 Defense &
National Security |
Defense &
National Security |
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Biden to Zelensky: US will 'quickly provide' security package |
President Biden spoke Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to assure him the United States will provide more aid as soon as the Senate passes the national security package, the White House announced. |
© Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP |
Biden on Monday told Zelensky the U.S. has a "lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression" and that "his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraine's urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law." The president also told Zelensky that economic assistance from the U.S. aims to help Ukraine maintain financial stability, build infrastructure following attacks from Russia and support reform while Ukraine moves toward Euro-Atlantic integration. The Senate is set to vote Tuesday to advance a $95 billion foreign aid package that includes $61 billion for Ukraine, which the House passed over the weekend. The Senate is widely expected to approve the foreign aid package this week after 22 of 49 Senate Republicans voted for a similar bill when it passed the Senate in February. After months of fighting between the parties, across the chambers and within the House Republican conference, the lower chamber on Saturday approved a massive new round of foreign aid, combining billions of dollars in military help for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with billions more in humanitarian assistance for Gaza and other war zones around the globe. After the House passed the legislation, Zelensky thanked lawmakers "for the decision that keeps history on the right track." While a victory for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), his decision to champion new foreign aid has come with stark political risks, infuriating conservatives who were already up in arms over his willingness to cut deals with Biden on big-ticket legislation like extending federal funding and reauthorizing government surveillance powers. Read the full report at TheHill.com. |
Welcome to The Hill's Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. | |
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How policy will affect defense and national security now and in
the future: |
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GOP Sens. Josh Hawley (Mo.) and Tom Cotton (Ark.) called on President Biden on Monday to deploy the National Guard to colleges, particularly Columbia University in New York City, where pro-Palestinian protesters have staged sit-ins and other disruptive activities to focus public attention on the war. "Eisenhower sent the 101st to Little Rock. It's time for Biden to call out the National Guard at our universities to protect … |
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| A highly anticipated independent report did not find the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is compromised by outside groups or has a systemic neutrality failure, a point of major contention after Israel accused 12 staffers at the agency of participating in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. The report from an independent group appointed by the United Nations in February and led by … |
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Military spending across the world last year reached the highest levels ever recorded by a major global think tank, soaring to $2.4 trillion in 2023, according to a new report. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said the $2.4 trillion in global defense spending last year marked a 6.8 percent increase from 2022 and is the ninth consecutive year of increased military spending. World military spending … |
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The United States has begun talks with Niger to withdraw the roughly 1,000 American troops in the country, a State Department official confirmed Monday. The development comes after Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell met with Niger's Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine on Friday, with the two on Monday committing "to initiate conversations in Niamey to begin planning an orderly and responsible withdrawal of U.S. troops from … |
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Upcoming things we're watching on our beat: |
Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro will speak at the Stimson Center on "Maritime power for global security," tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti will speak at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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FISA bill stalls over Senate amendment fight hours before deadline |
A bill to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act's (FISA) warrantless spying program stalled in the Senate on Friday because of a fight over amendments that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) worries could pass and send the bill back to the House. Senators and Senate aides … |
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Events in and around the defense world: |
The U.S. Institute of Peace will discuss "Advancing stability in northern Nigeria," at 10 a.m. Atlantic Council will host a talk on "Space industry for space strategy," with Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton, U.S. Space Force deputy chief of space operations, strategy, plans, programs, and requirements, at 4 p.m.
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News we've flagged from other outlets: |
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Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
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The first-ever criminal trial of a current or former U.S. president is underway in Manhattan, renewing questions over what a potential conviction would … Read more |
| Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he wants to put the “U.S. budget on blockchain,” a ledger of transactions … Read more |
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Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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