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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 | | 
The operating theory is that Berlin will allow countries to send their German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine if the U.S. sends battle vehicles of its own. U.S. officials waved NatSec Daily off that idea, saying they were unaware if Germany had made a final decision on Leopard authorization. | Sean Gallup/Getty Images | Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt With help from Zi-Ann Lum and Daniel Lippman DAVOS, Switzerland — For a conference that shies away from defense issues, the World Economic Forum sure features a lot of tank talk. It’s all the rage here between sips of fancy wine and beet-juice smoothies. President JOE BIDEN and German Chancellor OLAF SCHOLZ spoke Tuesday about their assistance to Ukraine as three senior U.S. officials made their way back from high-level meetings in Kyiv. Gen. MARK MILLEY, the Joint Chiefs chair, met his Ukrainian counterpart face-to-face for the first time ahead of a Friday gathering of the Ukraine Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base. Davos participants are reading the organic, free-trade, sustainable tea leaves. Friday’s Ramstein meeting “would be a logical time for a U.S.-German announcement,” KURT VOLKER, the former U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations, told NatSec Daily here. The operating theory is that Berlin will allow countries to send their German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine if the U.S. sends battle vehicles of its own. U.S. officials waved NatSec Daily off that idea, saying they were unaware if Germany had made a final decision on Leopard authorization. What they did say is there will be some new weaponry announced by the U.S. and Contact Group members on Friday. One theory that had been floating around Davos earlier Wednesday was Scholz would make the announcement himself on WEF’s main stage, especially after the leaders of Poland and Lithuania pressured him to do so from the same venue. But he didn’t and instead used the opportunity to stay on message and talk about energy security in Europe. Scholz won’t find friendlier audiences outside of Switzerland. CHARLES MICHEL, president of the European Council, said Wednesday “the time is now” to send tanks to Ukraine. “They urgently need more equipment.” Meanwhile, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on Scholz to form a European alliance to deliver Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine “without further delay.” NatSec Daily asked Sen. CHRIS COONS (D-Del.) in Davos what needs to happen for Germany to send tanks. Does the U.S. needto move first with Abrams? “We need to find a way to move forward together,” he said, without going into more detail.
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | | | | NO U.S. TANKS, BUT MORE AID: The U.S. is preparing to announce a major new weapons package for Ukraine on Friday, but Ukraine will likely have to wait for those tanks, our own LARA SELIGMAN and PAUL McLEARY report. The package will include artillery, ammunition and armor — likely Stryker armored combat vehicles, three U.S. officials and another person familiar with the discussions said. But M1 Abrams tanks likely won’t be in the mix, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks ahead of an announcement. The reluctance is due to the logistical and maintenance challenges of the tanks, and not over concern that their transfer could escalate the conflict, one of the officials said. The White House has not yet signed off on the package, which is still being finalized and could change this week. WHO’S MISSING MOSCOW: Western officials in Davos were granted their wish. After nearly a year of trying to ban Russia from the international forum, Moscow has no presence on the mountain for the second year in a row. But it's not easy for all attendees to adjust to a world without Russia. That’s especially true for top business executives, who once would sip vodka over ice with the country’s energy tycoons and pharmaceutical giants. Now. they must grapple with the new reality of learning to operate without their eastern acquaintances, our own ERIN BANCO reports. Behind the scenes, business chiefs in Davos are raising questions about how long the global business community can ignore Moscow and simultaneously find new markets for energy, metals and food. UKRAINE MINISTER DIES: Ukraine’s interior minister was one of at least 16 people killed in a helicopter crash outside Kyiv. It’s unclear what caused the helicopter carrying DENYS MONASTYRSKY, other officials and three children to drop in Brovary. Monastyrsky is the most senior Ukrainian official to die since the war began last February. Condolences have poured in from all over the world. European Commission President URSULA VON DER LEYEN expressed her “heartfelt condolences” while Polish President ANDRZEJ DUDA noted his “deep sadness.” GERMANY’S NEW DEFMIN: Meet BORIS PISTORIUS, Germany’s “untested” new defense minister, who is coming into his role at a tense time for Berlin’s European leadership and the war in Ukraine. “Within hours of being sworn into office, Germany’s new defense minister will be expected to hold talks with the U.S. defense secretary. A day later, he will represent Germany’s armed forces at a meeting with European allies awaiting critical decisions on the war in Ukraine,” the New York Times’ ERIKA SOLOMON reports. And while he’s received high marks as interior minister for a German province, “he has no background in foreign affairs or global security.” Pistorius’ rise came as a surprise to many in Germany, especially since Scholz says he wants Germany to completely rethink its military posture. Bringing in a newbie to the high-profile job is a big risk — both for the chancellor and for Germany. ANAND IN KYIV: Canadian Defense Minister ANITA ANAND was in Kyiv today, where she announced the donation of 200 Senator armored personnel carriers to Ukraine, our own ZI-ANN LUM writes in. The new $67 million purchase “responds to a specific Ukrainian request,” according to Anand’s office, and is being purchased from Canadian manufacturer Roshel, based in Ontario. Anand was reluctant to say if her Ukrainian counterpart, Defense Minister OLEKSII REZNIKOV, asked Canada to supply tanks. She would only tell reporters the pair had a “long and far-reaching discussion.” When asked, Anand refused to say if she agrees with those who argue the introduction of Leopards to the battlefield will escalate the conflict in Ukraine. “It is important for allies and partners to do everything to support Ukraine, which means military assistance: it means lethal and non-lethal,” she said. “Canada must provide Ukraine with the military equipment that Ukraine needs in both the short and the long term — that is the reality for our country and we will continue to do so.” OOPS: The Russian Embassy in Sweden accidentally identified Crimea as part of Ukraine. IT’S WEDNESDAY: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, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco and @Lawrence_Ukenye.
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The F-35 delivers the unrivaled advantage for our pilots, nation, and partners. A decisive differentiator in near-peer warfare, the F-35 is the most advanced node in 21st century warfare network-centric architecture. Learn more. | | | | | | DERI DISQUALIFIED: Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that ARYEH DERI, a top government official, was not fit to serve in his spot, dealing a devastating blow to Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU’s new government, The Washington Post’s SHIRA RUBIN reports. The majority of court members agreed that Deri, who serves as the interior and health minister and leads the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, was unfit for public office because of a series of past criminal convictions, including tax fraud. Last month, Israel’s legislature passed the “Deri Law,” which allowed him to become minister despite his recent convictions. “Today the Supreme Court, which claims to represent minorities, threw away the ballots of 400,000 Shas voters, who represent the underprivileged in Israel and went to the polls just two months ago,” a Shas spokesperson said in a statement. On Monday, Deri said he would not step away from public office if disqualified by the Supreme Court.
| | | SURVEILLANCE TRACKS MONEY TRANSFERS: U.S. law enforcement agencies have access to data on 150 million money transfers between people in the U.S. and more than 20 countries, a new investigation by Sen. RON WYDEN (D-Ore.) revealed — and they don’t even have court oversight. “The database, housed at a little-known nonprofit called the Transaction Record Analysis Center, or TRAC, was set up by the Arizona state attorney general’s office in 2014 as part of a settlement reached with Western Union to combat cross-border trafficking of drugs and people from Mexico,” the Wall Street Journal’s DUSTIN VOLZ and BYRON TAU write. “It has since expanded to allow officials of more than 600 law-enforcement entities — from federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to small-town police departments in nearly every state — to monitor the flow of funds through money services between the U.S. and countries around the world,” they continue. Wyden says TRAC allows the government to “serve itself an all-you-can-eat buffet of Americans’ personal financial data while bypassing the normal protections for Americans’ privacy.” RICH LEBEL, TRAC’s director, said, “it’s a law-enforcement investigative tool” that has led to busts of drug cartels and keeps tabs on smuggling networks.
| | | ISRAEL-STORED ARTILLERY TO UKRAINE: The U.S. is sending ammunition stored in Israel to help Ukrainian troops fight off Russians, the New York Times reports. “With stockpiles in the United States strained and American arms makers not yet able to keep up with the pace of Ukraine’s battlefield operations, the Pentagon has turned to two alternative supplies of shells to bridge the gap: one in South Korea and the one in Israel,” the reporters write. It’s an interesting time for this news to break as Israel’s new far-right government has come under scrutiny for being more friendly to Moscow. But this reporting shows Israel is indirectly involved in efforts to kill Russians. It also highlights a problem for Kyiv. Ukraine expends 90,000 artillery rounds a month, double what the U.S. and European nations can produce combined. As of now, there are no signs that the U.S., at least, aims to boost production. BIONIC ARMS FOR UKRAINIAN TROOPS: Two Ukrainian soldiers who lost their arms in the war against Russia will soon have U.K.-made bionic arms. The Hero Arm, a 3D-printed prosthesis made by Open Bionics, “has moveable fingers and thumbs that allow them to pinch and grasp objects. It's controlled by sensors that are activated by muscles in the forearm,” Sky News’ THOMAS MOORE reports. ANDRII GIDZUN and VITALII IVASHCHUK will be fitted with their new arms in February. "I am pleased that I have such an opportunity to get such a functional prosthesis. I did not even hope for it,” Ivashcuk said. Superhumans Center will launch a medical center in western Ukraine to care for injured soldiers and provide them with bionics free of charge, ANDREY STAVNITSER, the organization’s founder, told NatSec Daily. It is slated to open in the spring. “Thousands of Ukrainians have been wounded by war and need prosthetics and specialized care to get back to their lives,” Stavnitser said. “Ukrainians deserve to live lives of dignity and respect, and returning mobility to soldiers and civilians is the least we can do.”
| | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE 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. 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. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | | | | NAME DROP: We now know the names of 11 Republicans who’ve been tapped to join the House Armed Services Committee in the new Congress. Our friends over at Morning Defense (for Pros!) dug into who’s who. Eight of the 11 picks are freshmen who won in November: Reps. JEN KIGGANS of Virginia, DALE STRONG of Alabama, MARK ALFORD of Missouri, NICK LaLOTA of New York, MORGAN LUTTRELL of Texas, RICH McCORMICK of Georgia, CORY MILLS of Florida and Del. JAMES MOYLAN of Guam. Three others served in the last Congress, but are still new to HASC: Reps. NANCY MACE of South Carolina, CARLOS GIMENEZ of Florida and BRAD FINSTAD of Minnesota. In joining the committee, Alford, Strong and Kiggans are maintaining their districts’ long-held seats on the panel held by their predecessors. Meanwhile, Moylan’s appointment reestablishes Guam’s foothold on the committee.
| | | ‘SORRY STATE’: The UN’s chief came to Davos to lament the “sorry state” of the world, saying that “interlinked” problems were “piling up like cars in a chain reaction crash.” The speech by U.N. Secretary-General ANTONIO GUTERRES on the conference’s third day felt like a pointed critique of Davos Man. Little has been done to tackle the world’s challenges as they continue to mount, he said. “We learned last week that certain fossil fuel producers were fully aware in the 1970s that their core product was baking our planet,” Guterres said. “Some in Big Oil peddled the big lie.” Some of those producers were present in the audience. He also pointed to the “gravest levels of geopolitical division and mistrust in generations” as inhibiting global issues like widening inequality, lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic supply-chain disruptions and others.
| | | |   | | | | | | — PATRICK HOBART is now public engagement adviser for the Commerce Department. He most recently was special assistant to the general counsel at the Department of Homeland Security. — YASMINE FAROUK became a non-resident fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy as part of the Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East. Her research will cover Saudi public and foreign policies, regional security in the Gulf and international relations in the Arab World. She’s still a non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. — PATRICK ZEITOUNI has joined HawkEye 360 as chief strategy officer. He most recently led Blue Origin’s Space Mobility and Lunar Landing programs.
| | | — CHRISTINA LU, Foreign Policy:The World Is Done Waiting for Guaidó — LARRY ELLIOTT, The Guardian: Mutiny erupts among WEF staff over role of ‘Mr Davos’ — CHARLES LISTER, Middle East Institute: Turkish-Syrian Re-engagement: Drivers, Limitations, and US Policy Implications
| | | — The Hudson Institute, 10 a.m.: Discussion on Task Force KleptoCapture — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 10 a.m.: Sanctions and the Russian Economy — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 10 a.m.: North Korea Policy and Extended Deterrence — The International Institute for Strategic Studies, 10:30 a.m.: The Recalibration of Saudi Foreign Policy — The Middle East Institute, 11 a.m.: U.S.-Lebanon Relations: Setting a New International Framework for a More Responsive Government — The Atlantic Council, 12:30 p.m.: Strategic threats in Latin America and the Caribbean with Army Gen. LAURA RICHARDSON 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 said, “the time is now” for Alex and Matt to reconsider writing this newsletter any longer. We also thank our producer, Kierra Frazier, who convinced her otherwise.
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Information is the battlespace advantage. F-35 sensor fusion provides vast amounts of information to accelerate critical decisions and win the fight. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
