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From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | |  | | By Alexander Ward, Matt Berg and Lawrence Ukenye | | 
The transfer of U.S. and German tanks would mark a major development in the West’s effort to arm Ukraine. | Mark Wilson/Getty Images | With help from Lara Seligman and Paul McLeary Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt Happy Tanks-giving, everybody! As early as this week, the Biden administration could announce a package involving roughly 30 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, two U.S. officials told Alex and LARA SELIGMAN. That’s a move that would assuage a lot of the angst surrounding Washington’s willingness to provide Ukraine with new offensive capabilities. The development comes amid a public standoff with German officials, who are under pressure to send their own Leopard tanks and allow other European countries that operate the German-made vehicles to do so as well. On Tuesday, shortly after news broke of the possible U.S. move, German Chancellor OLAF SCHOLZ announced that German Leopards were heading to Ukraine. Last week, Scholz told U.S. lawmakers that Berlin would approve the transfer only if the U.S. donated its own tanks first. The transfer of U.S. and German tanks would mark a major development in the West’s effort to arm Ukraine. Top Ukrainian officials, including President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, have spent weeks pleading for tanks as Kyiv prepares for fresh Russian offensives in the country’s east. One of the two U.S. officials said the Biden administration is considering sending around 30 Abrams tanks. The vehicles would likely come through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, according to a third person familiar with the issue. The program allows Washington to finance the purchase of weapons and equipment for Ukraine, as opposed to pulling them from existing U.S. stockpiles. The Pentagon never took tanks off the table, stressed a fourth U.S. official, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter ahead of an announcement. But in recent weeks, U.S. officials have publicly cited the difficulties of providing the M1s, the Army’s main battle tank. They have said the Abrams made little operational sense for Ukraine at this moment because they guzzle jet fuel and require long supply lines to maintain. A parade of Democrats and Republicans has pressured the Biden administration to grant Berlin’s request to send U.S. tanks first. “If the Germans continue to say we will only send or release Leopards on the condition that Americans send Abrams, we should send Abrams,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a close Biden ally, told POLITICO moments before Sky News Arabia first broke news of the decision on Tuesday. “With the tanks, Ukraine has a very good chance of beating Russia on the battlefield and kicking Russia out of Ukraine,” said Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.), who traveled to Ukraine last week.
| | | | JOIN POLITICO ON 2/9 TO HEAR FROM AMERICA’S GOVERNORS: In a divided Congress, more legislative and policy enforcement will shift to the states, meaning governors will take a leading role in setting the agenda for the nation. Join POLITICO on Thursday, Feb. 9 at World Wide Technology's D.C. Innovation Center for The Fifty: America's Governors, where we will examine where innovations are taking shape and new regulatory red lines, the future of reproductive health, and how climate change is being addressed across a series of one-on-one interviews. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | | FINLAND MAY GO IT ALONE: Finland still wants its NATO bid to be approved alongside Sweden’s… but if that’s not possible, Finnish foreign minister PEKKA HAAVISTO said the Fins may push forward without them, The Washington Post’s EMILY RAUHALA reports. “We have to be ready to reevaluate the situation. Has something happened that would in the long run prevent Sweden’s application from progressing?” Haavisto told Finnish broadcaster YLE. That comes a day after Turkish President RECEP TAYYIP ERDOĞAN said he would block Sweden’s bid following anti-Muslim protests in the country over the weekend. It’s the first time Finland publicly mentioned moving without Sweden, though officials are saying there’s been no actual change in position. Shortly after his comments, the minister clarified his comments to reporters, saying he had been “imprecise” and hopes the two counties will be approved together, Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported. CHINA HELPING RUSSIA?: The Biden administration has approached Beijing with evidence that some of its state-owned companies might be assisting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Bloomberg News’ PETER MARTIN and JENNY LEONARD report. U.S. officials presented the information in hopes of learning whether China is aware of the activities, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. Those people characterized the actions as non-lethal military and economic assistance that stops short of helping Russia evade its Western sanctions. Chinese President XI JINPING hasn’t publicly criticized Russia’s actions over the past year, but he has offered to play a part in peace negotiation and opposes the use of nuclear weapons in the war. Moscow and Beijing remain friendly, however, as the two countries plan to hold joint military drills off the coast of South Africa next month. CORRUPTION IN UKRAINE: Several top Ukrainian officials were fired or resigned today as President Zelenskyy vows to tackle the country’s corruption crisis, Ukraine’s cabinet ministry announced via Telegram. It’s the largest government upheaval since Russia’s invasion nearly a year ago. Targets included the governors of several regions, as well as KYRYLO TYMOSHENKO, the deputy head of the Zelenskyy’s office, and VIACHESLAV SHAPOVALOV, the deputy minister of defense, who had “asked to be fired” after reports that the Ukrainian military would pay inflated prices for food meant for troops, according to the country’s defense ministry. Though a reason for the exodus wasn’t given, the move appears to show Zelenskyy’s intent to reassure allies that aid provided to Ukraine is in good hands and isn’t being misused. PENCE DOCS FOUND: About a dozen classified documents were found at former Vice President MIKE PENCE’s home in Indiana last week. The documents were found by Pence’s lawyer following news of classified documents found in Biden’s private office and residence in recent weeks, CNN’s JAMIE GANGEL, JEREMY HERB and EVAN PEREZ report, citing multiple people familiar with the matter. 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, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco and @Lawrence_Ukenye.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: LMXT: Competitive capabilities for America’s next strategic tanker.
Lockheed Martin and Airbus announced the LMXT’s boom will be manufactured in Arkansas, reinforcing that the LMXT will be built in America for Americans by Americans. Learn more. | | | | | | PUNISHMENT FOR MYANMAR GENOCIDE: A human rights organization and a group of people from Myanmar are seeking punishment of Myanmar generals accused of committing genocide and war crimes in recent years. Fortify Rights filed the criminal complaint in Germany, specifying alleged actions by the generals following the government takeover in 2021 and during a crackdown on minority Rohingya Muslims in 2017 as cause for prosecution, the Associated Press’ GRANT PECK reports. The Myanmar generals are also under investigation by the International Criminal Court and the World Court. Activists have also filed complaints in Argentina and Turkey under the concept of universal jurisdiction, which allows prosecution for mass atrocities regardless of location or nationality.
| | | NOW WE’VE GOT BAD BLOOD: When Swifties tried to buy tickets for the pop star’s upcoming U.S. tour last year, all hell broke loose. But Ticketmaster said the chaos wasn’t entirely its fault, our own JOSH SISCO and MAGGIE MILLER reported yesterday. In November, the ticket-selling site was hit by a massive cyberattack that led to the problems with ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s tour, the company said. Fans and lawmakers alike lashed out at Ticketmaster, levying accusations of antitrust violations and calling for curbs on the company’s dominance. It even prompted the Senate Judiciary Committee to call this week’s hearing on competition issues in the ticketing industry. During the Swift concert sales, Ticketmaster was “hit with three times the amount of bot traffic than we had ever experienced, and for the first time in 400 Verified Fan on-sales, they came after our Verified Fan access code servers,” JOE BERCHTOLD, president of Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation, told the Senate Judiciary Committee.
| | | SDBs ARE TBD: Ukraine might not have received the Small Diameter Bombs it was hoping for in last week’s $2.5 billion military aid package from the Pentagon, but the U.S. and its allies in Kyiv are working on it, our friends over at Morning Defense (for Pros!) report. One person familiar with Kyiv’s thinking on the issue told PAUL McLEARY that the Ukrainian military expected the SDBs to be included in last week’s weapons package. This person, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about internal matters. The bomb can’t be launched by any of Ukraine’s current equipment, but Ukrainian engineers have been working on retrofits for ground launchers for several months. They’re not quite there yet, but Ukrainians wanted the weapon in their stockpiles sooner rather than later. Another person familiar with the issue told LEE HUDSON that it could still take up to nine months for U.S. defense contractors to retrofit the bomb for use on a ground launcher. AMMO BOOST: The Pentagon is set to increase its conventional ammunition production by 500 percent to offset rounds provided to Ukraine as security assistance, The New York Times' JOHN ISMAY and ERIC LIPTON report. The U.S. produced 14,400 unguided artillery shells per month prior to Russia's invasion, then was forced to hike production to roughly 90,000 to support Kyiv on the battlefield while preserving future stockpiles. The shells have become critical in fighting as both sides have fired thousands of howitzer rounds which have caused the greatest number of casualties. The DoD's long-term production efforts are another example of how Washington is redeveloping its military supply chain around supporting Ukraine for the long haul.
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | | NATIONWIDE TIKTOK BAN: Sen. JOSH HAWLEY (R-Mo.) said he plans to introduce legislation to ban TikTok nationwide amid rising concerns from lawmakers over China’s influence on the app. The social media platform “is China’s backdoor into Americans’ lives. It threatens our children’s privacy as well as their mental health. Last month Congress banned it on all government devices. Now I will introduce legislation to ban it nationwide,” Hawley tweeted. But a ban might not be simple to enact. The closest thing the U.S. could do is block financial transactions with TikTok, which wouldn’t require Congress, the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ JAMES LEWIS told NatSec Daily. “I’d at least approach the Chinese and say, you let in our social media and we’ll let in yours, since there are ways to mitigate risk," he said. “Everyone is so hot on banning [it that] the U.S. may as well get something out of it. It’s amazing what an emotional issue this has become.” SPACE BASE CONCERNS: Sen. MICHAEL BENNET (D-Colo.) voted against a Pentagon nominee in response to DefSec Austin not responding to his request for a meeting about the permanent base of U.S. Space Command. The Colorado Democrat has previously penned letters to military officials, including Air Force Secretary FRANK KENDALL, about the costs and national security risks of not having the base in his home state. The nominee — BRENDAN OWENS — was nominated by Biden to serve as the DoD’s assistant secretary for energy, installations and environment.
| | | HUMAN RIGHTS NOMINEE WITHDRAWS: SARAH MARGON, Biden’s nominee for a top human rights position in the State Department, is withdrawing from contention following unrelenting opposition from a Sen. JIM RISCH (R-Idaho) who questions her support for Israel, our own NAHAL TOOSI reports. The loss could damage an administration push to prioritize human rights in its foreign policy. It also highlights the partisan logjams in the Senate confirmation process, where actions by a single senator have left some foreign policy and national security positions empty for years. Margon is a former Capitol Hill staffer and Washington director for Human Rights Watch who now works in a senior role at the Open Society Foundations. She was nominated to serve as assistant secretary of State for democracy, human rights and labor in April 2021. WAPO LASHES BACK: The Washington Post’s publisher and CEO FRED RYAN took aim at former Secretary of State MIKE POMPEO for calling slain WaPo journalist JAMAL KHASHOGGI an “activist” in his new book. In an excerpt from the book obtained by NBC News, Pompeo writes that Khashoggi “didn’t deserve to die, but we need to be clear about who he was — and too many in the media were not.” The journalist was murdered and dismembered after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018. “It is shameful that Pompeo would spread vile falsehoods to dishonor a courageous man’s life and service—and his commitment to principles Americans hold dear—as a ploy to sell books,” Ryan wrote. Apparently, the comment didn’t phase Pompeo, who doubled down on his excerpt. “Americans are safer because we didn’t label Saudi Arabia a pariah state,” he tweeted. “I never let the media bully me. Just b/c someone is a part-time stringer for WaPo doesn’t make their life more important than our military serving in dangerous places protecting us all. I never forgot that.”
| | | |   | | | | | | — The White House announced several new nominations, including ELIZABETH ALLEN as undersecretary of State for public diplomacy, JOSHUA JACOBS as undersecretary for benefits at the VA, RON BORZEKOWSKI as director of the Office of Financial Research at Treasury, DAVID KOSTELANCIK as ambassador to Albania, CYNTHIA KIERSCHT as ambassador to Djibouti, JENNIFER JOHNSON as ambassador to Micronesia and JULIE TURNER as special envoy on North Korean human rights issues.
| | | — DMYTRO KULEBA, POLITICO: How Not to Negotiate with Russia — JAMES ANGELOS, The New York Times: Can Germany Be a Great Military Power Again? — Editorial Board, Bloomberg: NATO Shouldn’t Let Erdogan Delay Expansion
| | | — The International Institute for Strategic Studies, 9 a.m.: The Digital Silk Road: China's Technological Rise and the Geopolitics of Cyberspace — The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, 10 a.m.: Empowerment and Agency: Contradictions of Western Support to Afghan Women — The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 10 a.m.: How Russia Handles Western Sanctions — The Heritage Foundation, 11 a.m.: Challenges to America's Weapons Supply Chain — The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, 12:30 p.m.: Book discussion on "Managing U.S. Nuclear Operations in the 21st Century" — The Cato Institute, 1 p.m.: Does Liberty Have a Future in Iran? — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 4 p.m.: A Global Outlook with Former Secretary of Defense MARK ESPER — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 4 p.m.: The Russian Arctic Threat: Consequences of the Ukraine War 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 never says “tanks” for our work on this newsletter. We also thank our producer, Kierra Frazier, who we “tank” every day.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: LMXT: Competitive capabilities for America’s next strategic tanker.
The LMXT aircraft delivers proven capabilities for the U.S. Air Force’s increasing aerial refueling missions. One of the LMXT’s discriminating capabilities is its refueling system, which includes a fly-by-wire aerial refueling boom. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
