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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 | | 
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson made his case to a 70-person audience at the Nixon Presidential Library last week: It’s important to welcome refugees to the United States because they “love freedom and love America.” | Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo | With help from Phelim Kine, Lee Hudson and Connor O’Brien Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt NatSec Daily traveled to California to get a deeper sense of former Arkansas Gov. ASA HUTCHINSON’s foreign policy vision. What we learned is that he’s a radical for his party — because he’s advocating an old-school worldview. Hutchinson made his case to a 70-person audience at the Nixon Presidential Library last week: It’s important to welcome refugees to the United States because they “love freedom and love America.” Cooperation with allies is key to solving global issues. And America can’t abandon international organizations because, otherwise, China and Russia fill the vacuum. He’s a longshot for the nomination, but he is practically alone in his worldview within the broader 2024 field. That could give him a chance to shape a debate over why the party has abandoned its global-minded principles — and sneak a bit more RONALD REAGAN and a little less MAGA into the GOP. His rivals for the Republican nomination talk more in “America First” or “America Only” language. Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS has openly trashed the idea of supporting small-d democrats abroad. In his first major statement on the war in Ukraine, DeSantis described it as a “territorial dispute” that wasn’t in the “vital” American interest to address, though he has since walked back the comments by calling Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN a “war criminal.” NIKKI HALEY, citing her experience as a U.N. ambassador, has said the U.S. will be “taking names” of countries, including allies, that don’t align with America’s foreign policy aims. Former President Donald Trump openly floated an “overhaul” of the U.S. national security bureaucracy and a reevaluation of “NATO’s purpose and NATO’s mission.” It’s not pulling voters in either. The most recent Chicago Council on Global Affairs poll, conducted last year, showed that 55 percent of Republicans want the U.S. to take an active role in the world — the lowest total in the survey’s 50-year history. But for Hutchinson it’s less about specificity and more about strategic orientation. Unless and until his party returns to its Reaganesque roots with a cooperative global outlook, the United States will be less safe and the world less stable. Over breakfast, he declared: “I don’t think what I’m outlining takes the party back. I think it moves the party forward.” Read Alex’s full piece on Hutchinson’s foreign policy.
| | 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. | | | | | | WSJ REPORTER DETAINED IN RUSSIA: Russian security services detained EVAN GERSHKOVICH, a Wall Street Journal correspondent, on the dubious suspicion of spying for the U.S. on Thursday, our own NICOLAS CAMUT reports. Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, is “suspected of espionage in the interests of the American government” and accused of “trying to obtain secret information,” Russia’s Federal Security Service said in a statement. His arrest marks the first time an American journalist has been detained on spying accusations since the Cold War. A court quickly ruled to keep Gershkovich behind bars until May 29, without allowing his lawyer to attend, according to Russian news agencies. In Russia, those convicted on espionage charges can face up to 20 years behind bars. National Security Council spokesperson JOHN KIRBY told reporters that the arrest “is absolutely, completely unacceptable,” adding that the State Department has been in touch with his family and the Journal, which also condemned the arrest. Gershkovich was reportedly working on a story about the Wagner Group. U.S. lawmakers are outraged. “The Russian government must release Evan immediately and return him to his family,” HFAC Chair MIKE McCAUL (R-Texas) said in a statement. Congress will be “finding ways in which we can have Russia pay an additional consequence for this," SFRC Chair BOB MENENDEZ (D-N.J.) said on MSNBC. ARMY HELICOPTER ACCIDENT: Nine U.S. soldiers were killed after two Army helicopters crashed during a routine training mission in Kentucky Wednesday night, Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN confirmed in a Thursday statement. A pair of HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters — part of the 101st Airborne Division based at Fort Campbell, the Army’s only air assault division — crashed into each other around 10 p.m., The New York Times’ MIKE IVES and JENNY GROSS report. All soldiers who were on board the helicopters died. The Army has sent an aviation safety team to Fort Rucker in Alabama to investigate the accident. FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY –– CHINESE DIPLOMAT’S D.C. MYSTERY VISIT: China’s former ambassador to the U.S, CUI TIANKAI, made a discreet visit to Washington, D.C. last week, two people with knowledge of the trip told our China Watcher PHELIM KINE (who granted them anonymity to discuss a sensitive visit). One of those people said Cui’s stops in D.C. included the State Department and the National Security Council. "We remain committed to maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage bilateral relations," a State Department spokesperson unauthorized to speak on the record told NatSec Daily, without denying Cui’s visit. The White House and the Chinese embassy didn’t respond to requests for comment. Cui’s trip objectives are unclear, but his presence in D.C. coincided with U.S. efforts to revive high level diplomatic engagement with Beijing after weeks of bilateral turmoil. Deputy assistant secretary of state for China and Taiwan, RICK WATERS, made a low-key visit to China earlier this month and national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN called China’s top diplomat, WANG YI, last Friday. RUSSIA-NORTH KOREA MUNITIONS: Russia is seeking to acquire more munitions from North Korea to bolster its war on Ukraine, NSC spokesperson Kirby told reporters Thursday. “We remain concerned that North Korea will provide further support and Russia’s military operations against Ukraine and we have new information that Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional munitions from North Korea,” he said. Also on Thursday, the Biden administration sanctioned Slovakian arms dealer ASHOT MKRTYCHEV for attempting to broker the deal between Russia and North Korea. In a Thursday statement, Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN said Mkrtychev worked with North Korean officials “to obtain more than two dozen different kinds of weapons and munitions for Russia in exchange for materials ranging from commercial aircraft to raw materials and commodities.” Myrtychev later confirmed Russia’s readiness to receive the equipment with senior Russian officials. IT’S THURSDAY: 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, @PhelimKine, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco and @Lawrence_Ukenye.
| | | | NEW PRODUCT UPDATE - POLITICO's China Watcher now hits inboxes twice weekly (Tuesday & Thursday). POLITICO's EU-China Correspondent Stuart Lau will be writing this expanded newsletter together with our colleague Phelim Kine from across the Atlantic in Washington. We’re living in a world where geopolitics are shaped and reshaped in Brussels, Washington, and Beijing — China Watcher will attempt to decode these global relationships to give our readers a full picture of the world’s diplomatic relations with China. Sign up to China Watcher | | | | | | | | TRUMP EYES MEXICO: Former President DONALD TRUMP is readying “battle plans” to “attack Mexico” if he’s elected for a second term in 2024. Advisers have briefed him on several potential actions he could take against Mexico, including military strikes and troop deployments, two sources familiar with the situation told Rolling Stone’s ASAWIN SUEBSAENG and ADAM RAWNSLEY. “He’s complained about missed opportunities of his first term, and there are a lot of people around him who want fewer missed opportunities in a second Trump presidency,” one source said. It’s familiar territory for Trump, who made an antagonistic approach toward the southern neighbor a campaign promise during his first presidential run and took aggressive action against Mexico while in office. For this approach, however, advisers have used an October paper from the Center for Renewing America — titled It’s Time To Wage War On Transnational Drug Cartels — to craft the case.
| | | RUSSIA’S CYBER STRATEGY: Moscow’s intelligence agencies coordinated with a Russian defense contractor to strengthen its cyberattack capabilities and sow disinformation, The Washington Post reports. Thousands of confidential corporate documents detail the efforts, which include using computer software and databases to assist hackers and Russia’s intelligence agencies help coordinate cyberattacks and influence internet users’ activities. The defense contractor, NTC Vulkan, assisted with social media disinformation campaigns to disrupt targets such as sea, air and rail control systems, the documents show. Officials and experts from five Western intelligence agencies and independent security companies couldn’t find evidence to determine whether the systems had been used by Russia, but the documents detail testing and payments for Vulkan’s work for the Russian security services and other affiliated research institutes.
| | | |   | | | | | | LAUNCH SCRUBBED: SpaceX aborted Thursday’s inaugural launch of a new military satellite constellation, but will try again on Friday, our own LEE HUDSON reports (for Pros!). A reason was not given for scrubbing the launch three seconds before takeoff, but SpaceX did say the payload and the vehicle remained healthy. The Space Development Agency, which falls under the Space Force, plans to launch 10 satellites — eight built by York Space Systems and two manufactured by SpaceX — from California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The agency is using multiple vendors to build a mesh network in low-Earth orbit that includes data-transport communications satellites and infrared sensor satellites that detect and track ballistic and hypersonic missiles in flight.
| | | RESPONSE STRATEGY: Sen. MARCO RUBIO (R-Fla.) will unveil legislation aimed at developing a comprehensive response strategy if China invades Taiwan, our own ANTHONY ADRAGNA reports. The bill would include plans for U.S. agencies to prepare to levy sanctions against Beijing and how critical sectors of the economy would be able to weather the implications of an invasion. "The threat of a reckless blockade or invasion of Taiwan from the [Chinese Communist Party] is real and one that both the U.S. and our international allies must be prepared for,” Rubio wrote in a statement to Anthony. Tensions between both countries have been high amid Taiwanese President TSAI ING-WEN’s visit to New York and Los Angeles, which U.S. officials have stressed is a private, routine trip.
| | | CLAPPING BACK AT COACH: Eight Democratic women on the House Armed Services Committee condemned a bid by Sen. TOMMY TUBERVILLE (R-Ala.) to force the Pentagon to overturn new abortion access policies by blocking the approval of senior military promotions, our colleague CONNOR O'BRIEN reports. “We strongly object to Senator Tuberville’s work to limit women’s access to reproductive healthcare and to endanger our military readiness in a time of international strife and pressing global threats," the lawmakers said in a statement. “Holding the nominations and promotions of our senior military leaders hostage — men and women who, along with their families, have devoted their lives to the service of our country — is not only unconscionable but a threat to our national defense," they added. Signing on were Reps. MIKIE SHERRILL of New Jersey, ELISSA SLOTKIN of Michigan, VERONICA ESCOBAR of Texas, CHRISSY HOULAHAN of Pennsylvania, SARA JACOBS of California, MARILYN STRICKLAND of Washington, JILL TOKUDA of Hawaii and JENNIFER McCLELLAN of Virginia. So far, Tuberville has been unswayed by criticism and personal appeals by SecDef Austin, and is promising not to back off until the Pentagon reverses the policy. "I'll stay here until hell freezes over," Tuberville said after blocking a push by SASC Chair JACK REED (D-R.I) to confirm nominees on Wednesday. "I'm not going to be intimidated by a campaign of selective outrage." ‘BOLDER’ ON CHINA: European Commission President URSULA VON DER LEYEN said Europe needs to be “bolder” on China, warning Beijing against continued allyship with Russia over the war in Ukraine, our own STUART LAU reports. In a scathing speech ahead of her visit to China next week, von der Leyen warned Beijing not to side with Moscow in bringing compromised peace to Ukraine, saying: “How China continues to interact with Putin’s war will be a determining factor for E.U.-China relations going forward.” For the first time, she implied that the E.U. could terminate pursuing a landmark trade deal with China, which was clinched in 2020 but subsequently stalled by the European Parliament after some of its members were sanctioned by Beijing. Read: POLITICO’s revamped China Watcher newsletter by Stuart and Phelim
| | | — United Arab Emirates President SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN appointed his eldest son KHALED as crown prince of Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, putting him next in line to succeed as the leader of the 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. | | | | | | — AZIZ HUQ and MARIANO-FLORENTINO CUÉLLAR, Foreign Affairs: Diplomats in Robes? — NICHOLAS LOKKER and HELI HAUTALA, War On The Rocks: Russia Won’t Sit Idly By After Finland and Sweden Join NATO — SPENCER REYNOLDS and FAIZA PATEL, Brennan Center for Justice: A New Vision for Domestic Intelligence
| | | — The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, 5:30 a.m.: Thinking Historically - A Guide to Statecraft and Strategy — The Henry L. Stimson Center, 9:30 a.m.: Japan’s New National Security Strategy: Allies & Partners — The Bipartisan Policy Center, 10 a.m.: Housing America’s Military Families — Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, 10 a.m.: Iraq 2023: 20 Years On — The Government Executive Media Group, 4 p.m.: State of the Joint Forces Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who oscillates wildly between a little Bush 2 and a little Trump. We also thank our producer, Gregory Svirnovskiy, who only moves this party forward.
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