| | | | |  | | By Matt Berg and Eric Bazail-Eimil | |  The U.S. has been working with allies on a multilateral approach to push back on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, with Brazil as a mediator of the process. | Alfredo Lasry R/Getty Images | With help from Maggie Miller, Connor O'Brien and Nahal Toosi Subscribe here | Email Matt | Email Eric Dozens of Venezuelans have been killed in recent weeks during protests as President NICOLÁS MADURO continues to contest the country’s election results. Now, he wants to charge the main opposition leader for murder — and is also blaming the United States. Speaking with local outlet Últimas Noticias, Maduro’s Attorney General TAREK WILLIAM SAAB criticized opposition leader MARÍA CORINA MACHADO and presidential candidate EDMUNDO GONZÁLEZ URRUTIA for the unrest, saying that both activists and the United States have launched attacks against Venezuela for years. González has been largely recognized as having won the most votes in the country’s July 28 election by the U.S. and other democratic countries. But Maduro refuses to cede power. Maduro’s team has been investigating post-election violence, and when asked if Machado may be charged with homicide, Saab was blunt: “At any moment, any of them could be charged and held responsible as the intellectual authors of all these events.” People in touch with the opposition believe Maduro’s regime will either move forward with the charges in the near future or continue holding it over Machado as pressure to back down. Exiled opposition leader LEOPOLDO LÓPEZ called the possible charges “standard practice,” comparing them to similar ones he faced in 2014: “However, I think at this stage they will continue to imprison many people but leave the accusations against Machado as a threat to demobilize,” he told NatSec Daily. A person close to the opposition campaign in Venezuela called the murder accusations “absurd.” “What is clear is that the regime is gauging how to proceed, and although the accusation is absurd, they are capable of anything,” said the person, granted anonymity to speak candidly. “They are gauging reactions … They also know that finally going against Machado is a point of no return and a red line.” National Security Council spokesperson SEAN SAVETT told NatSec Daily that it’s clear González won the election and called for Maduro to “come clean about the elections.” The murder charge comments “are part of the desperate attempts by Maduro and his representatives to distract from the July 28 election results and retain power,” Savett said in a statement. There are no signs that Venezuela's opposition will give up on the fight anytime soon. Lopez and other members of the opposition plan to continue talking with governments around the world and organizers on the ground to keep the movement going. “Maduro, like Chavez before him, understands that Machado is the only Venezuelan capable of ending the regime’s grip on power,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair MICHAEL McCAUL (R-Texas) told NatSec Daily. “I have been tracking these egregious efforts to arrest her and Gonzalez for weeks. The Biden-Harris administration must take the necessary actions to cut off the lifeline it’s given to Maduro’s repressive apparatus before it’s too late.” The U.S. has been working with allies on a multilateral approach to push back on Maduro, with Brazil as a mediator of the process, Lopez said. But Brazil hasn’t been forceful enough, he added, as it has called for new elections in Caracas rather than a recognition of the existing results. “The time has come for the U.S. government to make decisions,” Lopez said, stopping short of saying that the U.S. should impose sanctions on Venezuela immediately. “Sanctions are a tool, a means to an end — not an end in itself. This is a time when thinking and calibrating sanctions in the right way could have a lot of impact.”
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The U.S. Army’s new Sentinel A4 radar—a revolutionary leap from the legacy Sentinel A3—will counter cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems, rotary wing and fixed wing threats, offering flexible mission performance and growth potential. Learn more. | | | | | BLINKEN’S CEASE-FIRE PUSH CONTINUES: Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN is in Egypt today as the U.S. seeks to progress on a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. But Israel and Hamas are throwing cold water on suggestions that a deal is imminent. As The New York Times’ RONEN BERGMAN, AARON BOXERMAN and ADAM RASGON report, Israeli and Hamas officials don’t believe that mediators’ efforts have resolved the most substantive disputes in the talks, which include questions about control of the Israel-Gaza border. And Hamas is upset at President JOE BIDEN’s comments on Monday that the militant group was “backing off.” Per Reuters’ JANA CHOUKEIR, the group is emphasizing that the proposal released last week “goes against what the parties had agreed on July 2,” adding “This is considered an American response and acquiescence to the terrorist Netanyahu's new conditions and his criminal plans towards the Gaza Strip.” The impasse also comes as the Israeli military recovered the bodies of six Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, per The Washington Post’s LEO SANDS, KELSEY ABLES and JENNIFER HASSAN. Israeli officials warn that further delay in reaching a cease-fire deal may lead to the deaths of more hostages. PEACE TALKS, WITHOUT THE TALKS: Ukraine is trying to strengthen its hand in potential peace negotiations with Russia, seemingly preparing for talks that don’t involve direct discussions with Moscow, our own VERONIKA MELKOZEROVA reports. The peace negotiations model being discussed in Kyiv is inspired by the July 2022 agreement that allowed Ukraine to resume grain exports out of the Black Sea. Under that diplomatic format, Russia and Ukraine worked on separate agreements, overseen by the U.N. and Turkey as intermediaries, without a direct Moscow-Kyiv accord. In Kyiv, there is a belief that its troops' lightning strike across the border into the Russian region of Kursk has bolstered Ukraine's negotiating position. Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN, however, has insisted that he is in no mood to talk. Speaking to reporters today, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. PAT RYDER didn't get into specifics on the Kursk incursion but said DOD has "seen indications of Russia moving a small number of forces into" the region in response. “Generally speaking, though, Russia has really struggled to respond,” Ryder said at the Pentagon podium. Ukraine’s incursion not only bolsters its hand at the table; it could pave the way for future offensives by Kyiv, even without the West’s blessing: “The whole naïve, illusory concept of so-called red lines regarding Russia, which dominated the assessment of the war by some partners, has crumbled these days somewhere near Sudzha,” President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY said in a speech published Monday evening. MOSCOW’S ENERGY STRIKES: Russia resumed attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure today, per Reuters’ LIDIA KELLY and OLENA HARMASH. Ukraine intercepted most of Russia’s ballistic missiles and drones, but at least one fuel reservoir and one energy facility were hit, sending toxic chlorine gas into the air. AFGHAN REFUGEE DEAL: The U.S. reached a deal with the Philippines to resettle Afghan refugees in the Southeast Asian country, The Washington Post’s DAN LAMOTHE, ELLEN NAKASHIMA and MICHAEL BIRNBAUM reported Monday afternoon. The deal, which will see the Philippines absorb hundreds of refugees as they go through the visa process to enter the United States, was brokered in part by national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN, SecState Blinken and Vice President KAMALA HARRIS, who raised the issue with Philippines President FERDINAND MARCOS JR. in several meetings. IT’S TUESDAY: 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: @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @reporterjoe, and @JGedeon1
| | WALZ GETS INTERRUPTED: Minnesota Gov. TIM WALZ got shouted out by pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the Democratic National Convention today, the latest high-profile pressure play towards the Democratic ticket. As our own MEGAN MESSERLY reports, Code Pink demonstrators chanted “Stop killing women in Gaza” and wielded banners that said “Kamala: No weapons to Israel” and "Arms embargo now." Walz did not address the protesters, who were drowned out by chants of “USA” from the crowd at the event on the sidelines of the party gathering. The interruption comes as protest organizers at the Democratic National Convention have hoped to massively disrupt the party gathering in Chicago this week. Activists had pledged to bring the energy of the 1968 convention in Chicago, which saw student-led riots break out over the Vietnam War. But as NOTUS’ EVAN McMORRIS-SANTORO, CALEN RAZOR and JASMINE WRIGHT report, early demonstrations were smaller than expected, leaving organizers not sure how to proceed. As NOTUS writes, “It is so far proving harder to protest Vice President Kamala Harris than it was the man she replaced, President Joe Biden. Monday morning was only a few hours into the four-day Democratic celebration, meaning there was plenty of time left for things to grow, but protest organizers were not ready to promise larger crowds.”
| | | | ISRAEL’S CYBER-SLEUTHING: The Israel Defense Forces is combing through cell phones, laptops and other electronic devices they are finding in the Gaza Strip and running data through artificial intelligence models in order to locate hostages, per The Wall Street Journal’s ANAT PELED. The AI models in particular are being used to process, analyze and comb through the large amounts of visual, signals and human intelligence coming out of Gaza and locate where hostages could be kept or buried in the enclave’s tunnel system. The digital sleuthing is also being used to identify the dead, as medical examiners cross-check remains with surveillance footage and other available images and videos. The approach has its limits, as Hamas works to evade signal-intelligence collection and has moved hostages around the enclave. Locating bodies is also difficult as they are often hidden. But its usage is taking on new purpose as a cease-fire deal proves elusive and the military continues to recover bodies. IRAN CYBER SIGHTS? If Iran follows through on threats to attack Israel again, some form of cyber warfare is almost certain to be involved, our own MAGGIE MILLER writes in. Iran has demonstrated its cyber skills in recent weeks through hack and leak efforts targeted at the presidential campaign of former President DONALD TRUMP, Biden and Harris. And according to a recent analysis from Google’s Threat Analysis Group, attacks aimed at Israel are also escalating. The report, released last week, detailed findings that around a third of targeting by Iranian government hacking group APT42 — the same organization tied to the campaign hacks — in the past six months has been aimed at individuals in Israel. Experts believe that should there be an assault on Israel, a likely scenario will be an Iranian hack of a utility and then widespread amplification of this online in order to make the attack seem larger than it was. While Iran likely has the ability to carry out much wider cyberattacks, experts see this as an unlikely route for Iran to take if the government doesn’t wish to spark an even wider conflict. “It takes a lot of time to gain those capabilities, to break into networks, break into systems, laterally get into the crown jewels,” said MAX LESSER, senior analyst on emerging threats at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “Iran would only deploy those capabilities in a more critical situation that maybe is more of a threatening situation to Iran.” Read: Germany ties itself to Taiwan on chips. It comes with risks. by our own PIETER HAECK
| | TAIWAN’S SHOW OF FORCE: The Taiwanese military showed off a battery of surface-to-air missiles today, as Taipei seeks to dissuade Beijing from further escalation across the Taiwan Strait, Reuters’ FABIAN HAMACHER and ANN WANG report. The rare missile test, conducted in a remote corner of the island, saw the Taiwanese fire Patriot missiles and Taiwan-made Sky Bow III missiles into the skies. A ship off the coast also fired RIM-66 standard missiles. The test comes as China has stepped up its provocative moves in the Taiwan Straits, flying aircraft near the island and firing munitions of its own as it steps up threats to reunite the self-governing island with the mainland by force. "All the missiles that were fired today have smoothly hit their mark and have proven two points — the first being that the training of our soldiers is very solid, the other being that our weapons systems have been verified during this process of live firing missiles," Taiwanese Defense Ministry spokesperson SUN LI-FANG told reporters.
| | SMOOTH HANDOFF: We don’t know who Harris will choose for her Cabinet secretaries, but one Democratic lawmaker close to her camp says he expects continuity, our friends at Morning Defense (for Pros!) report. “I think the transition from a Biden to a Harris administration will be straightforward,” Arizona Sen. MARK KELLY, who was in contention to be Harris’ running mate before Gov. TIM WALZ was picked this month, told our own PAUL McLEARY on the sidelines of the DNC. The Harris team has a short time to build a list of potential Cabinet secretaries, and Kelly said that some officials could “possibly stay in these roles and to allow some turnover,” for several weeks if need be. Kelly said that overlap would help ensure continuity, especially amid the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine as well as continued worries about China. Those places “continue to be a very volatile, complicated environment,” he said. “I imagine there will be a lot of thought being put into how you do the transition that keeps us as safe as possible,” he added.
| | | |   | | | | | HAITIAN SANCTIONS: The State Department announced sanctions today against former Haitian President MICHEL MARTELLY for allegedly facilitating drug trafficking and sponsoring several Haitian gangs, saying that his actions contributed to Haiti’s instability. “It is unacceptable for Haitian political and economic elites to plunder Haiti’s future,” State spokesperson VEDANT PATEL said in a statement. KYIV’S CRUSADE: The Ukrainian Parliament passed a bill banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the latest move against the Moscow-aligned church. As Veronika also reports, the bill, now sent to Zelenskyy, passes as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine continue to fight for legitimacy. The latter is subject to the patriarchy of Istanbul, while the former is seen as being loyal to the Russian branch of Orthodox Christianity. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has claimed it cut ties back in 2022 with Russia’s Patriarch Kirill, who blessed the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but some priests and financial backers have been caught aiding the Russian army in Ukraine. It has also hired top lobbyists in the U.S. to claim the upcoming ban constitutes religious persecution and argue that aid to Ukraine should be paused until Kyiv stops “persecuting” Christians.
| | | | — Hanwha Defense USA has named MICHAEL SMITH as president and chief executive officer. Outgoing CEO JOHN KELLY is departing the company and will stay on through mid-September to assist in the transition.
| | — SEB STARCEVIC, POLITICO: The fugitive prince, the diamond tycoon and the secret plot to snatch €145M of royal land — Government Accountability Office: U.S. agencies should improve tracking of authorized U.S.-origin defense article transfers requested by foreign donors — MICHAEL HIRSH, Foreign Policy: Preparing for a less arrogant America
| | — Center for a New American Security, 10:30 a.m.: Artificial Intelligence and the evolution of biological national security risks — Progressives for Palestine, 1 p.m.: Platforms, policy, and politics — Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, 1 p.m.: Will a Saudi-Israel normalization deal undermine Israeli-Palestine peace efforts? — Jews United for Democracy, 8 p.m.: The world at war: Is there a chance for peace? Thanks to our editor, Rosie Perper, who should be charged with something, but we’re still figuring out what accusations to make up. Thanks to our producer, Gregory Svirnovskiy, who helps us lead the opposition against Rosie.
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