment.” — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 4 p.m.: Our polycrisis summer. — The United States Institute of Peace, 9 p.m.: Cyber scams and human trafficking in Cambodia and Vietnam. Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who should be sent on a one-way journey to the moon. Thanks to our producer, Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing, the undisputed titan of the cosmos. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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