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From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | |  | | By Alexander Ward and Lawrence Ukenye | | 
Clearly, the EU is worried about Russians trying to get into the union either with another passport, a tourist visa or via asylum claims. | Sasu Makinen/Lehtikuva | With help from Phelim Kine and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Alex Stepping off the plane from Riga to Helsinki last week, your host was greeted by an unlikely sight: Finnish border guards. That was odd, as Latvia and Finland are both members of the European Union. While member states have the right to enforce their borders during intra-EU travel, it’s a rarity. And then transferring through Frankfurt on the way back to Washington, a German customs official looked back and forth at your host’s face and passport. The agent then said something in what sounded like Russian, and after seeing the confusion on NatSec Daily’s face gave the motion to go through. Clearly, the EU is worried about Russians trying to get into the union either with another passport, a tourist visa or via asylum claims. Since Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN ’s military mobilization order, thousands of age-appropriate men have made their way to the borders of Finland, Latvia and other EU nations to seek asylum and avoid the front lines in Ukraine. The political bloc’s response has been uneven. Officials in Germany and France have signaled an interest in granting asylum to Russian escapees, while the Baltic states are giving them the stiff arm. "A refusal to fulfill one’s civic duty in Russia or a desire to do so does not constitute sufficient grounds for being granted asylum in another country,” Estonian Foreign Minister URMAS REINSALU emailed Reuters last week. Some regional leaders say an influx of Russian men would pose security threats to their countries, while others suggest it’s better for those opposed to the war to pressure Putin from within. That’s not how some asylum experts see it. “Blocking Russians who are fleeing these military call-ups is a violation of international law,” said LAMIS ABDELAATY , a professor at Syracuse University. “The punishment for deserters and draft evaders in Russia is severe, having been recently toughened. Under international law, risking punishment for refusing to participate in illegal combat is valid grounds for refugee status,” adding that Russians “should not be returned to Russia while their asylum applications are being processed.” The 27-member EU can’t do much right now about individual states’ actions. A spokesperson for the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said “the situation is unprecedented. Given the current security situation, we need to take those geopolitical concerns and security risks into account. Provisions of the Schengen Borders Code allow for refusal of entry based on specific public policy and internal security grounds.” The question is, what happens in the future? ANDREW GEDDES , director of the Migration Policy Center in Florence, Italy, said that it’s possible asylum cases could in months to years result in the EU ruling on whether a country must let in Russians fleeing military mobilization. The Kremlin could make it easier on the EU by continuing to repress Russians who don’t want to fight in Putin’s war. “The harder Russia cracks down on its population, the better chance Russians will have to find refuge abroad,” Geddes said.
| | | | REGISTER FOR CEPA FORUM 2022. Between September 27-29, the Center for European Policy Analysis will host a dynamic series of debates discussions focusing on the transatlantic response to Russia’s war in Ukraine and its implications for security and democracy. 1 DAY LEFT TO RSVP. | | | | | | | | RUSSIAN RECRUITMENT CENTERS ATTACKED: At least two military recruitment centers in Russia were attacked Monday by people seemingly upset with Putin’s mobilization order. “A Russian man opened fire at a military-recruiting station in Siberia, wounding its commander, hours after another man rammed a car into the entrance of a different recruitment center and set fire to it with Molotov cocktails,” The Wall Street Journal’s ALAN CULLISON reported. The violence comes as thousands of likely recruits escape Russia while others protest call ups. “The forced mobilization of soldiers threatens to stymie Moscow’s efforts to defeat Ukraine on the battlefield, according to analysts,” Cullison wrote. “Russian men are demonstrating a lack of motivation for warfare in their rush to escape being drafted, likely eroding morale among those already in the field, the analysts said.” SNOWDEN GETS RUSSIAN CITIZENSHIP: EDWARD SNOWDEN, the notorious NSA leaker, received Russian citizenship Monday thanks to a presidential decree from Putin. The 39 year old was granted asylum in Russia following the 2013 revelation of government surveillance programs at home and abroad. The U.S. has long wanted him returned to stand trial on espionage charges. The former contractor said he’d come back to the U.S. as long as he could ensure a fair trial. Snowden received his new citizenship alongside more than 70 other foreign nationals. Maybe it’s a coincidence, but the decree comes as Putin seeks able-bodied men to serve in Ukraine. "As a result of his Russian citizenship, apparently now he may well be conscripted to fight in Russia’s war in Ukraine," State Department spokesperson NED PRICE told reporters Monday. CHINA FACES U.N. XINJIANG DEBATE RESOLUTION: The United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva table will vote next week on a draft resolution seeking “a debate on the situation of human rights in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region” early next year, our China Watcher PHELIM KINE reported. The draft resolution tabled on Monday and backed by the U.S., Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the U.K. and Northern Ireland, is a response to the U.N.’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ long-delayed Xinjiang report released last month, which implicated the Chinese government in “crimes against humanity.” The draft resolution marks a setback for China’s strategy of angry denial about what U.S. Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN has described as an ongoing “genocide” targeting Xinjiang’s Muslim Uyghurs. The Chinese government has backed that strategy with a global campaign “to manipulate and dominate global discourse on Xinjiang,” the State Department reported last month. But such condemnation from the U.N. system, which the Chinese government routinely pledges robust support for, gave fresh impetus to Human Rights Council members to press China to end those abuses. “Beijing –– just a few weeks out from the 20th Party Congress –– will no doubt devote significant resources to thwarting this effort,” said SOPHIE RICHARDSON, China director at Human Rights Watch. “But support for its bullying approach at the HRC has been waning, and most states have on a variety of issues supported debate.” The Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., didn’t respond to a request for comment. MACRON TO U.S.: The White House announced that President JOE BIDEN will host French President EMMANUEL MACRON in Washington Dec. 1 for a state visit, the first of the Biden administration. IT’S MONDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily. This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at award@politico.com, and follow me on Twitter at @alexbward. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @nahaltoosi, @woodruffbets, @politicoryan, @PhelimKine, @BryanDBender, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @AndrewDesiderio, @magmill95 and @Lawrence_Ukenye.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Our mission is to prepare you for the future by engineering advanced capabilities today.
Many of today’s military systems and platforms were designed to operate independently. Through our 21st Century Security vision, Lockheed Martin is accelerating innovation, connecting defense and digital to enhance the performance of major platforms, to equip customers to stay ahead of emerging threats. Learn more. | | | | | | NORTH KOREA MISSILE TEST: North Korea tested a ballistic missile near the east coast of the Korean peninsula, CNN reported. U.S. and South Korean officials are closely cooperating following the launch and condemned the regime’s action, labeling the test as an unnecessary provocation. Although U.S. Indo-Pacific Command believes the test poses no threat, recent North Korean missile tests have pushed U.S. and South Korean forces in the region to hold military exercises to deter further actions from the isolated regime. North Korea recently unveiled a new nuclear doctrine that claimed the regime would respond with immediate nuclear retaliation if leader KIM JONG UN was killed in an attack.
| | | ISRAELI CYBER UNIT TAKES ON IRAN: Israel’s cyber force, Unit 8200, is on the frontlines of the country’s escalating tensions with Iran, playing a role in combating Tehran’s increased cyber aggression, Haaretz’s AMOS HAREL reported. The country has invested heavily in cybersecurity by working to develop offensive and defensive capabilities that they hope give them an advantage against adversaries. While Israel believes they have more advanced cyber capabilities than Iran, it still has prioritized forming partnerships with allies, like recently reaching a deal with the U.S. to work together on securing financial systems between both countries. Iran has recently targeted Albania, a NATO ally, with cyber attacks, prompting U.S. sanctions.
| | | NON-TRADITIONAL CONTRACTS: The Pentagon is looking to rewrite rules to ensure that non-traditional contracts adhere to federal law, Breaking Defense’s THERESA HITCHENS reported. Simply put, “Other Transactions” (known as OTs or OTAs) allow program managers to waive certain authorities and requirements to measure performance faster, a practice that irks lawmakers and oversight officials. They worry DoD is increasingly using this practice to rush new equipment and weapons to the field. The Defense Department’s Office of the Inspector General found in a Sept. 8 audit that “DoD needs additional policy to ensure agreement personnel take the necessary steps to verify the requirements of the laws are met before making the award.” The Pentagon is heeding the OIG’s advice and now rewriting oversight guidelines.
| | | |   | | | | | | CRITICAL MUNITIONS STOCKS: SASC members JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-N.H.) and THOM TILLIS (R-N.C.) have introduced legislation to ensure the US. has enough critical munitions stocks to help allies — without running out of what America needs to defend itself. The Promoting Readiness for Overseas Contingencies and Unexpected Responses to Exigencies, or PROCURE for short, “would establish a Critical Munitions Acquisition Fund (CMAF) to allow the Secretary of Defense to better manage industry production lines and sustain particular munitions lines that are critical to U.S. national security interests,” per a news release. “[E]nsuring that the U.S. can capably support our democratic allies while maintaining our own military stockpiles in a crisis is essential,” Shaheen said in a statement. “Our bipartisan PROCURE Act is essential to improving America’s capacity to quickly arm our allies in potential future conflicts without drawing from our own munitions stock, which will greatly enhance our national security and military readiness,” Tillis said. The bill is cosponsored by Sens. JOHN CORNYN (R-Texas), RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-Conn.), ROGER WICKER (R-Miss.), RICK SCOTT (R-Fla.), TIM KAINE (D-Va.), DEBBIE FISCHER (R-Neb.), TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D-Ill.) and AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-Minn.).
| | | RUSSIA DETERMINES U.S. ACTIONS: The Biden administration has allowed Russia’s threats to curb America’s support for Ukraine, delayed the National Security Strategy because it was blindsided by Moscow and Beijing’s aggression, muddied its Taiwan policy, prioritized R&D instead of needed weapons purchases, continued Trump-era trade policies, and failed to rein in North Korea and Iran’s nuclear work. But other than that, the American Enterprise Institute’s KORI SCHAKE is thrilled with Biden’s foreign policy. Schake, in her New York Times op-ed, would have the president and his team look to Kyiv for strategic inspiration. “Talking with Ukrainians in Kyiv in mid-September, it was striking how much better they are at strategy than is the Biden administration. They understand — and relentlessly convey from every department — that their success relies on Western support, and that the West has both a moral and geopolitical interest in Ukraine winning,” she wrote. “The military, economic, and foreign policy lines of Ukraine’s strategy are mutually reinforcing, lending greater strength to each. This is what a whole government strategy looks like in execution.”
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | | –– FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY: ALGENE SAJERY on Friday is leaving the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation where she has served as vice president of external affairs and head of global gender equity initiatives. Sajery, who is a BEN CARDIN and Senate Foreign Relations Committee alum, is moving on to re-launch her strategic advisory firm, Catalyst Global Strategies. — REX BOOTH is now senior director of cybersecurity operations at identity security company SailPoint. He most recently was director of stakeholder engagement at the Office of the National Cyber Director and is a CISA alum.
| | | — SIMON SHUSTER and VERA BERGENGRUEN, Time: How Ukraine and VALERIY ZALUZHNY Turned the Tide of the War — TYLER JACKSON, War on the Rocks: Keep The MQ-9 Pilots Flying — EUGENE CHAUSOVSKY, Foreign Policy: Diplomacy Is Still (Just About) Possible in Ukraine
| | | — IDEEA Inc., 8:30 a.m.: 2022 Common Defense Summit on "Integrated Deterrence" — The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 9 a.m.: "Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace" — The Henry L. Stimson Center, 9 a.m.:"The Geography of Myanmar's Anti-Military Resistance Movement" — The Wilson Center, 9:30 a.m.: Pakistan’s Foreign Policy Priorities: A Conversation with Foreign Minister BILAWAL BHUTTO ZARDARI — The Hudson Institute, 10 a.m.: “Gaining Decision Advantage: Modernizing Air Force Command and Control for Deterrence and Combat" — The Atlantic Council, 11 a.m.: "China’s Digital Strategy at Home and Abroad" — The Government Executive Media Group, 11 a.m.: "State of Defense: Air Force" — The Hudson Institute, 12 p.m.:"Plan B on Iran: A Conversation with Secretary Pompeo" — The East-West Center in Washington, 1 p.m.: "Japan as a Global Military Power: New Capabilities, Alliance Integration, Bilateralism-Plus" — The Atlantic Council, 1:30 p.m.: "A Surge in Crackdowns Across Iran" — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 4 p.m.: "Poland and the War in Ukraine" — The Center for a New American Security, 4 p.m.: "One Year After Withdrawal: Update on Afghanistan" Have a natsec-centric event coming up? Transitioning to a new defense-adjacent or foreign policy-focused gig? Shoot me an email at award@politico.com to be featured in the next edition of the newsletter. And thanks to our editor, Dave Brown, who will happily consider any president giving him citizenship to their nation.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Our mission is to prepare you for the future by engineering advanced capabilities today.
Many of today’s military systems and platforms were designed to operate independently. Through our 21st Century Security vision, Lockheed Martin is accelerating innovation, connecting defense and digital to enhance the performance of major platforms, to equip customers to stay ahead of emerging threats. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
