Defense & National Security |
Defense & National Security |
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Biden turmoil overshadows NATO summit |
Questions about President Biden's ability to lead the U.S. for another four years and fears of a potential return of former President Trump dominated the week as NATO leaders gathered in Washington, D.C. |
At a press conference marking the end of the NATO summit Thursday, Biden introduced visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as "President Putin" before immediately correcting himself. And several hours later, during a 59-minute solo news conference seen as pivotal for his reelection bid, Biden transposed Vice President Harris's name and that of Trump without catching his error. The gaffes and the circumstances surrounding them — including Biden's disastrous June 27 debate and doubts about his stamina and skills — overshadowed a summit that made several major strides in bolstering Ukraine in its fight against Russia. The alliance issued a joint communique laying out new military and financial support for Ukraine, and a commitment that Kyiv is on an "irreversible" path to NATO membership. But Biden's latest stumbles — coming amid broader questions about his candidacy — are garnering significant attention as he fends off calls from Democrats to step aside as the party's nominee in November. Democrats have expressed concerns that Biden lacks the mental sharpness and stamina to vigorously campaign against Trump and make a successful case to the American public. Biden still has his supporters, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who on Thursday warned against underestimating the American president, describing him as a "very focused" leader. Scholz also said he had not seen any moments from Biden in the past week that indicate he is not up for another four years in office. And Sir Keir Starmer, the new British prime minister, told the BBC that Biden was on "really good form" after the two leaders met at the summit. 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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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart for the second time in less than a month and one day after the NATO summit wrapped up in Washington with a focus on countering Moscow, according to the Pentagon. During the call with Russian Minister of Defense Andrey Belousov, which was initiated by Moscow, Austin "emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid Russia’s … |
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continued his push for President Biden to lift restrictions on Ukraine using American-provided weapons to strike up to 300 miles inside Russia, bolstered by the U.K.'s decision this week to lift similar limits on its long-distance Storm Shadow missiles. While the Biden administration has given Ukraine the greenlight to strike beyond Russia’s border near the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, … |
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The U.S.-built pier meant to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza "will soon cease operations" after it was unable to be reinstalled Wednesday, the Pentagon has revealed, bringing an end to a costly project plagued by issues. U.S. Central Command (Centcom) personnel attempted to reanchor the temporary pier to the beach in Gaza to resume humanitarian operations, but "due to technical and weather-related issues," the service members … |
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President Biden on Thursday announced a new $225 million aid package for Ukraine that includes a Patriot air defense system to defend its skies further against continued Russian airstrikes, a decision revealed as he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky, who met with Biden at the NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., praised the announcement as "strong news." But he also continued to press for Washington to give … |
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Upcoming things we're watching on our beat: |
- The House and Senate will hold a joint meeting to receive an address from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, July 24.
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Events in and around the defense world: |
- Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara, Air Force deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, will speak at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, 10 a.m.
- The Center for Strategic and International Studies will have a conversation on "Artificial Intelligence transformation at the DOD," with Radha Plumb, chief digital and artificial intelligence officer at the Pentagon, at 1:30 p.m.
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News we've flagged from other outlets: |
- What happens if the president issues a potentially illegal order to the military? (Military.com)
- How a 4,000-word Coast Guard email erupted into a reckoning of military sexual assault (The War Horse)
- NATO's pledges to Ukraine fall short for a counteroffensive this year (The New York Times)
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Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
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A judge dismissed Rudy Giuliani's Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Friday, removing a shield that for six months froze two Georgia election workers' efforts … Read more |
| Former MSNBC host and political analyst Chris Matthews said "the elite" critics of President Biden are "going to pay for it." Matthews joined MSNBC's … Read more |
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Op-ed related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: |
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