 Defense &
National Security |
Defense &
National Security |
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Trump finally puts a little pressure on Russia |
President Trump on Friday said he was weighing additional sanctions and tariffs on Russia in a push to bring Moscow to the negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine. |
"Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely 'pounding' Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED," Trump posted Friday on Truth Social. "To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late," he added. Trump's threat of sanctions against Russia comes days before members of his administration are set to meet with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia to discuss a path toward ending the war. The same administration officials had met with their Russian counterparts in Riyadh last month. The president has spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin about the conflict, though he has been much more critical of Zelensky, and the U.S. suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv in recent days. Later on Friday Trump warned that the U.S. would fully cut off its support for Ukraine if it did not agree to settle its war against Russia, telling reporters it has been "more difficult" to deal with Kyiv than with Moscow. But Republican lawmakers are starting to urge the president to reverse his decision to pause the military aid and intelligence sharing, warning that a prolonged stoppage of U.S. support for the war effort would have a seriously detrimental effect. Stopping the flow of weapons and munitions to Ukraine for too long could have a devastating effect on Ukraine's warfighting ability, which would undercut its leverage in talks with Russia, they say. Trump has pressed for an end to the war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022 when Russian forces launched an invasion after amassing troops along the border. 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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The Pentagon has reportedly marked thousands of photos and online posts for deletion as the Department of Defense works to root out diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the military. But some flagged images have raised eyebrows online. They include the removal of digital files dedicated to accomplishments of women in the military, the esteemed Tuskegee Airmen and the aircraft that dropped the “Little Boy” … |
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Republican lawmakers are starting to urge President Trump to reverse his decisions to pause U.S. military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine, warning that a prolonged stoppage of U.S. help for the war effort would have a seriously detrimental effect. They acknowledge Trump has the right to temporarily halt weapons shipments to Ukraine to assess the war, pressure NATO allies to step up their contributions and to create a … |
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Two active-duty U.S. soldiers stationed in Washington state and one former soldier were arrested on bribery and theft charges after being accused of selling sensitive information to China, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Jian Zhao and Li Tian, Army soldiers stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and Ruoyu Duan, a former Army soldier, were arrested on Thursday after a federal grand juries … |
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Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin said Thursday he did not "know any system that slashes its way to excellence" following Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) head Doug Collins’s announcement that the department is preparing to cut around 72,000 jobs. "I do applaud the administration for taking a look at how they can make this agency work better. We cannot continue the status quo. The wait times are going … |
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Upcoming things we're watching on our beat: |
- U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz will be part of a U.S. delegation meeting with their Ukrainian counterparts in Saudi Arabia for discussions about a ceasefire to end the country's war with Russia, planned for next week.
- Waltz has also announced that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will attend a planned meeting at the White House next week.
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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Who is Mohammad Sharifullah, ISIS-K member allegedly behind Kabul airport bombing? |
Mohammad Sharifullah, a member of the Afghanistan branch of the terror group Islamic State, ISIS-K, was charged on Sunday by the United States for allegedly helping plan the 2021 terror attack at the Kabul airport that killed 13 American soldiers and several others. According to the Department of … |
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Events in and around the defense world: |
- Georgetown University will hear from Amb. Dennis Ross on why failing to marry objectives and means has happened in American foreign policy at 3 p.m.
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News we've flagged from other outlets: |
- South Korea stops some military drills after accidental bombing in possible setback to US exercises (The Associated Press)
- Battered by cuts and firings, VA employees describe serving veterans under 'invisible cloud of dread' (The War Horse)
- Congress readies troop pay protections as federal shutdown looms again (Military Times)
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Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio clashed with tech billionaire and close Trump adviser Elon Musk during a contentious Cabinet meeting hosted by President … Read more |
| Explosive details about a Cabinet meeting confrontation between Elon Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were revealed by The New York Times on … 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 next week! |
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