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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 Matt Berg | | 
Other signatories and congressional aides blamed the Progressive Caucus’ office for releasing it two weeks before the midterms and as questions swirl over whether Republicans would continue funding Ukraine’s defense if they win the House majority, as is expected. | Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo | With help from Andrew Desiderio, Nicholas Wu, Jordain Carney and Lara Seligman Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt Well, that backfired: The Congressional Progressive Caucus retracted its letter calling on President JOE BIDEN to push for direct diplomacy with Moscow less than a day after it drew intense backlash from other Democrats. The about-face, which POLITICO first reported was under consideration, comes as some Democratic lawmakers vent their fury that the letter backing talks with Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN — originally drafted and signed in June — wasn’t recirculated before its public release on Monday. That created a sticky situation for the 30 House Democrats who signed on, all lawmakers in the roughly 100-member Congressional Progressive Caucus, making it look like they were urging Biden to push for diplomacy immediately despite Russia’s engagement in war crimes and indications of a military escalation against Ukraine. Making the timing of the letter even more politically perilous: Ukraine is not ready for negotiations at this point, especially because its monthslong counteroffensive has been successful to date, and there’s no indication Putin is ready to deal either. The letter to Biden was released without the knowledge of many Democratic lawmakers who put their names on it, several people told POLITICO, speaking candidly on condition of anonymity. While it was partially updated with new information about Russia’s war on Ukraine and sent to other lawmakers to reach a threshold of 30 signees, POLITICO has learned, the letter got released mostly in its original form. The original release date for the letter was Aug. 1, a congressional aide said, adding that it was never made clear why there was a delay. Its text was circulating on the Hill during August’s weekslong legislative recess. “Once you sign on to a letter, it’s up to the original drafters and unfortunately not all of them will keep folks updated,” Rep. ILHAN OMAR (D-Minn.), the Progressive Caucus whip and a signatory of the pro-Russia-diplomacy letter, tweeted Tuesday . “That’s why some of us don’t sign on to letters without direct insight into when or how it will be released.” Other signatories and congressional aides blamed the Progressive Caucus’ office for releasing it two weeks before the midterms and as questions swirl over whether Republicans would continue funding Ukraine’s defense if they win the House majority, as is expected. “Amateur hour on part of the CPC not to have anticipated that,” said one lawmaker who signed on and, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity. A Hill staffer put it even more bluntly: “It’s just a disaster. The CPC just needs to clean house.” Read Alex, Andrew, Nicholas and Jordain’s full story here .
| | | | NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID . | | | | | | | | GRINER SENTENCED: A Russian court ruled Tuesday that WNBA star BRITTNEY GRINER will serve nine years in prison after being found guilty on drug smuggling charges. Griner didn’t “expect any miracles to happen,” her lawyers said, but she hoped the three-judge panel of the appeals court would reduce her sentence. The 32-year-old basketball star didn’t appear in court for the ruling, instead joining via video call from the detention center where she’s been held since February. It’s unclear how Griner’s lawyers will proceed, who said in a statement that they “need to discuss this further with our client. We generally think that we must use all the available legal tools especially given the harsh and unprecedented nature of her sentence.” Higher courts in Russia do not often overturn verdicts, especially those in the Kremlin’s interests, and U.S. officials have unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate with Moscow to release the basketball star for months. The U.S. government is aware that Griner “will continue to be wrongfully detained under intolerable circumstances after having to undergo another sham judicial proceeding today,” national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN said in a statement. “President Joe Biden has been very clear that Brittney should be released immediately.” BIDEN ADMIN UNIFIED ON IRAN: The Biden administration is unified on a balanced response to the turmoil in Iran despite calls for the president to to openly back regime change in the country, six U.S. officials familiar with the issue told our own NAHAL TOOSI . “There aren’t camps” in the Biden administration regarding Iran, a State Department official said. The administration is expected to unveil more sanctions on Iran this week related to recent protests that have roiled the country. Possible targets include mid-level Iranian police commanders who have abused demonstrators. Still, the administration’s overall strategy is likely to disappoint activists and could make crafting policy toward the Middle East even harder. In reality, there isn’t much Biden can do to help demonstrators keep pressure on the Iranian regime, the officials said. “It’s unpredictable, it’s emotional, there are kids being shot, and everyone thinks we have magic powers,” one U.S. official familiar with the issue said of the protest movement. DOUBLING DOWN ON ‘DIRTY BOMB’: Russian officials at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday are continuing to push unsubstantiated claims that Ukraine plans to use a “dirty bomb,” Reuters’ MICHELLE NICHOLS reports . In a letter viewed by Reuters, Russia's U.N. Ambassador VASSILY NEBENZIA urged U.N. chief ANTONIO GUTERRES to help “prevent this heinous crime from happening,” warning that Moscow will regard an attack from Kyiv as “an act of nuclear terrorism.” Russian officials have told counterparts that they will raise the concerns during a private meeting on Tuesday. "We urge the Western countries to exert their influence on the regime in Kiev to abandon its dangerous plans threatening international peace and security," Nebenzia wrote. Russian forces have carried out secret construction work in the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the past week, which Ukrainian officials believe could involve Moscow preparing for a “provocation” involving a “dirty bomb,” the Associated Press reports . RIP, MR. SECRETARY: Former Secretary of Defense ASH CARTER died Monday evening in Boston of a sudden cardiac event at 68 years old. He served under President BARACK OBAMA from February 2015 to January 2017. He was also a public policy professor who directed the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School up until his death. In a statement, Biden said “When I think of Ash Carter, I think of a man of extraordinary integrity. Honest. Principled. Guided by a strong, steady moral compass and a vision of using his life for public purpose.” IT’S TUESDAY: 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 mberg@politico.com , and follow us on Twitter at @alexbward and @mattberg33 . 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 , @ericgeller , @johnnysaks130 and @Lawrence_Ukenye .
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Lockheed Martin employees and customers are bound by a common cause. Ennobled by our shared patriotism, we will do all that is necessary to protect American and allied interests. Together, we will strengthen deterrence and help ensure mission readiness today. Learn more. | | | | | | TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF: Ukrainian and Western officials believe Moscow’s attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have been so methodical and effective that they’ve been directed by electricity specialists, The Washington Post’s MICHAEL BIRNBAUM, DAVID L. STERN and EMILY RAUHALA report . Weeks of continuous bombing have shown Russia’s intention to strike network nodes that Ukraine needs to keep its electricity grid functioning and provide critical services, rather than focusing on the country’s power generation plants. More than a third of Ukraine’s transmission hubs have been destroyed or damaged, a troubling sign for the country as winter looms. The precise aerial attacks on energy infrastructure have struck a contrast with Russian troops’ poor performance on the ground in recent weeks, which have allowed Ukraine to regain territory. ““They have some kind of road map for the militaries, where to shell. If they missed one day, then the next day they shell it again and again.”,” Ukrainian Energy Minister GERMAN GALUSHCHENKO told the Post. MYANMAR CIVILIANS KILLED: Airstrikes by Myanmar military forces killed up to 80 unarmed civilians during an anniversary celebration of the Kachin ethnic minority’s main political organization on Monday, the Associated Press’ GRANT PECK reports . It’s the largest death toll from a single air attack since the military seized power in February 2021 and comes three days before Southeast Asian foreign ministers were set to host a special meeting in Indonesia about increased violence in Myanmar.
| | | IS THE AIR FORCE GOOD AT CYBER?: That’s the question the service is asking itself right now, per Defense One’s LAUREN WILLIAMS , as a task force struggles to find an answer as it calculates potential conflict with China. Sentinel Stand, the Air Force group led by cyber adviser WANDA JONES-HEATH, is focused on the cyber status of systems needed to go to war. “The group of 100-plus people needed to understand just what those networks consisted of. They decided to focus on the most urgent task: mapping out which bases, systems, networks, assets, and infrastructure would be necessary to fight a war with China,” per Williams. The task force will continue to assess the cyber dimensions of other areas of warfare, including in space. “Our satellites are very old, and…in order to win the war, you have to have space superiority along with air,” said Jones-Heath.
| | | CONTRACTORS TO REPORT EARNINGS: Four out of the top five Pentagon contractors will begin reporting their third-quarter earnings this week as concerns grow about how inflation is squeezing their bottom lines. Raytheon Technologies’ CEO Greg Hayes told investors during a quarterly earnings call Tuesday that his company is “seeing significant global demand for advanced air defense systems, especially in Eastern Europe, as the Russians and the Ukraine conflict unfortunately continues,” signaling out the company’s work on the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, two of which are en route to Ukraine in the coming weeks. The company will soon be put under contract to build four more of the weapons for Ukraine to be delivered in the coming years. Intriguingly, Hayes also said his company was awarded $1.6 billion “in classified awards in the quarter,” though clearly, he didn’t elaborate. Two other big names will report earnings on Wednesday. General Dynamics, which landed a $1.1 billion deal in the last quarter to deliver 250 Abrams tanks to Poland, will likely get questions on ramping up production to support the war in Ukraine. The other contractor, Boeing, is also likely to get questions about how inflation is affecting its fixed-price contracts for the KC-46, T-7 and MQ-25. Last but not least, Northrop Grumman, which will report its earnings on Thursday, will likely receive questions on the rollout of the B-21 stealth bomber planned for early December and the company’s efforts to land the Air Force Next Generation Air Dominance program.
| | | | JOIN WOMEN RULE THURSDAY FOR A TALK WITH DEPARTING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: A historic wave of retirements is hitting Congress, including several prominent Democratic women such as Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos, House Democrats’ former campaign chief. What is driving their departures? Join POLITICO on Oct. 27 for “The Exit Interview,” a virtual event that will feature a conversation with departing members where they'll explain why they decided to leave office and what challenges face their parties ahead. REGISTER HERE . | | | | | | | | FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — Reps. ELISE STEFANIK (R-N.Y.) and MIKE GALLAGHER (R-Wis.) introduced a bill to counter the influence of China and other foreign adversaries on the U.S.’s telecommunication infrastructure following the announcement that two Chinese individuals were charged with obstructing the criminal prosecution of a China-based telecommunications company. The bill would provide telecommunications transparency by requiring the FCC to publish a list of companies that hold FCC authorizations, licenses or other grants of authority with 10 percent or more ownership by foreign adversarial governments, including China, Russia, Iran or North Korea. “Allowing companies owned by China and our other foreign adversaries to have access to our critical infrastructure is playing with fire,” Stefanik said. PELOSI FOR UKRAINE: House Speaker NANCY PELOSI pledged that lawmakers will push through a new round of funding for Ukraine as part of a massive government funding bill in December, saying the U.S. will back Ukraine with aid “until victory is won.” “Congress has secured over $60 billion in security, economic, humanitarian and budget assistance for Ukraine, including twelve and a third billion just weeks ago. And more will be on the way when we pass our omnibus funding bill this fall,” Pelosi said during a speech at the International Crimea Platform in Croatia on Tuesday.
| | | ‘SILLY AND DANGEROUS’: The Pentagon is none too pleased with a new report from the Heritage Foundation that came out last week, which rated the U.S. military as “weak” for the first time in the annual assessment’s nine-year history. The conservative think tank warned in its 2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength that the force is at risk of not being able to meet the demands of defending America’s interests due to years of sustained use, underfunding and “poorly defined priorities,” among other things. The report left Pentagon leaders scratching their heads, a defense official told our own LARA SELIGMAN. DoD's view, according to the official: The report “seems highly partisan, written for dramatic effect and at its core based on false requirements.” It's based on the outdated requirement that the military be able to fight two wars simultaneously, which was changed during the Trump administration, the person said. The individual was granted anonymity to speak candidly. “To say we’re weak, that’s silly and dangerous,” the official added. YES, CHEF: The member of Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN’s inner circle who directly complained to him about the military’s handling of the war was none other than YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN, The Washington Post reports . The powerful Russian oligarch and founder of paramilitary organization Wagner Group has been publicly vocal about his feelings on the war for weeks. But Prigozhin felt comfortable enough sharing his thoughts with the Kremlin’s head, demonstrating his rising influence as Russia’s war in Ukraine rages on, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The Post previously reported that a person close to Putin made the comments, which were significant enough to include in Biden’s daily intelligence briefing. Prigozhin’s discontent with the Russian Defense Ministry is also the subject of a separate U.S. intelligence report, according to people who have read the file.
| | | |   | | | | | | — EMILY HORNE, former National Security Council spokesperson, has joined WestExec Advisors as a senior adviser. — Congrats to BECCA WASSER for being promoted to a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.
| | | — BOBBY MILLER, The National Review: “ ZELENSKY’s Misguided Gripe with Israel ” — PETER WEHNER, The Atlantic: The Desecrations of MICHAEL FLYNN — MICHAEL RUBIN, Washington Examiner: How can the US help Iranians striving for freedom?
| | | — The Atlantic Council, 9 a.m.: "Turmoil and Transition: Iraq Twenty Years After the Invasion” — The Institute for Defense and Government Advancement, 9:20 a.m.: "Beyond Disruption: The Future of Logistics" — The Henry L. Stimson Center holds a virtual discussion, 9:30 a.m.: "What's Next for Arms Trade Transparency?" — The Atlantic Council, 10 a.m.: "Leveraging supply chain concentration for infrastructure security" — The Jewish Institute for National Security of America, 11 a.m.: "Iran Protests and U.S. Policy Options" — American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 12 p.m.: ASCEND Conference — The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, 12:15 p.m.: Book discussion on "Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China” — The Wilson Center, 1 p.m.: Book discussion on "Sanctions: What Everyone Needs to Know” — The Wilson Center, 1:30 p.m.: "U.S. Policy on Lebanon" — The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, 4:30 p.m.: "Crisis Stability in Space: China and Other Challenges" — The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, 4:30 p.m.: "Overreach: How China Derailed its Peaceful Rise" — The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, 6:30 p.m.: "Great Power competition," focusing on the legacy of the late former Secretary of State GEORGE SHULTZ 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. Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who wishes she could retract all our newsletters. And we thank our producer, Kierra Frazier, for putting up with us.
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Lockheed Martin is helping you outpace evolving threats by accelerating our digital transformation. That means simulating wear-and-tear with digital twins so you can anticipate maintenance and reduce downtime. It means deep knowledge of your missions. It means industry-wide experience and next-gen technologies. We do it all to help you prevent and deter emerging threats sooner and faster than ever. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
