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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 Eric Bazail-Eimil | |  Discussions about Jon Finer's move from the National Security Council’s No. 2 to the State Department’s No. 2 had been ongoing for weeks. But, following a recent conversation with President Joe Biden, Finer is staying put. | Ivan Valencia/AP Photo | With help from Phelim Kine Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — JON FINER won’t be the next deputy secretary of State, the White House confirmed to NatSec Daily. Finer, who will remain in his post as deputy national security adviser in the National Security Council, was the frontrunner for the job post, as we reported in May. Discussions about his move from the NSC’s No. 2 to the State Department’s No. 2 had been ongoing for weeks. But, following a recent conversation with President JOE BIDEN, Finer is staying put. “Jon Finer is indispensable, and has been from day one. The president relies deeply on his experience and insights. So, at this critical moment, the president asked him to stay at the White House as part of his closely trusted national security team, helping lead our work to foundationally strengthen America’s strategic position in the world,” White House chief of staff JEFFREY ZIENTS told NatSec Daily. The move is at once surprising and inevitable. It’s a shock as insiders told us Finer was poised to take the role and that top leadership at State was excited to welcome him back to Foggy Bottom. He served there in the Obama administration as the director of policy planning and chief of staff to then-Secretary of State JOHN KERRY. But Finer has also been a key player in the administration’s efforts to bolster Ukraine against Russia. He furthermore has a “mind meld” with national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN, as multiple people have told NatSec Daily, which has made their working partnership seamless and effective. Finer could not be reached for comment for this newsletter. The question now is who will assume the post WENDY SHERMAN will vacate at the end of the week. VICTORIA NULAND, the undersecretary of State for political affairs, will sit in that seat in an acting capacity, Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN announced Monday. Nuland has long been on the shortlist. She already made it through a Senate confirmation and, as a former deputy national security adviser to then-Vice President DICK CHENEY, is a known quantity to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Nuland has also been one of State’s top officials since the start of the administration, giving her insights into multiple issues and portfolios, and is recognized as one of Team Biden’s staunchest Ukraine supporters. Back when we reported on the DepSecState sweepstakes, one senior U.S. official said Nuland would ultimately get the job. “I think Nuland probably ends up with it by default because there may not be another interested candidate who makes it worth Blinken passing her over. And the NSC will be fine with her because she’s a known quantity and dynamic,” this person said.
| | 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. | | | | | GANG, BABY, GANG: And just like that, QIN GANG is no longer China’s foreign minister. The senior diplomat, a confidant of XI JINPING who skyrocketed through the ranks of Chinese leadership, has been missing from public view for more than four weeks, including from major diplomatic events. Beijing tried to slap down any suspicion that something was amiss by citing “health reasons.” That leads to a logistics issue for the Biden administration: Who will be the main American counterpart for WANG YI, who was already China’s top diplomat and now assumes the role and title of foreign minister? NatSec Daily understands that it’s likely to be Blinken. He has extensive experience dealing with Wang, just this month engaging with him in Indonesia during an ASEAN meeting that Qin was supposed to attend instead. The reason for even the slightest confusion is that national security adviser Sullivan also has liaised with Wang. In May, they discussed the U.S.-China relationship and other matters during a two-day gathering in Vienna. Two months before that, they chatted on the phone as tensions over the “transit” of Taiwan’s president through the U.S. started to spike. RUSSIA STRIKES NEAR NATO COUNTRY: Russian drones struck a grain hangar in a Ukrainian port town that sits right across the Danube River from Romania — a NATO country. “The explosions in the town of Reni … would be the closest Russia has come to hitting alliance territory and risking a more direct confrontation with the United States and its European allies,” the New York Times’ MATTHEW MPOKE BIGG and ANDREW HIGGINS report. Moscow has yet to take responsibility for the attack. But if it’s confirmed, it would signal an expansion of the Kremlin’s targeting of Ukrainian agricultural exports, aiming to starve people worldwide and Kyiv’s coffers. Wheat prices had already spiked following Russia’s withdrawal from a U.N.-brokered deal with Ukraine to move grain out of Black Sea ports. The drone strike upped the price even further. Meanwhile, U.N. inspectors found mines placed at the Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. “Having such explosives on the site is inconsistent with the IAEA safety standards and nuclear security guidance and creates additional psychological pressure on plant staff,” said RAFAEL GROSSI, the International Atomic Energy Agency chief. PUTIN PANICKED: When YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN launched his rebellion’s march on Moscow last month, no orders were issued most of the day as Putin struggled to respond, the Washington Post’s CATHERINE BELTON, SHANE HARRIS and GREG MILLER report. The Kremlin head appeared paralyzed and unable to act, Ukrainian and other security officials in Europe told WaPo. Moscow knew about Priogzhin’s plans a few days in advance and beefed up security at the Kremlin and other locations, but no other actions were taken. “Putin had time to take the decision to liquidate [the rebellion] and arrest the organizers,” one of the European security officials said. “Then when it began to happen, there was paralysis on all levels … There was absolute dismay and confusion. For a long time, they did not know how to react.” The intelligence reports of the matter were “nonsense” and shared “by people who have zero information,” Kremlin spokesperson DMITRY PESKOV told WaPo. TREVOR REED INJURED IN UKRAINE: Don’t get mad, get even. TREVOR REED, the former Marine who was released into U.S. custody last year in a prison swap, was injured fighting Russians in Ukraine, per the Messenger’s JAMES LaPORTA. “Trevor Reed was wounded after stepping on a landmine roughly two weeks ago, according to two U.S. military officials who were briefed on the events,” he reports. The extent of Reed’s injuries is unclear. LaPorta writes that one person familiar with the situation said Reed was getting treated in Kyiv, though he was requesting transfer to an American military facility in Germany or Poland. The Biden administration is aware of Reed’s status. "Since the beginning of the war, we have warned that U.S. citizens who travel to Ukraine, especially with the purpose of participating in fighting there, that they face significant risks, including the very real risk of capture or death," an official told LaPorta. 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, @PhelimKine, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @reporterjoe, @JGedeon1 and @ebazaileimil.
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | | UH OH, STALLED CO: Ukraine’s slow-moving counteroffensive could pose a political problem for Biden as he heads into a tough reelection campaign. “As Biden moves toward a presidential contest next year, Russian President Vladimir Putin has more of an incentive to try to outlast the West. Two of the top contenders for the Republican nomination — former President DONALD TRUMP and Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS — have suggested they might temper military support for Ukraine,” report the Wall Street Journal’s GORDON LUBOLD, MICHAEL GORDON and WARREN STROBEL. “With neither Russia nor Ukraine inclined to negotiate, the White House has few options for now but to stay the course, hoping for an eventual battlefield breakthrough against entrenched Russian forces—or new political cracks in Moscow.” The majority of lawmakers and the American public support the administration’s defense of Ukraine. But insiders warn that attitudes could change when the top of the Republican ticket — which increasingly looks like it’ll be Trump — speaks early and often about extricating the U.S. from the war.
| | NEW CYBER DIRECTOR: HARRY COKER, a former top official at the CIA and National Security Agency official, will be nominated to serve as the nation’s second ever national cyber director, the White House announced today. First reported by our own JOHN SAKELLARIADIS, a person familiar with the matter said they had heard the nomination would come in the next 24 hours but cautioned that the announcement time was subject to change. Another person said the nomination was imminent. If confirmed by the Senate, Coker would take over implementation of the Biden administration’s new national cybersecurity strategy and would fill a roughly five-month vacancy atop the White House cyber office. KEMBA WALDEN, the acting cyber director, was thought by many to be the likely nominee, but she withdrew her nomination reportedly amid concerns about the amount of personal debt she accrued.
| | | |   | | | | | THINKING AHEAD: One lesson American officials are learning from the war in Ukraine is the necessity of buying weapons and spare parts early, and on multiyear contracts, our friends at Morning Defense (for Pros!) report. The staggering volume of artillery and precision munitions being fired by both sides in Ukraine has been a wake-up call for NATO. Its members are struggling to ramp up production as they feed their own stocks to Ukraine in an effort to keep pace with the fight. It's essential to “try and find a way to get your long-lead items bought early. There are a lot of items, some of them can average over 30 months” to buy, build and deliver, WILLIAM LaPLANTE, the Pentagon’s acquisition and sustainment chief, told our own PAUL McLEARY. “This is the thing we're trying to show Congress,” LaPlante said. “Let's buy a whole batch of those now — looking forward to the Indo-Pacific — so that we will have them. Don't wait for the [next fiscal] year. That's why we want to get into multiyears because if you only have your execution money for [each individual fiscal year], you have to wait till that year to buy the long-lead items.” ANOTHER ONE: Washington will send another $400 million military aid package to Ukraine, the State Department announced today. It’ll include munitions for advanced air defense systems, surveillance Hornet drones, howitzer artillery rounds, Stryker armored vehicles and ammunition among other items.
| | FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — TO THOSE NOT NAMED TUBERVILLE: A group of 13 retired generals and flag officers will send a letter to Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL Wednesday morning urging him and other senators to condemn Sen. TOMMY TUBERVILLE’s (R-Ala.) hold on military promotions and support the nominations. “Senator Tuberville’s brinkmanship with the Department of Defense sends the opposite message to our officers: that regardless of how well you served your country over the course of decades, your promotion is now subject to partisan politics,” the letter reads. That message, the veterans write, will cause officers to consider retiring from the service — a concern that has been voiced by opponents of the hold in past weeks. The Senate as a whole is failing in its obligation to appoint the officers, which will threaten national security, according to the letter. “For all these reasons, we urge the Senate to come together on a bipartisan basis to condemn the hold and support the nominations,” the veterans write. IT’S A BIRD, IT’S A PLANE: The long-teased House Oversight Committee hearing on UFOs is almost here, and one of the three witnesses testifying believes it’ll push forward a conversation about the extraterrestrial that a contingent of conservative lawmakers have been calling for. “I think this is going to move the needle and help people understand that this is something we cannot ignore,” RYAN GRAVES, a former Navy pilot and executive director for Americans for Safe Aerospace, told NatSec Daily. Graves will testify Wednesday morning alongside DAVID GRUSCH, who made public claims about a secretive government UFO retrieval program, and DAVID FRAVOR, a former Navy pilot who, like Graves, claimed to have spotted unidentified aerial phenomena. One of the biggest challenges for the hearing, Graves said, is overcoming the “stigma and credibility about this conversation that has persisted for so long. But people need to remember that we're not there to draw anyone to any conclusion — we’re there to highlight the data and share the experiences we had.” IRAN CONVOY CONVO: The State Department will brief the House Foreign Affairs Committee following the Biden administration’s decision to bench Iran envoy ROB MALLEY, our own JOE GOULD and NAHAL TOOSI report. HFAC Chair MICHAEL McCAUL (R-Texas) secured an agreement from the State Department for the sit-down sometime this week after he threatened to subpoena administration officials, according to a Republican committee aide. The classified briefing is open to panel lawmakers from both parties.
| | KREMLIN CRIES SABOTAGE: The Kremlin is accusing Western countries, in particular the U.S. and France, of pressuring African countries into skipping this week’s Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg, according to Reuters’ ANDREW OSBORN. “Virtually all African states have been subjected to unprecedented pressure from the U.S., and French embassies on the ground have not been sleeping either along with other Western missions who are also trying to do their bit to prevent this summit from taking place," Kremlin spokesperson Peskov told reporters today. “They do not accept the sovereign right of African states to independently determine their partners for co-operation and mutual interaction in various fields.” As Eric explained in yesterday’s Global Insider, the Russia-Africa summit, which will see delegations from over 40 countries meet with Russian officials and business leaders, will be a key opportunity for Putin to project strength and shore up ties with African nations in the wake of recent stumbles. DRONE HARASSED: A Russian fighter jet flew “dangerously” close to a U.S. drone that was targeting Islamic State fighters over Syria on Sunday morning, harassing the drone and deploying flares directly above it, Air Force officials said. Watch the video here.
| | | | HITTING YOUR INBOX AUGUST 14—CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Cut through the jargon and get the latest developments in California as lawmakers and industry leaders adapt to the changing climate. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes. | | | | | | | | | — Biden announced his intent to nominate DEREK CHOLLET as the next undersecretary of Defense for policy, stepping into a role recently vacated by COLIN KAHL. Chollet has been the counselor at the State Department since the start of the administration. — KAITLYN JOHNSON will become deputy director of the chief of space operation’s Strategic Initiatives Group in the Space Force, starting Monday. She has been at the Center for Strategic and International Studies for eight years, where she’s currently the deputy director of the Aerospace Security Project. — NICOLE GRAJEWSKI joined the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as a fellow in our Nuclear Policy Program, where she will focus on Russia and Iran. She was previously at Belfer Center at Harvard.
| | — OREN CASS and GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ, Foreign Affairs: The Case For a Hard Break With China — JEREMY KOFSKY and KAEL WESTON, The Boston Globe: Senate must confirm Marine Corps commandant — Sen. BERNIE SANDERS, The Guardian: The Pentagon doesn’t need $886bn. I oppose this bloated defense budget
| | — Senate Armed Services Committee, 9 a.m.: Confirmation hearing on the nominee for general and commander of the U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command and the nominee to be general and commander of the Space Command. — Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 10 a.m.: U.S. economic security: addressing economic coercion and increasing competitiveness. — The Brookings Institution, 10 a.m.: U.S. China proximate military operations in maritime, air, and space domains. — House Foreign Affairs Committee, 10:15 a.m.: Markup on various measures, including the sale of nuclear submarines to Australia as part of the AUKUS partnership. — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 11 a.m.: A week of detention and deterrence on the Korean peninsula. — The Wilson Center, 11 a.m.: The current challenges and future of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. — Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 2:30 p.m.: Confirmation hearing on nominees to be assistant secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs, and ambassadors to Haiti, Croatia and Guatemala. — Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, 3 p.m.: Implementing the PACT Act: one year later. — Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, 4 p.m.: Potential budgetary efficiencies achieved through improvement to management and planning processes within Department of Defense personnel programs. — House Select Committee on China, 7 p.m.: Commanding heights: ensuring U.S. leadership in the critical and emerging technologies of the 21st century. Thanks to our editor, Emma Anderson, who we wish would go missing and then lose her job. We also thank our producer, Emily Lussier, who we would make Producer for Life if we could.
| | 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 | | | | |  |
