The bicameral resolution would mark May as “Fallen Heroes Memorial Month,” a move both lawmakers believe to be long overdue as National Police Week comes to a close.

“We all owe a debt of gratitude to the Americans who have bravely given their lives for our nation, and we should honor them for more than just one day each calendar year,” Bishop said of the proposal. 

Bishop announced plans to run for North Carolina attorney general in August last year, meaning the two-term congressman has only the remaining year to implement his legislative agenda. 

The resolution marks a continuation of Republican strategy on Capitol Hill where, throughout National Police Week, GOP lawmakers have introduced several pro-law enforcement bills in an effort to cement the party’s law and order accolades. 

Accordingly, Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Andy Ogles (R-TN), and Kelly Armstong (R-ND) have all signed on as co-sponsors of the legislation. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“Memorial Day is not about grilling by the lake — it is a solemn day to remember and honor the brave men and women who have given their lives for this country,” Tuberville said. “Our fallen heroes deserve to be celebrated for more than one day a year.” 

“Numerous months are devoted to specific causes and identities, but our fallen heroes are not currently among them,” Bishop said.

On Thursday, the pier was anchored to the beach in Gaza, completing its construction, and aid shipments will begin “in the coming days,” U.S. CENTCOM Deputy Commander Vice Adm. Brad Cooper told reporters.

“Thousands of tons of aid are in the pipeline,” he added. “We have about 500 tons of humanitarian assistance, loaded on ships, that’s about a million pounds ready for delivery in the coming days.”

Palestinians in Gaza are in desperate need of humanitarian aid including potable water, food, medicine, and shelter. All of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents are facing acute food insecurity, according to Sonali Korde, Assistant to the Administrator of USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.

The new maritime aid opportunity is not designed to replace other means of getting aid to Gaza, rather it’s viewed as a supplementary option. Officials have repeatedly said getting aid to Gaza through land crossings between Gaza’s borders with Israel and Egypt is the primary method.

Aid will be brought to Cyprus where it will be screened and palletized before being loaded on commercial or military vessels that will travel from there to the pier, which is anchored “several kilometers” from the Gaza coast, Cooper said. The aid will then be transported to smaller U.S. military vessels where it will travel the rest of the way to the causeway. The smaller ships can get closer to the coast than bigger ships. The aid will then be unloaded and put onto trucks where it will be driven down the causeway and unloaded.

U.S. officials have said they anticipate beginning with about 90 trucks per day coming over the pier via an attached floating causeway before ramping up to 150 trucks per day as they work through any initial hurdles.

Other countries, including the United Kingdom and France, will be contributing as well.

U.S. forces will not drive the trucks down the causeway and back, nor will they be on the ground in Gaza to distribute aid; the United Nations will.

About 200 aid workers have been killed during the war, and deconfliction measures between the IDF and humanitarian organizations “are not where they need to be given the complexity of the environment.

The “protection of U.S. forces participating is a top priority. And as such, in the last several weeks, the United States and Israel have developed an integrated security plan to protect all the personnel,” said Cooper. “We are confident in the ability of this security arrangement to protect those involved.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The completion of the causeway was delayed by bad weather in the region, though weather is not expected to disrupt the transports of aid, according to deputy Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh.

It’s unclear how long the pier will be in place but defense officials have stressed it will be temporary.

The five soldiers who were killed on Wednesday included four sergeants and one captain, aged 20 to 22, who all belonged to the Paratroopers Brigade and were killed after a tank operating in the same battalion opened fire, the military acknowledged. Three others were seriously injured.

They were identified as Captain Roy Beit Yaakov, 22; Sergeant Gilad Arye Boim, 22; Sergeant Daniel Chemu, 20; Sergeant Ilan Cohen, 20; and Sgt. Betzlel David Shashuah, 21.

“An initial investigation into the deaths of five IDF soldiers reveals that IDF tanks, located dozens of meters away, identified a weapon and fired shells at an IDF force nearby,” the IDF said in a statement, per NBC News. “This force had entered the northern part of Gaza and occupied buildings along a logistic route. The tanks fired two shells for unclear reasons, resulting in seven more soldiers being injured, three severely.”

The IDF “is probing why the shells were fired and if the soldiers were mistaken for armed militants,” the statement added.

This incident raised the number of Israeli forces killed during operational accidents to 44.

Israeli forces have recently returned to northern Gaza to fight off Hamas, despite having previously operated there and claimed victory representing the difficulty of achieving their goals.

“Jabalya is not the Jabalya it used to be,” Brig. Gen. Itzik Cohen, commander of Division 162, said in December, adding that “hundreds of terrorists” had been killed and 500 suspects arrested.

It’s not the first time Israel has had to go back to a part of northern or central Gaza it had operated in to reengage with Hamas in areas it had previously cleared. Back in March, Israeli forces returned to the Shifa hospital in that they cleared during the early weeks of the war.

“The unfortunate reality for Israel is that the size of Israel’s ground force is insufficient to clear and simultaneously hold all of Gaza,” Bradley Bowman, a director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told the Washington Examiner regarding Israel’s return to the hospital.

Israel’s return to the north is also tangential to recent criticism in Israel and around the world that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not done enough to prepare and detail a post-war strategy for Gaza.

“The key to this goal is military action, and the establishment of a governing alternative in Gaza,”  Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Wednesday. “In the absence of such an alternative, only two negative options remain: Hamas’s rule in Gaza or Israeli military rule in Gaza. The meaning of indecision is choosing one of the negative options. It would erode our military achievements, lessen the pressure on Hamas, and sabotage the chances of achieving a framework for the release of hostages.”

Gallant publicly opposed an Israeli occupation of Gaza, which ultranationalists included in Netanyahu’s pre-war governing coalition have called for in recent days.

The defense minister’s comments resemble those given by U.S. officials as well, which have continued to butt heads with Netanyahu.

“Military pressure is necessary but not sufficient to fully defeat Hamas,” U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters this week. “If Israel’s efforts are not accompanied by a political plan for the future of Gaza, and the Palestinian people, the terrorists will keep coming back.”

The United Stattes has hoped to convince Israel not to carry out full-scale operations in Rafah, the southern Gaza city along the Egyptian border. More than a million Palestinians have fled to the city, though it’s also where the remaining Hamas battalions are hiding. The U.S. and several western countries and international organizations have warned of catastrophic consequences if the civilians are not safeguarded.

Israel has operated in a limited capacity in parts of the city, while urging hundreds of thousands to evacuate the city.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

President Joe Biden has said he would limit U.S. military support for Israel if they conduct full-scale operations in Rafah, and the U.S. has not yet said that Israel’s actions have crossed that line. The administration held up a military aid package of thousands of bombs it does not want to see Israel use in Rafah.

Earlier this week, however, the Biden administration also announced its approval of a $1 billion weapon shipment to Israel.

“In September 2023, two days before the parliamentary elections in Slovakia … a fake audio recording was released online in which one candidate discussed how to rig the upcoming election with journalists. The audio was quickly shown to be fake with signs of AI manipulation,” Avril Haines, director of national intelligence, said during the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on foreign threats to U.S. elections. “But under Slovakia law, there is a moratorium on campaigning and media commentary about the election for 48 hours before polls open. And since the deepfake was released in that window, news and government organizations struggled to expose the manipulation, and the victim of the deepfake ended up losing in a very close election.”

The election, and the Russian influencing effort that permeated the campaign, turned Slovakia from a NATO ally that solidly backed Ukraine to a country led by pro-Russia Prime Minister Robert Fico, who pledged to cut off all aid to Ukraine and said Russian President Vladimir Putin has been “wrongly demonized” by the West.

“When Russia invaded, 75%-plus of Slovaks supported Ukraine,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA) noted. “A few years later, due to Russian efforts, Slovakia now has a pro-Russian president, and literally 55% of those Slovaks have been told, and say they think, the United States started the war in Ukraine.”

“Propaganda has always been a weapon of war. I think today, you can do it at scale, faster, more convincing, and in ways that spread very quickly and are difficult to contain,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said. “And in particular, we’ve seen this globally.”

SLOVAKIAN PRIME MINISTER ROBERT FICO AIRLIFTED TO HOSPITAL AFTER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

RUSSIA AND CHINA TAKE DIFFERENT APPROACHES: In her testimony, Haines drew a distinction between how Russia and China have sought to influence U.S. public opinion.

“Russia relies on a vast multimedia influence apparatus, which consists of its intelligence services, cyber actors, state media proxies, and social media trolls,” Haines said. “Moscow most likely views such operations as a means to tear down the United States as its perceived primary adversary, enabling Russia to promote itself as a great power.”

“Whereas Beijing seeks to promote support for China’s policy positions and perspectives, including in the context of specific elections; portray the U.S. democratic model as chaotic, ineffective, unrepresentative; and magnify U.S. societal divisions,” Haines said, noting China has been more cautious, “concerned about the possible blowback in the event their efforts are disclosed.”

Haines said that unlike Russia, China did not attempt to influence the outcome of the 2020 elections and, thus far, there is no evidence this election will be any different “even as they continue to engage in efforts to promote politicians at all levels who are taking positions favorable to China on key issues.”

US INTEL OFFICIALS WARN CONGRESS THAT ELECTION INTERFERENCE WILL BE ‘MORE COMPLEX THAN EVER’

IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE: “I think we’re going to be struggling with this for a very long time because the Russians are the best at it. They’ve been doing it a long time, and so they know and they’ve perfected it,” Rubio said. “But every election cycle, more and more cast of characters are joining the parade here in terms of getting into this business.”

“Foreign influence efforts go well beyond simple online trolling or traditional propaganda,” Warner said. “Foreign election efforts in the last eight years have, among other things, involved efforts to infiltrate both online and in person a range of U.S. organizations on both sides of the political spectrum, with the goal of stoking political polarization in the United States and promoting social and racial strife.”

“The truth is the kind of audio and video manipulation that even as recently as four years ago and clearly eight years ago was still a challenge, now can happen at a speed and scale due to AI tools that’s unprecedented,” he said. “And literally, there’s not a week or month that goes by that those AI video and audio tools don’t continue to improve.”

SCHUMER LEADS BIPARTISAN CHARGE TO DEVOTE $32 BILLION FOR GUIDANCE ON AI

Good Thursday 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 Stacey Dec. 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 me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE

HAPPENING TODAY: The Pentagon will release its Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military this morning, which will reportedly show a 19% drop in the number of service members who said they had “unwanted sexual contact” last year, the first decrease in eight years.

“More than 29,000 active-duty service members said in the survey that they had unwanted sexual contact during the previous year, compared with nearly 36,000 in the 2021 survey,” according to the Associated Press, which cited “several defense officials.”

President Joe Biden credited military leadership when he hosted the Joint Chiefs and combatant commanders at the White House yesterday. “I’m proud that for the first time in nearly a decade, rates of sexual assault and harassment are, within the active-duty forces, are down. They’re down. That’s because of your leadership,” Biden said.

The Pentagon has scheduled a media roundtable for 10:30 a.m. in which a panel of officials led by Beth Foster, executive director of the DOD Office of Force Resiliency, will discuss the report’s findings.

GAZA PIER IN PLACE: The U.S. Central Command announced this morning that the floating pier and causeway the United States has been assembling for weeks is finally in place and ready to begin channeling humanitarian aid to Gaza.

“Today at approximately 7:40 a.m. (Gaza time) United States Central Command personnel supporting the humanitarian mission to deliver additional humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in need anchored a temporary pier to the beach in Gaza,” CENTCOM said in a news release. “As part of this effort, no U.S. troops entered Gaza. Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance are expected to begin moving ashore in the coming days. The United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution into Gaza.”

The Pentagon insists the renewed fighting on the outskirts of Rafah, which has displaced some 600,000 people, does not pose a threat to the humanitarian relief operation. 

While Israeli forces are in charge of security on the beach, the U.S. is keeping two warships nearby to protect the pier. “We are confident in the ability of this security arrangement to protect those involved,” said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, a CENTCOM deputy commander.

NETANYAHU FACES MOUNTING PRESSURE OVER ISRAEL’S POSTWAR PLAN FOR GAZA

US, JAPAN COOPERATE ON HYPERSONIC DEFENSE: The Pentagon has announced an agreement with Japan to develop defenses against hypersonic missiles jointly, which would intercept the missiles in the glide phase before they can hit their targets.

The Glide Phase Interceptor will “deliver a regional defensive capability over time as part of a holistic layered defensive architecture,” the Pentagon and Japanese Defense Ministry said in separate statements. “By pursuing an agreement on GPI development, the U.S. and Japan will strengthen regional deterrence while enhancing long-standing missile defense cooperation between the two countries.”

“The interceptors will be designed to fit into the U.S. Navy’s Aegis ballistic missile defense-equipped destroyers,” Defense News reported. “The weapon will fire from the standard vertical launching system and be integrated with the modified Baseline 9 Aegis Weapon System that detects, tracks, controls and engages hypersonic threats.”

WICKER ON PUTIN-XI MEETING: ‘NOT JUST TWO FRIENDS CATCHING UP OVER COFFEE’: Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, is accusing the Biden administration of ignoring a “blinking red light” on the Korean Peninsula as Russian President Vladimir Putin meets in Beijing today with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“This is not just two friends catching up over coffee. Putin is running to his big brother to have a meeting of the world’s most dangerous minds. Will the gang be getting together next week in Pyongyang? Is the Tehran visit in June?” Wicker said in a press release.  “American leaders need to be taking these growing relationships more seriously. That includes enhancing our military strength with a greater sense of urgency and pushing forward a level of defense investment that meets the moment.”

In an opinion essay published on Fox News, Wicker wrote, “Pyongyang has taken advantage of recent events, like the war in Ukraine, to forge a strong bond with Beijing and Moscow,” with Xi and Putin “stuffing North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un’s pocketbook.”

“The warning light on the Korean peninsula is blinking red,” Wicker said. “American defense leaders are finding our nation unprepared for North Korea’s growing military capabilities and its strategic alignment with Russia and China. Choosing to ignore the issue, as the Biden administration has done, is no longer an option.”

RISCH, McCAUL: US ‘FICKLE FRIEND’ TO ISRAEL: Meanwhile, Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, are blasting Biden over his decision to pause delivery of some high-payload bombs to Israel.

“Unfortunately, the failure to respect congressional prerogatives has risen to new levels with your recent decision to unilaterally pause a shipment of weapons to Israel without any prior notification or consultation with Congress,” the lawmakers said in a letter to Biden. “Despite numerous requests from our respective chambers, we still don’t have basic answers to questions about the weapons you have stopped from shipping.”

“Make no mistake, America’s allies and adversaries are watching,” they added. “Partners straddling the fence between the United States on the one hand and China and Russia on the other are watching. They’re drawing the conclusion that the United States is a fickle friend and cannot be relied upon to follow through on its commitments in their hour of need.”

The House is scheduled to take up the “Israel Security Assistance Support Act,” which seeks to force Biden to provide all the arms authorized by Congress to Israel. 

JEWISH BIDEN APPOINTEE RESIGNS OVER PRESIDENT’S STANCE ON WAR IN GAZA: ‘BLOOD OF INNOCENT PEOPLE ON HIS HANDS’

THE RUNDOWN: 

Washington Examiner: Blinken says Ukraine ‘has to make decisions for itself’ about strikes in Russia

Washington Examiner: Netanyahu faces mounting pressure over Israel’s post-war plan for Gaza

Washington Examiner: Jewish Biden appointee resigns over president’s stance on war in Gaza: ‘Blood of innocent people on his hands’

Washington Examiner: Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico airlifted to hospital after assassination attempt

Washington Examiner: US intel officials warn Congress that election interference will be ‘more complex than ever’

Washington Examiner: Schumer leads bipartisan charge to devote $32 billion for guidance on AI

Washington Examiner: Prosecutors accuse Bob Menendez of putting power ‘up for sale’ in bribery trial

Washington Examiner: Border Patrol insider says Biden officials disagreed on ‘right outcome’ for migrant crisis

AP: Putin thanks Xi for China’s initiatives to resolve the Ukraine conflict

Reuters: Blinken Offers New U.S. Aid As Kyiv Reels From Renewed Russian Attacks

New York Times: Ukraine Fights to Hold Off Fierce Russian Assaults in Northeast

AP: Russia Says It Downed 10 U.S.-Supplied Missiles Over Crimea As Blinken Visits Kyiv

The Economist: What are the Russian “turtle tanks” seen in Ukraine?

Reuters: U.S. Says Warship Mason Intercepted Houthi Missile, Vessel Destiny Untouched

Stars and Stripes: US Faces Uncertainty in Africa as Forces Gather for Special Operations Exercise

Washington Post: Israel Endgame Questioned As Hamas Returns To North

AP: The top UN court is holding hearings on the Israeli military’s incursion into Rafah

Bloomberg: Lockheed-Boeing Alliance Hit With US Fine for Launch Delays

Breaking Defense: V-22 Osprey Operating with ‘Limited Envelope,’ Required to Stay Near Airfields

Air & Space Forces Magazine: LaPlante: ‘Nunn-McCurdy Or Not,’ US Must Have ICBM Leg of Triad

Breaking Defense: France Undecided on US Offer to Join ‘Olympic Defender’ Space Effort

DefenseScoop: Lawmakers Plan to Press DOD to Accelerate Fielding of AI-Enabled Counter-Drone Capabilities

Defense One: The Air Force Needs More In-House Coders

AP: Who Gets to Claim Self-Defense in Shootings? Airman’s Death Sparks Debate over Race and Gun Rights

Miliary.com: Privatized Barracks Would Get Deeper Look Under House’s Draft Defense Bill

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Deployments of the Future: Here Are the First 6 Air Task Force Locations

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Weapons School Celebrates 75 Years of Adapting to New Challenges

Air & Space Forces Magazine: F-16 Demo Team Rolls Out 50th Anniversary Paint Scheme

THE CALENDAR: 

THURSDAY | MAY 16

9:30 a.m. 216 Hart — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “The Posture of the Department of the Navy in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2025 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti; and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith http://www.armed-services.senate.gov

9:30 a.m. HVC-210, Capitol — House select committee on the Chinese Communist Party hearing: “All Roads Lead to Beijing?” with testimony from David Trulio, president and CEO, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute; Daniel Runde, senior vice president, Center for Strategic and International Studies; and Brad Parks, executive director of AidData, William & Mary Global Research Institute https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov

9:30 a.m. — Henry Stimson Center virtual discussion: “Connecting the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific: Northeast Asia’s Growing Cooperation with NATO,” with former European Union Ambassador to South Korea Michael Reiterer, professor, Brussels School of Governance Center for Security, Diplomacy, and Strategy; Bo Ram Kwon, Korea Institute for Defense Analyses associate research fellow; Yuki Tatsumi, director, Stimson Center’s Japan Program; and Jenny Town, director, Stimson Center’s 38 North and Korea Program https://www.stimson.org/event/connecting-the-atlantic-and-indo-pacific

10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “One Year In: Defense Innovation Unit 3.0 and the Path Forward,” with Douglas Beck, director, Defense Innovation Unit https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-one-year-in-diu-3-0

2 p.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Subcommittee hearing: “Security Risk: The Unprecedented Surge in Chinese Illegal Immigration” http://homeland.house.gov

2 p.m — Government Executive Media Group virtual discussion: “The role of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in modern conflict, how the Air Force is training ISR operators, and how emerging tech is improving operations,” with Air Force Lt. Gen. Leah Lauderback, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and cyber effects operations, and Dave Gold, Americas field chief technology officer at SentinelOne https://events.defenseone.com/defense-one-service-branch-spotlight-air-force

2 p.m. 2212 Rayburn — Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe hearing: “Closing the Skies, Liberating Ukraine,” with Michael Ryan, former deputy assistant secretary of defense; former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, senior director, Atlantic Council; and Nataliya Bugayova, nonresident fellow, Institute for the Study of War https://events.defenseone.com/defense-one-service-branch-spotlight-air-force/

 3 p.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW — American Enterprise Institute in-person and virtual discussion: “No Invasion Necessary: A Discussion of How China Can Employ a Coercion-Based Strategy to Take Taiwan Without a War,” with Dan Blumenthal, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Frederick Kagan, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Kimberly Kagan, president, Institute for the Study of War; and Bonny Lin, director, China Power Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies https://www.aei.org/events/no-invasion-necessary

FRIDAY | MAY 17

10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Developing Drone and Counter-Drone Capabilities,” with Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo org/events/virtual-event-developing-drone-and-counter-drone-capabilities

10 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “The upcoming 2024 NATO Summit and allied strategies to counter renewed Russian retaliation amid Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine and efforts to modernize the alliance’s capabilities,” with Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commander of the U.S. European Command and supreme NATO commander; Michael Andersson, head of strategic affairs and international affairs at Saab and board director, Atlantic Council; former Supreme NATO Commander retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, executive chairman emeritus of the Atlantic Council; and Andrew Michta, director and senior fellow of the Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s Scowcroft Security Initiative https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/road-to-washington-general-christopher-cavoli

12 p.m. 555 13th St. NW — Washington Space Business Roundtable discussion: “Integrating the growing U.S. commercial space sector into our national security space architecture,” with Col. Richard Kniseley, senior material leader, Space Systems Command Commercial Space Office https://www.wsbr.org/events/wsbr-may-luncheon-with-colonel-richard-kniseley

TUESDAY | MAY 21

6:30 a.m Arlington, Virginia — Association of the U.S. Army “Coffee Series,” in-person event with Lt. Gen. Karl Gingrich, deputy Army chief of staff for resources and plans

WEDNESDAY | MAY 22

10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies in-person and virtual discussion: “The Next Generation of National Security Leaders: A Conversation with Major General Arnold Punaro,” with retired Marine Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro, former staff director, Senate Armed Service Committee; former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn, former Senate Armed Services Committee chairman and chairman emeritus of the Board, CSIS; former Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss, former Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; retired Gen. Jim Jones, former Marine Corps Commandant, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and national security adviser; and moderator Jennifer Griffin, chief national security correspondent, Fox News https://www.csis.org/events/next-generation-national-security-leaders

4:45 p.m. 222 Russell — Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing: “The Department of Energy’s Atomic Energy Defense Activities and Department of Defense Nuclear Weapons Programs in Review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2025 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from National Nuclear Security Administration Administrator Jill Hruby; William White, Energy Department senior adviser for environmental management; Navy Adm. William Houston, deputy administrator for the Office of Naval Reactors, National Nuclear Security Administration; Marvin Adams, deputy administrator for defense programs, National Nuclear Security Administration; Air Force Gen. Thomas Bussiere, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command; and Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, director for strategic systems programs in the Department of the Navy http://www.armed-services.senate.gov

“The United States has been by your side from day one. We’re with you today. And we will stay by your side until Ukraine’s security, its sovereignty, its ability to choose its own path is guaranteed,” Blinken said in a wide-ranging address before a university audience in Kyiv. 

“After the delay in approving the latest U.S. assistance package to Ukraine, a delay that left you more vulnerable to Russia’s attacks, some Ukrainians may be wondering whether you can count on America to sustain its commitment,” Blinken said. “The $60 billion aid package that was approved by our Congress with overwhelming support, across both political parties and both houses of Congress, I think demonstrates that you can.”

Blinken’s upbeat comments and fulsome praise of Ukraine’s “extraordinary courage and resilience” in the face of Russia’s renewed attacks along a new northern front came as President Volodymyr Zelensky again pleaded for the weapons he needs to stop the heavy bombardment that is making Ukrainian towns and village uninhabitable, forcing thousands to flee their homes. 

“​​It’s not a simple period for Ukraine and a tough period for the east of our country,” Zelesnky said before meeting privately with Blinken. “The point is the air defense, the biggest deficit for us,” he said. “Really, we need today two batteries for Kharkiv, for Kharkiv region, because the people are under attack. Civilians and warriors, everybody, they are under Russian missiles.”

“The assistance is now on the way. Some of it’s already arrived, more that will be arriving,” Blink assured Zelensky. “And that’s going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.”

RUSSIA’S NEXT MOVE UNCLEAR: The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, which tracks the vicissitudes on the battlefield on a daily basis, said that as of yesterday, it appeared the pace of Russian offensive operations north of Kharkiv has slowed and the new front may be gradually stabilizing as Russian troops have taken heavy losses.

“Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets noted that growing Russian losses in this direction are leading to a decrease in the overall pace of offensive operations,” the ISW said in its overnight assessment. “Ukrainian Chief of the General Staff Maj. Gen. Anatoliy Barhylevych suggested that Russian forces have lost up to 1,740 soldiers in this direction over just the past day, which would be a very high rate of losses.”

“The pattern of Russian offensive activity in this area is consistent with ISW’s assessment that Russian forces are prioritizing the creation of a ‘buffer zone’ in the international border area,” the group’s latest posting said, citing comments from Ukrainian Gen. Kyrylo Budanov that Ukrainian reinforcements have begun defending against Russian advances.

“Russian forces will likely focus on consolidating new positions and building out a lateral salient in Kharkiv Oblast by merging the Lyptsi and Vovchansk efforts and creating a ‘buffer zone’ in the border area, as opposed to pushing further into the oblast,” the ISW concluded.

PUTIN TO VISIT XI: Ahead of his two-day state visit to China, which begins tomorrow, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an interview to China’s Xinhua News Agency in which he cited the “unprecedented level of strategic partnership” between Moscow and Beijing and embraced Chinese President Xi Jinping’s formula for ending the war in Ukraine on Russia’s terms.

“We commend China’s approaches to resolving the crisis in Ukraine,” Putin said, referring to the 12-point plan China’s Foreign Ministry released more than a year ago. “Beijing proposes practicable and constructive steps to achieve peace. … Unfortunately, neither Ukraine nor its Western patrons support these initiatives. They are not ready to engage in an equal, honest, and open dialogue based on mutual respect and consideration of each other’s interests.”

“Instead, Western elites are stubbornly working to punish Russia, isolate and weaken it, supplying the Kyiv authorities with money and arms. They have imposed almost 16,000 unilateral illegitimate sanctions against our country. They are threatening to dismember our country,” Putin complained. 

“Russia stands ready for negotiations,” he said. “​​We are seeking a comprehensive, sustainable, and just settlement of this conflict through peaceful means.”

“For decades, Putin has caused unspeakable grief for the people of Ukraine. He’s inflicted every kind of degradation and harshness,” Blinken said in his Kyiv speech. “There’s one thing that Putin has always underestimated but that Ukrainians understand to their core, and that’s the fierceness — the fierceness with which free people will defend their right to shape their own destiny.”

BLINKEN PLAYS ‘ROCKIN IN THE FREE WORLD’ IN WAR-TORN UKRAINE

Good Wednesday 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 Stacey Dec. 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 me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE

HAPPENING TODAY: President Joe Biden meets with members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and commanders of U.S. combatant commands in the Cabinet Room of the White House at 4:30 p.m., followed by a dinner for the senior military officers and their spouses at 6:30 p.m. 

BIDEN APPROVES ISRAEL AID, MINUS 2,000-POUND BOMBS: Amid all the controversy surrounding Biden’s decision to withhold 2,000-pound bombs for fear Israel will use them in urban areas risking civilian casualties, the administration is moving ahead with a $1 billion package that includes tank ammunition, tactical vehicles, and mortar rounds.

The administration notified Congress of the transfer yesterday, the Washington Examiner confirmed after reports by several media organizations, citing congressional sources.  

The weapons package is now going through the congressional review process. It’s not clear when the military aid will arrive in Israel.

Meanwhile, Israel moved tanks into the eastern part of Rafah, pushing deeper inside the city limits, as an estimated 450,000 people have fled the area in a mass exodus. 

“When we talk about a Rafah operation that we would take issue with, we’re talking about an operation that is major, that is a direct invasion into Rafah, that is targeting and invading into the urban and dense centers,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters yesterday. “I will leave it to the [Israel Defense Forces] to speak to their own operation. We have yet to see a major operation into Rafah.”

BIDEN GREENLIGHTS $1 BILLION WEAPON SHIPMENT TO ISRAEL WEEK AFTER WITHHOLDING BOMBS

PIER PRESSURE: The Pentagon said the $320 million floating pier and causeway, assembled by U.S. Army engineers, is ready to be moved into place off the coast of Gaza to open a new avenue for the delivery of humanitarian support to famished Palestinian civilians.

“It’s still off the Port of Ashdod and has not been attached to the beach,” Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters at yesterday’s Pentagon briefing. “In the coming days, I think you can expect to see it operational.”

“Clearly, land routes would be optimal, but as, you know, we continue to see challenges in terms of getting aid in via ground, we’re going to continue to employ this method to work with the international community to get aid in to the people of Gaza,” Ryder said. “What I think you’ll end up seeing is as this pier becomes operational, other groups coming, wanting to participate.”

“The U.S. government and other international donors are providing aid commodities for delivery from Cyprus to the beach in Gaza by way of U.S. and partner-nation military and civilian vessels,” he said. “What it is we’re trying to accomplish here, it’s trying to get humanitarian assistance as quickly as possible to the people of Gaza, whether that be by land, sea, or air.”

The Pentagon has downplayed the risk to American forces operating the pier, noting the U.S. has Navy ships in the area. “We do have naval vessels, destroyers in the region that can provide assistance,” Ryder said. “We’ve said all along, force protection is going to continue to be of paramount concern. … We do believe that we have the pieces and parts in place so that when we do begin operations, we’re confident that we’ll have the security in place that we need.”

NETANYAHU ALLIES CALL FOR ISRAEL TO ANNEX GAZA: ‘THE HOLY LAND’

THE RUNDOWN: 

Washington Examiner: Biden greenlights $1 billion weapon shipment to Israel week after withholding bombs

Washington Examiner: Netanyahu allies call for Israel to annex Gaza: ‘The Holy Land’

Washington Examiner: Blinken plays ‘Rockin in the Free World’ in war-torn Ukraine

Washington Examiner: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis calls Biden’s tariffs on China ‘horrible news’

Washington Examiner: White House pressed on whether Chinese tariffs will impact consumers, hike prices

Washington Examiner: Jerome Powell says ‘influx’ of migrants under Biden alleviating labor shortage

Washington Examiner: Opinion: What Biden has learned from Trump on China and foreign policy

Washington Examiner: Opinion: The arsenal of democracy is running low on gunpowder

Defense One: Ukrainians Plead with White House to Lift Missile-Use Restrictions

New York Times: Russia Detains Senior General, Widening Military Purge

New York Times: Israeli Military Leaders See Danger in Lack of a Plan to Govern Gaza

Wall Street Journal: Hamas Shift To Guerrilla Tactics Raises Specter Of Forever War For Israel

New York Times: Yahya Sinwar Helped Start the War in Gaza. Now He’s Key to Its Endgame.

AP: British prime minister warns of ‘axis of authoritarian states’ in pre-election speech

Washington Times: Navy Admiral: U.S. Warships In Red Sea Operating At A WWII-Level Pace

Inside Defense: Cost-Effective Method Of Battling Houthis Poses Challenge, Pyle Says

Bloomberg: US to Boost Output of Bombs Designed to Hit Underground Nuclear Facilities

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Allvin: What Ukraine and the Middle East Have Shown USAF About Airpower

The Telegraph: Britain to Deploy Homegrown Hypersonic Missile by 2030

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Draft NDAA Would Let the Space Force Absorb Guard Units—with Restrictions

Breaking Defense: HASC Pushes for Reciprocity Guidance for Cloud Computing in Draft NDAA Language

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Top Lawmakers Want to Slash F-35 Production, Put Funds Toward Test Capacity

Air & Space Forces Magazine: House Defense Bill Would Slow F-15E Retirements, Add Future F-15EXs

AP: Military Hearing Officer Deciding Whether to Recommend Court-Martial for Pentagon Leaker

Air & Space Forces Magazine: T-6 Instructor Pilot Dies After Ejection Seat Goes Off on the Ground

Breaking Defense: ‘No Silver Bullet:’ Military Will Need Multiple Systems to Back Up GPS

Defense News: Space Force Should Consider Alternative Launch Sites, Lawmakers Say

National Defense Magazine: V-22 Woes: Lessons Learned From The Harrier Experience

USNI News: Marines Fly AV-8B Harrier At Cherry Point Air Show In Final Public Performance

Defense News: Opinion: It’s Time to Rebalance Funding Toward the Air Force and Space Force

The Cipher Brief: After $130 Billion in U.S. Aid, Why Israel Can ‘Stand Alone’

The Cipher Brief: Opinion: The U.S. Military’s Recruitment Problem – and What to Do About It

THE CALENDAR: 

WEDNESDAY | MAY 15

9 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute China Center conference: “The Pernicious Impact of China’s Anti-Secession Law,” focusing on “Taiwan’s right to self-determination,” with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR); former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Hudson fellow; Robert Tsao, founder of United Microelectronics Corporation; and Vincent Chao, former director, Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S. Political Division https://www.hudson.org/events/pernicious-impact-chinas-anti-secession-law

10 a.m. 192 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing: “A Review of Select Department of Defense Acquisition Programs,” with testimony from William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment; Douglas Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology; Nickolas Guertin, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development, and acquisition; and Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics http://appropriations.senate.gov

10 a.m. 138 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee hearing: “A Review of the 2025 Budget Request for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation,” with testimony from Michael Connor, assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, and Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, chief of engineers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers http://appropriations.senate.gov

10 a.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing: “The Future of Arms Control and Deterrence,” with testimony from Bonnie Jenkins, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security http://foreign.senate.gov

10 a.m. 608 Dirksen — Senate Budget Committee hearing: “Budgeting for the Storm: Climate Change and the Costs to National Security,” with testimony from retired Vice Adm. Dennis McGinn, former assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations, and environment; Erin Sikorsky, director, Center for Climate and Security and the International Military Council on Climate and Security; and Rick Dwyer, executive director, Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance http://budget.senate.gov

10 a.m. 2167 Rayburn — House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing: “Reviewing and Examining the Francis Scott Key Bridge Federal Response,” with testimony from Vice Adm. Peter Gautier, deputy commandant for operations, Coast Guard; Maj. Gen. William “Butch” Graham, deputy commanding general for civil and emergency operations, Army Corps of Engineers; Shailen Bhatt, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration; and Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board http://transportation.house.gov

11 a.m. 1763 N St. NW — Middle East Institute book discussion: “Battle Ground: Ten Conflicts that Explain the New Middle East,” with author Christopher Phillips, professor of international relations at Queen Mary University of London https://www.mei.edu/events/book-talk-battle-ground-ten-conflicts

1 p.m. — U.S. Navy Memorial virtual discussion with Vice Adm. Richard John Cheeseman, deputy chief of naval operations for manpower, personnel, training, and education and chief of naval personnel, Navy, part of the “SITREP” series. https://navymemorial.swoogo.com/cheeseman_sitrep/5683942

2:30 p.m. 216 Hart — Senate Intelligence Committee hearing: “Update on Foreign Threats to 2024 Elections,” with testimony from Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines; Jen Easterly, director, Homeland Security Department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; and Larissa Knapp, executive assistant director for the FBI’s National Security Branch http://intelligence.senate.gov

4 p.m. 232-A Russell — Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee hearing: “Army Modernization in Review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2025 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Douglas Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology; Army Gen. James Rainey, commanding general of the U.S. Army Futures Command; and Army Lt. Gen. Karl Gingrich, deputy chief of staff (G-8) http://www.armed-services.senate.gov

4:30 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Flipping the Cube: Transforming the Defense Budget Structure,” with former Pentagon Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation Jamie Morin, vice president of Defense Strategic Space, Aerospace Corporation, and former Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist, president and CEO of the National Defense Industrial Association https://www.hudson.org/events/flipping-cube

THURSDAY | MAY 16

9:30 a.m. 216 Hart — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “The Posture of the Department of the Navy in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2025 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti; and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith http://www.armed-services.senate.gov

9:30 a.m. HVC-210, Capitol — House select committee on the Chinese Communist Party hearing: “All Roads Lead to Beijing?” with testimony from David Trulio, president and CEO, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute; Daniel Runde, senior vice president, Center for Strategic and International Studies; and Brad Parks, executive director of AidData, William & Mary Global Research Institute https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov

9:30 a.m. — Henry Stimson Center virtual discussion: “Connecting the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific: Northeast Asia’s Growing Cooperation with NATO,” with former European Union Ambassador to South Korea Michael Reiterer, professor, Brussels School of Governance Center for Security, Diplomacy, and Strategy; Bo Ram Kwon, Korea Institute for Defense Analyses associate research fellow; Yuki Tatsumi, director, Stimson Center’s Japan Program; and Jenny Town, director, Stimson Center’s 38 North and Korea Program https://www.stimson.org/event/connecting-the-atlantic-and-indo-pacific

10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “One Year In: Defense Innovation Unit 3.0 and the Path Forward,” with Douglas Beck, director, Defense Innovation Unit https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-one-year-in-diu-3-0

2 p.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Subcommittee hearing: “Security Risk: The Unprecedented Surge in Chinese Illegal Immigration” http://homeland.house.gov

2 p.m — Government Executive Media Group virtual discussion: “The role of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in modern conflict, how the Air Force is training ISR operators, and how emerging tech is improving operations,” with Air Force Lt. Gen. Leah Lauderback, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and cyber effects operations, and Dave Gold, Americas field chief technology officer at SentinelOne https://events.defenseone.com/defense-one-service-branch-spotlight-air-force

2 p.m. 2212 Rayburn — Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe hearing: “Closing the Skies, Liberating Ukraine,” with Michael Ryan, former deputy assistant secretary of defense; former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, senior director, Atlantic Council; and Nataliya Bugayova, nonresident fellow, Institute for the Study of War https://events.defenseone.com/defense-one-service-branch-spotlight-air-force/

 3 p.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW — American Enterprise Institute in-person and virtual discussion: “No Invasion Necessary: A Discussion of How China Can Employ a Coercion-Based Strategy to Take Taiwan Without a War,” with Dan Blumenthal, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Frederick Kagan, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Kimberly Kagan, president, Institute for the Study of War; and Bonny Lin, director, China Power Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies https://www.aei.org/events/no-invasion-necessary

FRIDAY | MAY 17

10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Developing Drone and Counter-Drone Capabilities,” with Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo org/events/virtual-event-developing-drone-and-counter-drone-capabilities

10 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “The upcoming 2024 NATO Summit and allied strategies to counter renewed Russian retaliation amid Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine and efforts to modernize the alliance’s capabilities,” with Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commander of the U.S. European Command and supreme NATO commander; Michael Andersson, head of strategic affairs and international affairs at Saab and board director, Atlantic Council; former Supreme NATO Commander retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, executive chairman emeritus of the Atlantic Council; and Andrew Michta, director and senior fellow of the Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s Scowcroft Security Initiative https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/road-to-washington-general-christopher-cavoli12 p.m. 555 13th St. NW — Washington Space Business Roundtable discussion: “Integrating the growing U.S. commercial space sector into our national security space architecture,” with Col. Richard Kniseley, senior material leader, Space Systems Command Commercial Space Office https://www.wsbr.org/events/wsbr-may-luncheon-with-colonel-richard-kniseley

“While in Ukraine, Secretary Blinken will meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to discuss battlefield updates, the impact of new U.S. security and economic assistance, long-term security and other commitments,” the State Department said in a statement announcing Blinken’s arrival. “He will emphasize America’s commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democracy in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression.”

In brief remarks before their first meeting, both Blinken and Zelensky admitted Ukraine is now in a tough spot, the result primarily of the six-month delay by the U.S. Congress in approving a $61 billion aid package, a delay that left Ukraine’s artillery and air defense systems greatly depleted.

“That has put Ukraine in a hole, and we’ve made no bones about that from this podium,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said at a White House briefing Monday.

Blinken is scheduled to deliver remarks tonight at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute to “address how the United States and other Allies and partners will help Ukraine achieve its goal of building a free, prosperous, and secure democracy — fully integrated into Europe and the Transatlantic Alliance,” according to the State Department. His speech will be livestreamed at 11 a.m. Eastern time. 

‘RUSSIA HAS CONTINUED TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE’: With Russia expanding its foothold in the north and eyeing a future assault on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, Ukrainian defenders who have been forced to fall back are in desperate need of practically everything.

“Russian forces continued to make tactically significant advances north and northeast of Kharkiv City on May 13 and currently appear to be prioritizing the rapid establishment of a buffer zone along the international border over setting conditions for deeper penetrations into northern Kharkiv Oblast,” the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest assessment. 

“Active hostilities are very close. Ukrainians are concerned about it, so timely assistance is very important,” Andriy Yermak, a top adviser to Zelensky, said yesterday. “Kharkiv is an important strategic city. A large number of people stay there. We have preserved and will preserve it.”

“Russia has continued to push the envelope in terms of just the brutality, intensity of its campaign,” Sullivan said. “It has sought more targets across a wider range of Ukraine, most of them civilian, frankly, trying to destroy the Ukrainian electricity grid with an even greater determination this year than they had last year.”

‘THE LEVEL OF INTENSITY … IS 10 OUT OF 10’: Sullivan along with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. held urgent consultations by phone with their Ukrainian counterparts ahead of Blinken’s visit. 

“We spoke for 90 minutes. It was a detailed conversation about the situation on the front, about the capabilities that they are most in need of, and a real triage effort to say ‘get us this stuff this fast so that we can be in a position to effectively defend against the Russian onslaught,’” Sullivan said. 

“Our whole coalition, with the president, Secretary Austin, myself working day in, day out to coordinate those deliveries and to put Ukraine in a position where it is better able to defend against what Russia is throwing at them, and what they are throwing at them is quite considerable,” Sullivan said. “Some of that equipment is already on the battlefield. On Friday, [President Joe Biden] signed out another package. Some of that equipment will get onto the battlefield this week.”

“What you will see is a steady flow week by week. It’s not like we’ve got to wait well out into the future before stuff starts getting delivered,” Sullivan said. “We’re doing everything humanly possible, both ourselves and our allies who are surging equipment as well, to get it there to the front lines. … The level of intensity being exhibited right now in terms of moving stuff is at a 10 out of 10.”

ISW: BIDEN POLICY HAS GIVEN RUSSIA ‘A VAST SANCTUARY’: In a special report, George Barros of the Institute for the Study of War argued that defeating Russia’s Kharkiv offensive requires allowing Ukraine to eliminate Putin’s “safe space.”

“Current U.S. policy prohibiting Ukraine from using U.S.-provided weapons in the territory of the Russian Federation is severely compromising Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against the renewed cross-border invasion Russia has recently launched in Kharkiv Oblast,” Barros wrote. “U.S. policy has effectively created a vast sanctuary in which Russia has been able to amass its ground invasion force and from which it is launching glide bombs and other long-range strike systems in support of its renewed invasion.”

“Russian aircraft can strike Kharkiv City indefinitely without ever leaving the sanctuary of Russian airspace. Kharkiv City lies 40 kilometers from Russia’s international border with Ukraine. Russia’s glide bombs have a glide range of 40-60 kilometers. Ukraine’s air defense systems do not have the capability to intercept glide bombs once they have been launched from Russian fighter-bombers. The Russian Air Force can therefore strike Kharkiv City without ever entering Ukraine’s sovereign airspace. It is absurd to constrain Ukraine’s ability to counter Russia’s glide bomb threat in Kharkiv at this pivotal movement,” Barros concluded. “Whatever the merits of this U.S. policy before the Russian assault on Kharkiv Oblast began, it should be modified immediately to reflect the urgent realities of the current situation.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Good Tuesday 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 Stacey Dec. 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 me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE

HAPPENING TODAY: BIDEN TO ANNOUNCE CHINA TARIFFS: President Joe Biden is scheduled to make remarks in the White House Rose Garden at 12:15 p.m., where he is expected to announce the imposition of 102% tariffs on any electric vehicles imported from China, as well as steep increases on duties on clean energy products, such as semiconductors, solar panels, and batteries.

A 100% tariff on Chinese EV imports is something former President Donald Trump has been touting at rallies as he campaigns for a second term. 

“If you’re listening, President Xi [Jinping], and you and I are friends, but he understands the way I deal. Those big monster car manufacturing plants that you’re building in Mexico right now, and you think you’re going to get that, you’re going to not hire Americans and you’re going to sell the cars to us,” Trump said at a rally in Dayton, Ohio, in March. “Now, we’re going to put a 100% tariff on every single car that comes across the line, and you’re not going to be able to sell those cars if I get elected.”

Currently, very few EVs from China are sold in the U.S., but subsidized by the Chinese government, some models sold in China cost as little as $12,000.

WHITE HOUSE CRITICIZES TRUMP TARIFFS AHEAD OF REPORTED BIDEN CHINA ANNOUNCEMENT

US BANS RUSSIAN URANIUM: Biden last night signed into law the bipartisan “Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act,” which bans imports of enriched uranium from Russia. The law will “strengthen our nation’s energy and economic security by reducing — and ultimately eliminating — our reliance on Russia for civilian nuclear power,” the White House said in a statement by national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

The law will take effect in three months but grants waivers to U.S. utility companies that operate nuclear reactors, giving them until 2028 to find other sources of uranium. The law also provides almost $3 billion to help stimulate domestic uranium processing.

“This new law reestablishes America’s leadership in the nuclear sector,” Sullivan said. “It will jumpstart new enrichment capacity in the United States and send a clear message to industry that we are committed to long-term growth in our nuclear sector.”

PUTIN’S MILITARY SHAKE-UP: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s surprise decision to fire his longtime Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and replace him with an economist with no military experience is widely seen as a recognition by Putin that over the long term, logistics win wars, and Russia rapidly needs to ramp up its defense manufacturing sector.

Putin’s selection of Andrei Belousov underscores the need for Russia to rebuild its military, which has been significantly attrited by Ukraine over more than two years of combat, all while preparing for several more years of war.

“He’s a first deputy prime minister. His background is in economics and not defense,” retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling said on CNN on Sunday. “It’s likely a reflection of Putin’s trust in him and the need for better internal management within the Ministry of Defense.”

“Look, it’s an opaque system. It’s run by one man, Vladimir Putin. He calls the shots. He may move around professionals into various roles, but at the end of the day, he seems bound and determined to continue to try to inflict a brutal war of aggression on Ukraine,” Sullivan said when asked about the significance of the shake-up. “I can’t draw any conclusions at this point. We’ll have to see what unfolds.”

RUSSIA ANNOUNCES SHAKE-UP TO PUTIN’S NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM

THE RUNDOWN: 

Washington Examiner: Netanyahu under fire, in Israel and abroad, for lack of strategy to defeat Hamas

Washington Examiner: US-Israel relationship has not changed ‘fundamentally’ over paused weapons, envoy claims

Washington Examiner: Army officer resigns over continued US support for Israel

Washington Examiner: House Republicans target Biden after pausing weapons shipments to Israel

Washington Examiner: Philippines ‘alarmed’ by China’s suspected new island-building

Washington Examiner:  White House criticizes Trump tariffs ahead of reported Biden China announcement

Washington Examiner: Biden administration set to announce new tariffs on electric vehicles from China

AP: Biden blocks Chinese-backed crypto mining firm from land ownership near Wyoming missile base

Reuters: U.S. And Taiwan Navies Quietly Held Pacific Drills In April

Wall Street Journal: Russia’s Bombardment of Ukraine Is More Lethal Than Ever

Washington Post: Second Russian invasion is worse than the first, Kharkiv evacuees say

AP: Ex-Ukrainian president says US delay in war aid was ‘colossal’ waste, let Putin inflict more damage

New York Times: White House Says Israel Still Hasn’t Offered Plan For Protecting Civilians In Rafah

AP: Misery deepens in Gaza’s Rafah as Israeli troops press operation

AP: More than half a million people flee fighting in Rafah and northern Gaza, UN says

Wall Street Journal: Israel’s Rafah Offensive Strains 45 Years Of Peace With Egypt

Washington Post: U.S. threats led to rupture of vital military ties, Nigerien leader says

The War Zone: USS Carney Destroyed 65 Houthi Targets During Its Cruise

AP: US calls on Iran to halt `unprecedented’ weapons transfers to Yemen’s Houthis for attacks on ships

Breaking Defense: Draft House Subcommittee NDAA Language OKs Pentagon Commercial ‘Space Reserve’ Plan

Military.com: 19.5 Percent Pay Hike for Junior Enlisted, 4.5 Percent for Everyone Else: House Panel Unveils Bill with Proposed Raises

Defense News: House Lawmakers Aim to Cut F-35 Buy as Patience with Delays Wears Thin

Air & Space Forces Magazine: USAF Will Retire, Not Repair, Damaged B-2; Fleet Shrinking to 19 Aircraft

The War Zone: New Skunk Works Stealthy Tanker Concept Unveiled

Aviation Week: Next Generation Airlift Is Coming, but Not Anytime Soon

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Can the Air Force Do More to Shelter Its Aircraft from a Potential China Strike?

Washington Post: Pentagon worried its primary satellite launcher can’t keep pace

Defense One: Enemies May Disrupt US Satellites by Hacking Ground Stations, Pentagon Says

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Biggest Space Flag Ever Takes On Operational Focus

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Canadian Defense Minister: China Spy Balloon Was ‘Wake-Up Call’ to Modernize

Defense News: Lawmakers Propose DIU-Managed Military Testing and Evaluation Cell

SpaceNews: Terran Orbital Confirms New Satellite Deal with Lockheed Martin Ahead of Earnings

AP: Questions and Grief Linger at the Apartment Door Where a Deputy Killed a US Airman

AP: Army whistleblower who exposed alleged Australian war crimes in Afghanistan is sentenced to prison

The Cipher Brief: Former Top NATO Commander Warns of “Drone Swarm” Threat

The Cipher Brief: Opinion: ‘Lamps are Going Out all over Europe’ when it comes to Russian Espionage

C4ISRNET: Opinion: America needs to lead in drone warfare 

THE CALENDAR: 

TUESDAY | MAY 14

9 a.m. — German Marshall Fund of the U.S. virtual discussion: “From Ukraine to the Middle East: How Crisis-Proof is European Foreign Policy?” with Riccardo Alcaro, head of the Institute of International Affairs’s Global Actors Program; Nathalie Tocci, director, Institute of International Affairs; Lisa Musiol, head of EU affairs, International Crisis Group; Henry Foy, Financial Times Brussels bureau chief; Alexandros Yannis, head of policy planning and strategic foresight, European External Action Service; and Kristina Kausch, deputy managing director and senior fellow at GMF South https://www.gmfus.org/event/ukraine-middle-east

9 a.m. — New America virtual Space Intersections Symposium: “How will religious and political ideologies define the future of human expansion into space?” with Ken Wisian, associate professor, University of Texas, Austin, and Namrata Goswami, professor at Arizona State University’s School of Global Management https://www.newamerica.org/future-tense/events/online

10 a.m. — U.S. Institute of Peace virtual discussion: “Counterterrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” with Laurel Miller, president and CEO of the Asia Foundation; retired Lt. Gen. Michael Nagata, strategic adviser and senior vice president of CACI International; Asfandyar Mir, USIP senior expert for South Asia; and Tamanna Salikuddin, director of USIP South Asia programs https://www.usip.org/events/counterterrorism-afghanistan-and-pakistan

11 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW— Brookings Institution Foreign Policy Program discussion: “Two Years Into the Biden Administration’s Indo-Pacific Strategy,” with Assistant State Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink; Mireya Solis, director, Brookings Institution Center for Asia Policy Studies, senior fellow in foreign policy, Brookings Institution Center for Asia Policy Studies, and chairwoman in Japan Studies; and Tanvi Madan, senior fellow in foreign policy, Brookings Institution Center for Asia Policy Studies https://www.brookings.edu/events/two-years-into-the-biden-administrations-indo-pacific-strategy

1 p.m. Honolulu, Hawaii — The Association of the U.S. Army three-day “LANPAC Symposium and Exposition” begins, with the theme “Campaigning with Landpower.” Speakers include Gen. Charles Flynn, commander, U.S. Army Pacific, and commanders from the U.S. Army Futures Command and the Japanese, South Korean, and Australian armies. Register: https://meetings.ausa.org/LANPAC/2024

2 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Operations in the Red Sea: Lessons for Surface Warfare,” with Rear Adm. Fred Pyle, director, Surface Warfare Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations https://www.csis.org/events/operations-red-sea-lessons-surface-warfare

2 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group virtual discussion: “Capitalizing on Cyber Capabilities: A Dispatch from Modern Day Marine 2024,” with Deputy Marine Corps Commandant for Information Lt. Gen. Matthew Glavy and Tommy Gardner, chief technology officer at HP Federal https://events.govexec.com/hp-amd-capitalizing-on-cyber-capabilities

WEDNESDAY | MAY 15

9 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute China Center conference: “The Pernicious Impact of China’s Anti-Secession Law,” focusing on “Taiwan’s right to self-determination,” with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR); former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Hudson fellow; Robert Tsao, founder of United Microelectronics Corporation; and Vincent Chao, former director, Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S. Political Division https://www.hudson.org/events/pernicious-impact-chinas-anti-secession-law

10 a.m. 192 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing: “A Review of Select Department of Defense Acquisition Programs,” with testimony from William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment; Douglas Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology; Nickolas Guertin, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development, and acquisition; and Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics http://appropriations.senate.gov

10 a.m. 138 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee hearing: “A Review of the 2025 Budget Request for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation,” with testimony from Michael Connor, assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, and Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, chief of engineers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers http://appropriations.senate.gov

10 a.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing: “The Future of Arms Control and Deterrence,” with testimony from Bonnie Jenkins, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security http://foreign.senate.gov

10 a.m. 608 Dirksen — Senate Budget Committee hearing: “Budgeting for the Storm: Climate Change and the Costs to National Security,” with testimony from retired Vice Adm. Dennis McGinn, former assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations, and environment; Erin Sikorsky, director, Center for Climate and Security and the International Military Council on Climate and Security; and Rick Dwyer, executive director, Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance http://budget.senate.gov

10 a.m. 2167 Rayburn — House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing: “Reviewing and Examining the Francis Scott Key Bridge Federal Response,” with testimony from Vice Adm. Peter Gautier, deputy commandant for operations, Coast Guard; Maj. Gen. William “Butch” Graham, deputy commanding general for civil and emergency operations, Army Corps of Engineers; Shailen Bhatt, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration; and Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board http://transportation.house.gov

11 a.m. 1763 N St. NW — Middle East Institute book discussion: “Battle Ground: Ten Conflicts that Explain the New Middle East,” with author Christopher Phillips, professor of international relations at Queen Mary University of London https://www.mei.edu/events/book-talk-battle-ground-ten-conflicts

1 p.m. — U.S. Navy Memorial virtual discussion with Vice Adm. Richard John Cheeseman, deputy chief of naval operations for manpower, personnel, training, and education and chief of naval personnel, Navy, part of the “SITREP” series. https://navymemorial.swoogo.com/cheeseman_sitrep/5683942

2:30 p.m. 216 Hart — Senate Intelligence Committee hearing: “Update on Foreign Threats to 2024 Elections,” with testimony from Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines; Jen Easterly, director, Homeland Security Department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; and Larissa Knapp, executive assistant director for the FBI’s National Security Branch http://intelligence.senate.gov

4 p.m. 232-A Russell — Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee hearing: “Army Modernization in Review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2025 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Douglas Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology; Army Gen. James Rainey, commanding general of the U.S. Army Futures Command; and Army Lt. Gen. Karl Gingrich, deputy chief of staff (G-8) http://www.armed-services.senate.gov

4:30 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Flipping the Cube: Transforming the Defense Budget Structure,” with former Pentagon Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation Jamie Morin, vice president of Defense Strategic Space, Aerospace Corporation, and former Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist, president and CEO of the National Defense Industrial Association https://www.hudson.org/events/flipping-cube

THURSDAY | MAY 16

9:30 a.m. 216 Hart — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “The Posture of the Department of the Navy in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2025 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti; and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith http://www.armed-services.senate.gov

9:30 a.m. — Henry Stimson Center virtual discussion: “Connecting the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific: Northeast Asia’s Growing Cooperation with NATO,” with former European Union Ambassador to South Korea Michael Reiterer, professor, Brussels School of Governance Center for Security, Diplomacy, and Strategy; Bo Ram Kwon, Korea Institute for Defense Analyses associate research fellow; Yuki Tatsumi, director, Stimson Center’s Japan Program; and Jenny Town, director, Stimson Center’s 38 North and Korea Program https://www.stimson.org/event/connecting-the-atlantic-and-indo-pacific

10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “One Year In: Defense Innovation Unit 3.0 and the Path Forward,” with Douglas Beck, director, Defense Innovation Unit https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-one-year-in-diu-3-0

2 p.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Subcommittee hearing: “Security Risk: The Unprecedented Surge in Chinese Illegal Immigration” http://homeland.house.gov

2 p.m — Government Executive Media Group virtual discussion: “The role of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in modern conflict, how the Air Force is training ISR operators, and how emerging tech is improving operations,” with Air Force Lt. Gen. Leah Lauderback, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and cyber effects operations, and Dave Gold, Americas field chief technology officer at SentinelOne https://events.defenseone.com/defense-one-service-branch-spotlight-air-force

2 p.m. 2212 Rayburn — Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe hearing: “Closing the Skies, Liberating Ukraine,” with Michael Ryan, former deputy assistant secretary of defense; former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, senior director, Atlantic Council; and Nataliya Bugayova, nonresident fellow, Institute for the Study of War https://events.defenseone.com/defense-one-service-branch-spotlight-air-force/

 3 p.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW — American Enterprise Institute in-person and virtual discussion: “No Invasion Necessary: A Discussion of How China Can Employ a Coercion-Based Strategy to Take Taiwan Without a War,” with Dan Blumenthal, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Frederick Kagan, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Kimberly Kagan, president, Institute for the Study of War; and Bonny Lin, director, China Power Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies https://www.aei.org/events/no-invasion-necessary

FRIDAY | MAY 17

10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Developing Drone and Counter-Drone Capabilities,” with Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo org/events/virtual-event-developing-drone-and-counter-drone-capabilities

10 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “The upcoming 2024 NATO Summit and allied strategies to counter renewed Russian retaliation amid Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine and efforts to modernize the alliance’s capabilities,” with Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commander of the U.S. European Command and supreme NATO commander; Michael Andersson, head of strategic affairs and international affairs at Saab and board director, Atlantic Council; former Supreme NATO Commander retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, executive chairman emeritus of the Atlantic Council; and Andrew Michta, director and senior fellow of the Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s Scowcroft Security Initiative https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/road-to-washington-general-christopher-cavoli

12 p.m. 555 13th St. NW — Washington Space Business Roundtable discussion: “Integrating the growing U.S. commercial space sector into our national security space architecture,” with Col. Richard Kniseley, senior material leader, Space Systems Command Commercial Space Office https://www.wsbr.org/events/wsbr-may-luncheon-with-colonel-richard-kniseley

Maj. Harrison Mann said he resigned from the DIA over the “nearly unqualified [U.S.] support” for Israel, “which has enabled and empowered the killing and starvation of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians [in Gaza].” 

“The past months have presented us with the most horrific and heartbreaking images imaginable — sometimes playing on the news in our own space — and I have been unable to ignore the connection between those images and my duties here,” he said in a slightly edited version of his resignation letter, which he posted on LinkedIn. “This caused me incredible shame and guilt.”

Mann referenced his European Jewish ancestry, noting he was “haunted” by what he believed was his failure to live up to the “unforgiving moral environment when it came to the topic of bearing responsibility for ethnic cleansing.”

A DIA official confirmed to the Washington Examiner that Mann was previously assigned to the agency and noted that “employees resign their positions for any number of reasons and motivations.”

He deployed to Tunisia from June 2019 to August 2020, to Bahrain from January 2019 to April 2019, and then from November 2017 to April 2018, to Kuwait from February 2015 to June 2015, and South Korea from November 2012 to November 2013, Lt. Col. Ruth Castro, a U.S. Army spokeswoman, told the Washington Examiner.

Mann requested an unqualified resignation from his commission on Nov. 29, 2023, which was approved on Jan. 8, 2024, and will take effect on June 3, 2024, Castro added.

Mann is the latest in a series of administration officials employed by various government agencies who have resigned in protest of the U.S.’s continued support for Israel.

Senior State Department official Josh Paul resigned last October from his role as Bureau of Political-Military Affairs director over the U.S. sending “blind” “continued lethal assistance” to Israel, while Hala Rharrit, the Arabic language spokeswoman for the department, resigned in late April. Annelle Sheline, a foreign affairs officer on a two-year contract with the State Department, also resigned in March.

While it has not appeared that any active-duty defense officials have resigned over U.S. policy toward the war, one self-immolated outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington.

In February, Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old Air Force serviceman, self-immolated outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., as he screamed: “Free Palestine.” Bushnell later died from his injuries.

The U.S. has largely supported Israel’s military response and its fight against Hamas and has provided them with billions of dollars of aid since then. President Joe Biden’s administration did recently decide to pause one military aid package that included thousands of large bombs due to the concerns it had if Israel attempted to use them in Rafah.

More than a million Palestinians have fled to Rafah during the war, a city along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, but it’s also Hamas’s last remaining stronghold in Gaza. The U.S. does not support full-scale Israeli operations in Rafah, but Israeli leaders have repeatedly said they have to go into Rafah in full force to accomplish their objectives.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Israel has conducted limited operations in portions of Rafah over the last week, while the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East has said that nearly 360,000 people have fled Rafah in the last week or so since Israel urged people to leave.

More than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed during the war, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. The figure does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israeli forces have killed 14,000 terrorists and roughly 16,000 civilians. 

In an urgent video address to his nation last night, President Volodymyr Zelensky called for “maximum efficiency” in repelling Russian forces, who claim to have taken at least nine villages and settlements, advancing at an ominous pace, in contrast to the slow, grinding, monthslong assault along the eastern front.

“Everything depends on what you are capable of in a war — whether you can withstand the attacks and hold your ground so that everyone else can do the same,” Zelensky exhorted his war-weary troops in the Kharkiv region. “Defensive battles are ongoing, fierce battles on a large part of our border area. There are villages that have actually turned from a gray zone into a combat zone, and the occupier is trying to gain a foothold in some of them.”

“In particular, on the outskirts of Vovchansk, the situation is extremely difficult, the city is under constant Russian fire, and our military is carrying out counterattacks,” Zelensky said. “Our task is obvious — we need to inflict as many losses as possible on the occupier.”

‘THE RUSSIANS JUST WALKED IN’: Russia claims to have entered the border town of Vovchansk and that overwhelmed Ukrainian forces are in full retreat. 

Ukraine’s General Staff in a Facebook update said fighting continues, but it conceded that “at present, the enemy has tactical success.”

“The enemy has deployed significant forces to attack the city with up to five battalions and is not counting its own losses,” the update said. “Our defenders conduct defensive actions, inflict fire on the enemy, extensively deploy unmanned systems for reconnaissance and mission point strikes to target maximum losses.”

But one Ukrainian commander said that a few days ago, small columns of Russian troops simply walked across the border unopposed. “There was no first line of defense. We saw it. The Russians just walked in,” Denys Yaroslavskyi, commander of a Ukrainian Special Reconnaissance Unit, told the BBC. “The first line of fortifications and mines simply did not exist,” he wrote on Facebook. With as many as 30,000 Russian troops pouring across the border, Denys said he fears Vovchansk could soon be back in Russian hands.

RUSSIA ANNOUNCES SHAKE-UP TO PUTIN’S NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM

ISW: RUSSIAN SUCCESS A ‘CONSEQUENCE’ OF US POLICY: Ukraine knew the Russian assault was coming. It could see the Russian forces massing on the border, but under Biden administration restrictions for the use of U.S.-supplied weapons, it was unable to attack the Russian formations.

“Russian offensive efforts to seize Vovchansk are in large part a consequence of the tacit Western policy that Ukrainian forces cannot use Western-provided systems to strike legitimate military targets within Russia,” the Institute for the Study of War wrote in last night’s battlefield update.

The Russian advance has sent thousands of Ukrainian civilians fleeing to Kharkiv. The New York Times described the scene in a Kharkiv reception center on Sunday as “exhausted people shouting at each other and families with no place to go spilling out onto the grass.”

“In the coming weeks, Russia will likely increase the intensity of fires and commit additional troops in an attempt to establish a shallow buffer zone along the Ukrainian border,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Friday. “We are confident in the Ukrainian armed forces, and we are working around the clock to get them the equipment, the tools, the weapons that they need to defend against these attacks.”

“The Department of Defense is moving rapidly to deliver these supplies to Ukraine,” Kirby said, noting the restrictions on their use. “They have provided Ukraine with long-range ATACMS for use inside sovereign territory, denying Russian forces safe haven anywhere inside Ukraine.”

“It is possible that Russia will make further advances in the coming weeks, but we do not anticipate any major breakthroughs, and over time, the influx of U.S. assistance will enable Ukraine to withstand these attacks over the course of 2024,” Kirby said. “The path ahead will be challenging, but no one should underestimate the Ukrainian people, and no one should underestimate President Biden’s commitment and resolve to standing with Ukraine.”

NATO’S NEWEST ALLY PREPARED TO ACT AS A ‘PORCUPINE’ IF RUSSIA WAR COMES

Good Monday 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 Stacey Dec. 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 me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE

HAPPENING TODAY: ISRAEL PUSHES DEEPER INTO RAFAH: Undeterred by President Joe Biden’s threat to stop shipping “high-payload” bombs to Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressing forward with his plans to wipe out Hama’s last stronghold in Rafah, in southern Gaza.

“We are determined and we are united in order to defeat our enemies and those who want to destroy us,” Netanyahu said in a defiant recorded statement last week. “If we need to stand alone, we will stand alone. I have said that if necessary, we will fight with our fingernails.”

“Israeli forces pushed deeper into the southern city of Rafah,” reported the Associated Press. “Israel also pounded the territory’s devastated north, where some Hamas militants have regrouped in areas the military said it had cleared months ago.”

In appearances on CBS News and NBC News on Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. position has not changed because Israel has so far failed to provide assurances that the hundreds of thousands of civilians in Gaza will be protected.

“What we’ve been clear about is that if Israel launches this major military operation into Rafah, then there’s certain systems that we’re not going to be supporting and supplying for that operation,” Blinken said on CBS News’s Face the Nation. “But at present, the only thing that we’ve delayed and are holding back are these high-payload bombs because we’re in an ongoing conversation with Israel, given the impact that those weapons can have when they’re used in densely populated areas, including an area like Rafah.”

“We believe two things. One, you have to have a clear, credible plan to protect civilians, which we haven’t seen,” Blinken told CBS News’s Margaret Brennan. “Second, we also need to see a plan for what happens after this conflict in Gaza is over. And we still haven’t seen that.”

US ‘CONCERNED’ WITH LIMITED ISRAELI RAFAH OPERATION

US SAYS ISRAEL ‘LIKELY’ VIOLATED HUMANITARIAN LAW: Blinken’s criticism of Israel’s Rafah offensive comes days after the State Department sent a report to Congress saying that available evidence suggests Israel may have violated international humanitarian law in airstrikes that used U.S.-provided weapons.

“What the report concludes is that, based on the totality of the harm that’s been done to children, to women, to men who are caught in this crossfire of Hamas’s making, it’s reasonable to conclude that there are instances where Israel has acted in ways that are not consistent with international humanitarian law,” Blinken said on NBC News. “The report also makes clear that this is an incredibly complex military environment. You have an enemy that intentionally embeds itself with civilians, hiding under and within schools, mosques, apartment buildings, firing at the Israeli forces from those places. It’s very, very difficult in the heat of war to make a definitive assessment about any individual incident.”

The report was required under National Security Memorandum 20 issued by Biden in February. 

“NSM-20 serves no purpose other than to provide political cover to the president with his base,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement, calling the report “wholly redundant and unnecessary” and saying it “only contributes to politically-motivated anti-Israel sentiment.”

“Now is the time for the United States to stand with our ally Israel and ensure they have the tools they need to quickly defeat the terrorists who pose a threat to their very existence,” McCaul said.

COTTON ARGUES GAZA WAR WOULD ‘PROBABLY’ ALREADY BE OVER UNDER TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP

COTTON: BIDEN HAS IMPOSED A ‘DE FACTO ARMS EMBARGO’: Republican supporters of Israel argue that Biden’s ban on large, 2,000-pound bombs will actually limit Israel’s ability to conduct precision strikes, which limit collateral damage and unintended civilian casualties.

“The reason Israel needs these larger bombs is because Hamas has buried tunnels or they’re holding hostages and where its leaders are holed up deeply underground,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said on CBS News. 

“What we’re worried about is a sort of defiance of congressional intent here that we have passed these weapons out of Congress and now the president’s holding them back,” McCaul said on ABC News, adding that “most of these weapons … are precision-guided weapons. And that means precise, and that means that it spares civilian casualties because the targeting is so precise.”

“They’re also potentially delaying the kits that allow these so-called dumb bombs to become smart precision bombs,” Cotton said. “Joe Biden’s position is de facto for a Hamas victory at this point. Israel’s goal is to destroy Hamas, which committed the worst atrocity against Jews since World War II. … He has imposed a de facto arms embargo on Israel and sanctions on Israelis.”

MCCAUL BLASTS BIDEN FOR WITHHOLDING ‘PRECISE’ WEAPONS FROM ISRAEL

THE RUNDOWN: 

Washington Examiner: US ‘concerned’ with limited Israeli Rafah operation

Washington Examiner: ‘Israel will stand alone’: Netanyahu signals what he thinks of Biden’s Rafah red line

Washington Examiner: McCaul blasts Biden for withholding ‘precise’ weapons from Israel

Washington Examiner: Cotton argues Gaza war would ‘probably’ already be over under Trump’s leadership

Washington Examiner: Coons warns Netanyahu his legacy could be the breakdown of relations between the US and Israel

Washington Examiner: Netanyahu tells Dr. Phil he hopes he and Biden can ‘overcome’ Rafah differences

Washington Examiner: Biden’s Rafah red line was months in the making

Washington Examiner: Hamas’s ‘human shields’ make it tough to conclude if Israel violated international law, US says

Washington Examiner: Hamas’s hostages: Who are the five remaining Americans still held by the terror group?

Washington Examiner: Air Force secretary rebuffs pleas from governors over Space Force National Guard plans

Washington Examiner: NATO’s newest ally prepared to act as a ‘porcupine’ if Russia war comes

Washington Examiner: Russia announces shake-up to Putin’s national security team

Washington Examiner: GOP defense hawks chafe under budget caps they imposed on themselves

Washington Examiner: Civilians who saved head of Marines after he suffered medical emergency receive award

Washington Examiner: Opinion: Saluting Xi Jinping, Hungary’s Orban mocks his American supporters

Washington Examiner: Opinion: Chinese state media outlet shows support for Russia war on Ukraine

Washington Examiner: Opinion: Trump shouldn’t use the Secret Service as a campaign prop

Washington Post: Asia’s next war could be triggered by a rusting warship on a disputed reef

AP: U.S. Announces New $400 Million Package Of Weapons For Ukraine To Try To Hold Off Russian Advances

New York Times: Ukraine’s Grain Shipments Rebound To Near Prewar Levels

AP: US Aims to Stay Ahead of China in Using AI to Fly Fighter Jets, Navigate Without GPS, and More

Reuters: Philippines Sends Ships To Disputed Atoll Where China Building ‘Artificial Island’

AP: Sleepy Far-Flung Towns In The Philippines Will Host U.S. Forces Returning To Counter China Threats

Defense One: ‘Swarm Pilots’ Will Need New Tactics—and Entirely New Training Methods: Air Force Special-Ops Chief

Wall Street Journal: As Silicon Valley Pivots to Patriotic Capital, China Ties Linger

Breaking Defense: Taking Aim: Army Leaders Ponder Mix of Precision Munitions vs. Conventional

Washington Post: On a D.C. sidewalk, a race to save a Marine general’s life

Washington Post: How Fat Leonard compromised admirals in charge of Navy intelligence

Air & Space Forces Magazine: F-35s Lead 50 USAF Aircraft in NATO Air Defense Exercise

Defense News: DARPA Taps Aurora to Keep Designing Heavy Cargo Seaplane in $8.3M Deal

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force’s New ‘Doomsday’ Plane Will Be Converted from Korean Air Passenger Jets

Air & Space Forces Magazine: New Report: Space Force Should Develop Its Own Targeting Satellites

SpaceNews: Defense Space Policy Chief Calls Russia’s Space Nuke Threat “a Thing Apart”

Aviation Week: Internal Debate Delays Israeli Purchase of F-35, F-15EX Fighters

Stars and Stripes: Navy Probes Apparent Drone Footage Of USS Ronald Reagan Posted On Social Media

Air & Space Forces Magazine: What Kinds of Jobs Can Part-Time Guardians Expect?

Air & Space Forces Magazine: USAF F-15s Return Home from Middle East With Kill Markings and Nose Art

Marine Corps Times: Marine Shielded His Student From Grenade With His Body — And Survived

The Cipher Brief: South China Sea Flareups Raise Fears of Wider Conflict

The Cipher Brief: Opinion: More Must Be Done to Prevent a Nuclear Nightmare

The Cipher Brief: On Putin’s “Victory Day,” A Warning to the West

The Cipher Brief: Opinion: Where is the Sense of Urgency on Ukraine?

THE CALENDAR: 

MONDAY | MAY 13

9:30 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Foreshocks in the Black Sea and Western Balkans: Repercussions of the Russia-Ukraine War,” with Richard Kraemer, president of the U.S.-Europe Alliance; Luke Coffey, Hudson Institute senior fellow; Dalibor Rohac, American Enterprise Institute senior fellow; Iulia Joja, director, Middle East Institute’s Black Sea Program; Alina Nychyk, postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich; Reuf Bajrovic, vice president of the U.S.-Europe Alliance and former minister of energy, mining, and industry for Bosnia and Herzegovina; Daniel Serwer, professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies; Ivana Stradner, research fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; and Tanya Domi, adjunct professor at Columbia University https://www.hudson.org/events/foreshocks-black-sea

10 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Strengthening NATO’s European Pillar,” with Sophia Besch, fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Europe Program; Max Bergmann, director, CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program; Mathieu Droin, visiting fellow, CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program; and Sean Monaghan, visiting fellow, CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program https://www.csis.org/events/strengthening-natos-european-pillar

10 a.m. — Wilson Center Indo-Pacific Program discussion: “The Way Ahead to Secure Taiwan’s Resilience,” with Taiwan’s Representative to the U.S. Alexander Tah-ray Yui; former Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte; former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development Elbridge Colby, co-founder of the Marathon Initiative; Carolyn Bartholomew, former chairwoman of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission; and Robert Daly, director, Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute on China and the U.S. RSVP: ryan.mckenna@wilsoncenter.org

10:30 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution Foreign Policy Program book discussion: The Insiders’ Game: How Elites Make War and Peace, with author Elizabeth Saunders, nonresident senior fellow in foreign policy, Brookings Institution Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology; E.J. Dionne, chairman and senior fellow in governance studies, Brookings Institution; Michael O’Hanlon, director of research in foreign policy, Brookings Institution; Kori Schake, director of foreign policy and defense policy studies, American Enterprise Institute; and Edward Luce, U.S. national editor and columnist, Financial Times https://www.brookings.edu/events/the-insiders-game

11 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual podcast discussion: “Can South Korea Save Ukraine?” with Victor Cha, CSIS Korea chairman; Mark Cancian, senior adviser, CSIS International Security Program; and Chris Park, CSIS chairman in strategy https://www.csis.org/events/impossible-state-live-podcast

1 p.m. 1030 15th St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “Implementing the U.S. International Cyberspace and Digital Policy Strategy.” https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/a-discussion

1 p.m. 2301 Constitution Ave. NW — U.S. Institute of Peace discussion: “Transnational Organized Crime in Southeast Asia Countering the Rise of Scam Compounds and the Far-Reaching Criminal Networks Behind Them,” with Erin West, deputy district attorney, Santa Clara County Office of the District Attorney’s REACT Task Force; Jacob Sims, USIP visiting expert; Jason Tower, USIP Burma country director; and Nicole Cochran, USIP Burma program officer https://www.usip.org/events/transnational-organized-crime-southeast-asia

3:30 p.m. 1030 15th St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “Strengthening the middle ground of the defense-industrial landscape,” with Ellen Lord, former undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment; former Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn, chairman and CEO of Leonardo DRS; and former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Industrial Affairs and Installations John Goodman, CEO of Accenture Federal Services https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/strengthening-the-middleground

6 p.m. — Council on Foreign Relations virtual discussion: “U.S. defense priorities around the world and the state of the American armed forces,” with Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George; Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti; Air Force chief of staff Gen. David Allvin; Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman; and Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan https://www.cfr.org/event/robert-b-mckeon-endowed-series

TUESDAY | MAY 14

9 a.m. — German Marshall Fund of the U.S. virtual discussion: “From Ukraine to the Middle East: How Crisis-Proof is European Foreign Policy?” with Riccardo Alcaro, head of the Institute of International Affairs’s Global Actors Program; Nathalie Tocci, director, Institute of International Affairs; Lisa Musiol, head of EU affairs, International Crisis Group; Henry Foy, Financial Times Brussels bureau chief; Alexandros Yannis, head of policy planning and strategic foresight, European External Action Service; and Kristina Kausch, deputy managing director and senior fellow at GMF South https://www.gmfus.org/event/ukraine-middle-east

9 a.m. — New America virtual Space Intersections Symposium: “How will religious and political ideologies define the future of human expansion into space?” with Ken Wisian, associate professor, University of Texas, Austin, and Namrata Goswami, professor at Arizona State University’s School of Global Management https://www.newamerica.org/future-tense/events/online

10 a.m. — U.S. Institute of Peace virtual discussion: “Counterterrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” with Laurel Miller, president and CEO of the Asia Foundation; retired Lt. Gen. Michael Nagata, strategic adviser and senior vice president of CACI International; Asfandyar Mir, USIP senior expert for South Asia; and Tamanna Salikuddin, director of USIP South Asia programs https://www.usip.org/events/counterterrorism-afghanistan-and-pakistan

11 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW— Brookings Institution Foreign Policy Program discussion: “Two Years Into the Biden Administration’s Indo-Pacific Strategy,” with Assistant State Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink; Mireya Solis, director, Brookings Institution Center for Asia Policy Studies, senior fellow in foreign policy, Brookings Institution Center for Asia Policy Studies, and chairwoman in Japan Studies; and Tanvi Madan, senior fellow in foreign policy, Brookings Institution Center for Asia Policy Studies https://www.brookings.edu/events/two-years-into-the-biden-administrations-indo-pacific-strategy

1 p.m. Honolulu, Hawaii — The Association of the U.S. Army three-day “LANPAC Symposium and Exposition” begins, with the theme “Campaigning with Landpower.” Speakers include Gen. Charles Flynn, commander, U.S. Army Pacific, and commanders from the U.S. Army Futures Command and the Japanese, South Korean, and Australian armies. Register: https://meetings.ausa.org/LANPAC/2024

2 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Operations in the Red Sea: Lessons for Surface Warfare,” with Rear Adm. Fred Pyle, director, Surface Warfare Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations https://www.csis.org/events/operations-red-sea-lessons-surface-warfare

2 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group virtual discussion: “Capitalizing on Cyber Capabilities: A Dispatch from Modern Day Marine 2024,” with Deputy Marine Corps Commandant for Information Lt. Gen. Matthew Glavy and Tommy Gardner, chief technology officer at HP Federal https://events.govexec.com/hp-amd-capitalizing-on-cyber-capabilities

WEDNESDAY | MAY 15

9 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute China Center conference: “The Pernicious Impact of China’s Anti-Secession Law,” focusing on “Taiwan’s right to self-determination,” with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR); former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Hudson fellow; Robert Tsao, founder of United Microelectronics Corporation; and Vincent Chao, former director, Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S. Political Division https://www.hudson.org/events/pernicious-impact-chinas-anti-secession-law

10 a.m. 192 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing: “A Review of Select Department of Defense Acquisition Programs,” with testimony from William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment; Douglas Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology; Nickolas Guertin, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development, and acquisition; and Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics http://appropriations.senate.gov

10 a.m. 138 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee hearing: “A Review of the 2025 Budget Request for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation,” with testimony from Michael Connor, assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, and Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, chief of engineers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers http://appropriations.senate.gov

10 a.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing: “The Future of Arms Control and Deterrence,” with testimony from Bonnie Jenkins, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security http://foreign.senate.gov

10 a.m. 608 Dirksen — Senate Budget Committee hearing: “Budgeting for the Storm: Climate Change and the Costs to National Security,” with testimony from retired Vice Adm. Dennis McGinn, former assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations, and environment; Erin Sikorsky, director, Center for Climate and Security and the International Military Council on Climate and Security; and Rick Dwyer, executive director, Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance http://budget.senate.gov

10 a.m. 2167 Rayburn — House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing: “Reviewing and Examining the Francis Scott Key Bridge Federal Response,” with testimony from Vice Adm. Peter Gautier, deputy commandant for operations, Coast Guard; Maj. Gen. William “Butch” Graham, deputy commanding general for civil and emergency operations, Army Corps of Engineers; Shailen Bhatt, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration; and Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board http://transportation.house.gov

11 a.m. 1763 N St. NW — Middle East Institute book discussion: “Battle Ground: Ten Conflicts that Explain the New Middle East,” with author Christopher Phillips, professor of international relations at Queen Mary University of London https://www.mei.edu/events/book-talk-battle-ground-ten-conflicts

1 p.m. — U.S. Navy Memorial virtual discussion with Vice Adm. Richard John Cheeseman, deputy chief of naval operations for manpower, personnel, training, and education and chief of naval personnel, Navy, part of the “SITREP” series. https://navymemorial.swoogo.com/cheeseman_sitrep/5683942

2:30 p.m. 216 Hart — Senate Intelligence Committee hearing: “Update on Foreign Threats to 2024 Elections,” with testimony from Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines; Jen Easterly, director, Homeland Security Department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; and Larissa Knapp, executive assistant director for the FBI’s National Security Branch http://intelligence.senate.gov

4 p.m. 232-A Russell — Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee hearing: “Army Modernization in Review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2025 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Douglas Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology; Army Gen. James Rainey, commanding general of the U.S. Army Futures Command; and Army Lt. Gen. Karl Gingrich, deputy chief of staff (G-8) http://www.armed-services.senate.gov

4:30 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Flipping the Cube: Transforming the Defense Budget Structure,” with former Pentagon Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation Jamie Morin, vice president of Defense Strategic Space, Aerospace Corporation, and former Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist, president and CEO of the National Defense Industrial Association https://www.hudson.org/events/flipping-cube

THURSDAY | MAY 16

9:30 a.m. 216 Hart — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “The Posture of the Department of the Navy in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2025 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti; and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith http://www.armed-services.senate.gov

9:30 a.m. — Henry Stimson Center virtual discussion: “Connecting the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific: Northeast Asia’s Growing Cooperation with NATO,” with former European Union Ambassador to South Korea Michael Reiterer, professor, Brussels School of Governance Center for Security, Diplomacy, and Strategy; Bo Ram Kwon, Korea Institute for Defense Analyses associate research fellow; Yuki Tatsumi, director, Stimson Center’s Japan Program; and Jenny Town, director, Stimson Center’s 38 North and Korea Program https://www.stimson.org/event/connecting-the-atlantic-and-indo-pacific

10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “One Year In: Defense Innovation Unit 3.0 and the Path Forward,” with Douglas Beck, director, Defense Innovation Unit https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-one-year-in-diu-3-0

2 p.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Subcommittee hearing: “Security Risk: The Unprecedented Surge in Chinese Illegal Immigration” http://homeland.house.gov

2 p.m — Government Executive Media Group virtual discussion: “The role of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in modern conflict, how the Air Force is training ISR operators, and how emerging tech is improving operations,” with Air Force Lt. Gen. Leah Lauderback, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and cyber effects operations, and Dave Gold, Americas field chief technology officer at SentinelOne https://events.defenseone.com/defense-one-service-branch-spotlight-air-force

2 p.m. 2212 Rayburn — Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe hearing: “Closing the Skies, Liberating Ukraine,” with Michael Ryan, former deputy assistant secretary of defense; former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, senior director, Atlantic Council; and Nataliya Bugayova, nonresident fellow, Institute for the Study of War https://events.defenseone.com/defense-one-service-branch-spotlight-air-force/

 3 p.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW — American Enterprise Institute in-person and virtual discussion: “No Invasion Necessary: A Discussion of How China Can Employ a Coercion-Based Strategy to Take Taiwan Without a War,” with Dan Blumenthal, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Frederick Kagan, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Kimberly Kagan, president, Institute for the Study of War; and Bonny Lin, director, China Power Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies https://www.aei.org/events/no-invasion-necessary

FRIDAY | MAY 17

10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Developing Drone and Counter-Drone Capabilities,” with Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo org/events/virtual-event-developing-drone-and-counter-drone-capabilities

10 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “The upcoming 2024 NATO Summit and allied strategies to counter renewed Russian retaliation amid Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine and efforts to modernize the alliance’s capabilities,” with Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commander of the U.S. European Command and supreme NATO commander; Michael Andersson, head of strategic affairs and international affairs at Saab and board director, Atlantic Council; former Supreme NATO Commander retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, executive chairman emeritus of the Atlantic Council; and Andrew Michta, director and senior fellow of the Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s Scowcroft Security Initiative https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/road-to-washington-general-christopher-cavoli

12 p.m. 555 13th St. NW — Washington Space Business Roundtable discussion: “Integrating the growing U.S. commercial space sector into our national security space architecture,” with Col. Richard Kniseley, senior material leader, Space Systems Command Commercial Space Office https://www.wsbr.org/events/wsbr-may-luncheon-with-colonel-richard-kniseley

The Israeli military said it was engaged in a “precise counterterrorism operation” in eastern Rafah, while United Nations agencies have said that roughly 110,000 people have fled the city under the Israelis’ advice.

President Joe Biden has threatened to limit or stop U.S. offensive military aid to Israel if it goes ahead and conducts full-scale operations in Rafah. The U.S. is among several countries that have warned an Israeli ground operation in Rafah could result in significant numbers of civilian casualties because more than a million people are sheltering in the city, which is along the Gaza-Egypt border.

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say what we’ve seen here in the last 24 hours connotes or indicates a broad, large-scale invasion or major ground operation,” Kirby explained on Friday. “It appears to be localized near the crossing.”

Israel has seized the Rafah Crossing from the Gaza side.

“We’re watching it with concern,” he added.

Four Hamas battalions remain

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile said in an interview with Dr. Phil that the four Hamas battalions that remain intact are in Rafah, which is why it believes a full-scale invasion is necessary to ensure their defeat.

“We will do what we have to do to protect our country and that means protect our future, that means we will defeat Hamas including in Rafah, we have no other choice,” the prime minister said.

The extent of Israel’s operations in Rafah has yet to be fully seen. Israel’s security cabinet approved the “expansion of the area of ​​operation” of the Israel Defense Forces in Rafah on Thursday, according to Axios. It’s unclear whether this decision will cross Biden’s red line.

Rafah is also the primary location for humanitarian aid to get into the strip, though full-scale operations threaten the infrastructure humanitarian organizations have set up. Aid is desperately needed in Gaza, where everyone is on the brink of famine.

The closure of the Rafah crossing has “severed access to fuel, supplies, and the movement of humanitarian staff,” said Georgios Petropoulos, the head of the Gaza suboffice of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, according to CNN.

The U.S. had hoped to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire deal prior to an Israeli operation in Rafah, but the two sides could not reach a deal. The U.S. had advocated a proposal that would’ve paused the fighting in the war for about six weeks, forced Hamas to release about 30 hostages held since Oct. 7, and provided a surge of humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“We still believe that a deal is possible. We still believe, as I said the other day, the gaps remaining can be surmounted, but it’s going to require leadership, it’s going to require some more courage, and it’s going to require continued ability to compromise and negotiate good faith,” Kirby added. “We’re not giving up on that.”

CIA Director Bill Burns is leading the U.S. mediators, and he returned from the Middle East following the conclusion of this round of talks without a deal.

Marine Commandant Gen. Eric Smith honored Timothy and Joyce LaLonde, two siblings aged 33 and 28, and Joyce’s husband, Nathaniel Birnbaum, 28, during a ceremony at the Home of the Commandants in which they were awarded the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award.

Smith suffered a medical emergency on Oct. 29 toward the end of his run while he was only about a block from the barracks where his family resides. Timothy LaLonde, who is a certified CPR instructor, administered CPR to the commandant for several minutes while his sister sought to get emergency medical personnel dispatched to the scene.

During Thursday’s ceremony, Smith said, “You have really given me a second chance,” according to the Washington Post, as he pinned the medal, with its blue and yellow ribbon, to their chests, adding, “I’m grateful to you.”

“If Mr. LaLonde had not been a CPR-certified instructor,” the general continued, “I would not be standing here today.”

Doctors quickly realized he had suffered from aortic stenosis, a condition in which the aortic valve narrows, preventing the normal flow of blood away from the heart. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“If you were to have this scenario play out 1,000 times, maybe five people … would survive it like he did,” Smith’s cardiac surgeon, Thomas MacGillivray, told the outlet. He added that it was “unusual” for someone who received CPR for so long to be back to normal within a matter of months.

The Marines will hold an “Evening Parade” event at the barracks on Friday featuring marching and music. Lt. Holly O’Byrne, a paramedic and supervisor who accompanied the general in the ambulance; Ryan Crowell, a former Washington paramedic and firefighter who responded that day; MacGillivray; and Timothy LaLonde will be the guests of honor.