‘Putin must lose,’ Zelensky pleads ahead of all-Senate meeting: ‘Ukrainians haven’t given up’

ZELENSKY: ‘WE ARE GOING TO STOP RUSSIA’: In a speech at the National Defense University, with Ukrainian military students in the audience, President Volodymyr Zelensky argued that despite the lack of success of its summer counteroffensive, it will prevail if the U.S. keeps the weapons and ammunition flowing.

“Ukrainians haven’t given up and won’t give up. We know what to do. And you can count on Ukraine, and we hope just as much to be able to count on you,” Zelensky said. “Let me be frank with you friends, if there’s anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill, it’s just Putin and his sick clique.”

Zelensky is in Washington at the invitation of President Joe Biden, with the hope of prodding lawmakers to overcome their differences to approve an emergency funding bill that would provide more than $60 billion in military assistance to Ukraine as it’s running dangerously short of ammunition while winter sets in.

“Every one of you with command experience knows what it means when instead of moving forward you are just watching, waiting for armor or equipment while your enemy is satisfied and preparing for assault,” Zelensky told the military audience. “Any of you with a son or daughter in a combat zone just wouldn’t get it, if they were told that protecting lives could wait because there’s a little more debating.”

“Russia is set on more than just Ukraine’s land resources or our people,” Zelensky said. “It won’t be satisfied with just a part of Ukraine or even all of it. Ukraine is just a stepping stone for Russia,” he said, adding, “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin must lose.”

ZELENSKY: PUTIN THINKS HIS DREAMS ARE COMING TRUE WITH UKRAINE AID IMPASSE IN CONGRESS

TIME GROWS SHORT FOR BORDER DEAL: The funding for Ukraine has been blocked by Republicans who insist it must be tied to significant changes in U.S. immigration law to stem the flood of migrants who cross the border claiming asylum.

“We’ve got now almost 10,000 people a day. We can’t have that number released in the country. We can’t process these folks,” Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), the lead GOP negotiator, said on Fox yesterday. “We have this overwhelming number of people that are asking for asylum that everyone knows they don’t actually qualify for asylum, so they’re gaming the system.”

At one point yesterday, Lankford said it might be too late to reach an agreement before the Senate is due to adjourn at the end of this week, telling reporters the clock had “run out over the weekend,” while accusing Democrats of not taking border security seriously.

“They’re asking for dollars to be able to facilitate people through. We’re asking to say we’ve got to actually stop people,” Lankford said. “You can’t say we have a national security crisis in Ukraine and we don’t have a national security crisis in the United States. We absolutely do. By the way, this is only political here in the 202 area code in Washington, D.C. The rest of the country sees this as a problem, but, for some reason, some Democrats here see this as a political issue, not a national security issue.”

DEMOCRATS SAY THEY’LL STAY IN DC UNTIL SENATE REACHES UKRAINE BORDER DEAL AS RECESS NEARS

‘THE WAR IN UKRAINE STANDS AT A CROSSROADS’: Zelensky is scheduled to meet with the full Senate this morning, and then head to the White House to consult with President Joe Biden.

“This will be the third time President Zelensky meets with Senators since the start of the war, and it will be his most important visit of all. The war in Ukraine stands at a crossroads, with our friends in desperate need of American aid to maintain pressure on Vladimir Putin,” Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said on the Senate floor yesterday. “The last time President Zelensky spoke to the Senate, he warned us that without more aid, Ukraine would lose the war. Simple as that.”

“Both parties understand that aiding Ukraine and resisting Putin are critical for our national security. But Republicans – and only Republicans – are holding everything up because of unrealistic, maximalist demands on the border,” Schumer said. “If Republicans keep insisting on Donald Trump’s border policies, then they will be at fault when a deal for aid to Ukraine, Israel, and humanitarian aid to Gaza falls apart.”

“I want to be very clear: Democrats very much want an agreement if possible. We talked all weekend with our Republican counterparts to find some kind of agreement. We talked again earlier today. We are not there yet, but as a sign of good faith, Democrats are going to keep trying.”

MCCONNELL’S UKRAINE SUPPORT TESTED BY ZELENSKY VISIT AND GOP BORDER FIGHT

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HAPPENING TODAY: Zelensky and Biden are scheduled to hold a news conference together at 4:15 p.m. after his White House and Senate meetings.

On Capitol Hill this morning, both the House Republican and Democratic caucuses meet separately behind closed doors at 9 a.m. to discuss what can be accomplished before the scheduled holiday recess.

And at 2:30 p.m., the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will get a closed, classified briefing from John Bass, undersecretary of state for management; and Barbara Leaf, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, on Iran and its proxy threat to U.S. policy and personnel since the October 7 attack by Hamas.

MISSILE ATTACKS ON SHIPPING CONTINUE: A Norwegian-flagged tanker hit by a cruise missile fired from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen suffered damage and a fire yesterday, but there were no casualties in the latest attack on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

The attack on the Motor Tanker Strinda occurred in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a maritime chokepoint between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. “There were no U.S. ships in the vicinity at the time of the attack, but the USS Mason responded to the M/T Strinda’s mayday call and is currently rendering assistance,” the U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

At the Pentagon yesterday, spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters the U.S. is still working to assemble a coalition of willing countries to form a maritime task force to protect commercial shipping in the Gulf region.

“As we highlighted last week, this is an international problem. It’s an international concern in terms of shipping being affected going through the Red Sea,” Ryder said. “And so, as we always do, the United States will work with like-minded nations to ensure that the safety and security and stability through that strait is preserved.”

AIRMEN PUNISHED FOR NEGLIGENCE IN DISCORD LEAKS: The Air Force has meted out punishments ranging from relief of duty to administrative reprimands for 15 personnel at the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, following an investigation of security lapses that allowed Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira to leak highly classified material on the gaming platform Discord.

“The [Inspector General] investigation found individuals in Teixeira’s unit failed to take proper action after becoming aware of his intelligence-seeking activities,” the Air Force said in a statement. “However, the investigation did not find evidence that members of Teixeira’s supervisory chain were aware of his alleged unauthorized disclosures.”

Col. Sean Riley, commander of the 102nd Intelligence Wing, received administrative action and was relieved of command for cause. Col. Enrique Dovalo, 102nd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group commander, received administrative action for concerns with unit culture and compliance with policies and standards.

Teixeira remains behind bars with no trial date yet scheduled. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of unauthorized retention and transmission of classified national defense information, a violation of the Espionage Act.

“Every Airman and Guardian is entrusted with the solemn duty to safeguard our nation’s classified defense information. When there is a breach of that sacred trust, for any reason, we will act in accordance with our laws and policies to hold responsible individuals accountable,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said in a statement. “Our national security demands leaders at every level protect critical assets, ensuring they do not fall into the hands of those who would do the United States or our allies and partners harm.”

AIR FORCE DISCIPLINES 15 OFFICERS FOLLOWING TEIXEIRA LEAK INVESTIGATION

The Rundown

Washington Examiner: Democrats say they’ll stay in DC until Senate reaches Ukraine border deal as recess nears

Washington Examiner: McConnell’s Ukraine support tested by Zelensky visit and GOP border fight

Washington Examiner: Zelensky: Putin thinks his dreams are coming true with Ukraine aid impasse in Congress

Washington Examiner: Opinion: What Speaker Mike Johnson should say to Volodymyr Zelensky

Washington Examiner: Speaker Johnson reverses course again on FISA and pulls both bills

Washington Examiner: Senate still a ‘legislative graveyard’ for partisan House bills

Washington Examiner: Fate of Tester and Schumer’s Senate majority could hinge on Montana abortion initiative

Washington Examiner: Biden administration ‘concerned’ about report Israel used US-provided white phosphorus

Washington Examiner: State Department says it found images of blindfolded and stripped Palestinians ‘deeply disturbing’

Washington Examiner: Air Force disciplines 15 officers following Teixeira leak investigation

Washington Examiner: Cuba courts Iranian investors as they take on ‘US and Western bullying’

Washington Examiner: US rebukes Chinese navy’s ‘dangerous and destabilizing conduct’ toward Philippine vessels

Washington Examiner: Supreme Court agrees to expedite consideration of petition on Trump immunity for DC case

Washington Examiner: White House says Trump actions ‘wrong’ when asked about dictator controversy

Washington Examiner: Texas installs anti-climb fence in Brownsville area of border to stop illegal immigration

AP: New US aid for Ukraine by year-end seems increasingly out of reach as GOP ties it to border security

New York Times: U.S. and Ukraine Search for a New Strategy After Failed Counteroffensive

Washington Post: A String Of Incidents At Sea Amid Rising Tensions Between Philippines, China

USNI News: Philippine Christmas Resupply Convoy Canceled After Chinese Warship Harassment

Reuters: Taiwan Again Reports Chinese Carrier Group In Taiwan Strait As Election Looms

Washington Post: China’s cyber army is invading critical U.S. services

New York Times: Gaza Fight Rages As Israel Warns Of a New Front

Breaking Defense: Belgium Presented with First F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

AP: Putin Visits A Shipyard To Oversee The Commissioning Of New Russian Nuclear Submarines

Defense News: Homeland Defense Interceptor Defeats Ballistic Missile in Test

Defense One: The Military’s Zero-Trust Plans Are About to Face a Big Test

Defense News: US Must Dominate in Space to Win Future Wars, Marine Corps’ Glavy Says

Space News: ANALYSIS: Space Force Chief Tempers Expectations: ‘Go Government Fast, Not SpaceX Fast’

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Lawmakers to Pentagon: Give Us Hypersonics Strategy Updates, Plan for Test Corridors

DefenseScoop: Lawmakers Direct DOD to Examine Feasibility, Costs of Standing Up a Space National Guard

Air & Space Forces Magazine: USAF F-16 Crashes in Korea For Second Time This Year, Pilot OK

Air & Space Forces Magazine: ‘The Best of Us’: AFSOC, Families, Friends Pay Tribute to 8 Airmen Killed in CV-22 Crash

Politico: Top Pentagon Official Steps Down, Creating Policy Gap Amid Tuberville Hold

Washington Post: John Kirby becomes a commanding presence in the briefing room

Navy Times: How Repealing Combat Ship Exclusion Laws Led Franchetti To Become CNO

Military.com: After Video Showing Mold In Shower Facility, Marine Corps Shuts Down Building And Sends In Inspectors

Military.com: US Military to Screen All New Recruits for Heart Conditions Under Must-Pass Annual Defense Bill

Forbes: Airbus May Seek New Subsidies, Sparking A Transatlantic Trade War

Calendar

TUESDAY | DECEMBER 12

8 a.m. 201 Waterfront St., National Harbor, Maryland — Association of Old Crows International Symposium and Convention with Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro; and Vice Adm. Stephen “Web” Koehler, director for strategy, plans and policy, J5, at the Joint Staff https://www.crows.org/mpage/2023Registration

9 a.m. Orlando, Florida — Day one of the Space Force Association’s inaugural Spacepower Conference, with Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations; Gen. James Dickinson, commander, U.S. Space Command; Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander, Space Operations Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado; Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt, deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber, and nuclear, U.S. Space Force; Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, deputy chief of space operations, strategy, plans, programs, and requirements, U.S. Space Force; Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein, commander, Space Systems Command; Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, military deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration; and others https://attendspacepower.com

9:30 a.m. 14th and F Sts. NW — Arms Control Association and Embassy of Kazakhstan in Washington discussion: “Reinforcing the Beleaguered Nuclear Nonproliferation and Arms Control System,” with Yerzhan Ashikbayev, Kazakhstan ambassador to the U.S.; Thomas Countryman, chairman of the board of directors of the Arms Control Association; Amb. Elayne White Gomez, president of the negotiating conference for the 2017 Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons; Nomsa Ndongwe, research fellow, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies; and Daryl Kimball, executive director, Arms Control Association https://www.armscontrol.org/events

10:15 a.m. 562 Dirksen — Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Investigations Subcommittee hearing: “Coast Guard Academy Whistleblowers: Stories of Sexual Assault and Harassment,” with testimony from retired Coast Goard Cmdr. Jennifer Yount, Coast Guard Academy, Class of 1981; Caitlin Maro, former member of the Coast Guard Academy, Class of 2008; retired Coast Guard Lt. Melissa McCafferty, Coast Guard Academy, Class of 2011; First Class Cadet Kyra Grace Holmstrup, Coast Guard Academy, Class of 2024; and Col. Lorry Fenner, director of government affairs for the Service Women’s Action Network https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/subcommittees/investigations

12 p.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW — American Enterprise Institute discussion: “Great-Power Competition in Africa,” with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH); Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA); Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA); J. Peter Pham, fellow at the Atlantic Council; Katherine Zimmerman, AEI fellow; and Kori Schake, AEI director of foreign and defense policy studies https://www.aei.org/events/beyond-the-scif-a-conversation

12 p.m. — Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft virtual book discussion: The Russo-Ukrainian War: The Return of History, with author Serhii Plokhy, director of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, and Anatol Lieven, director of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft’s Eurasia Program https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register

2 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing: “F-35 Acquisition Program Update,” with testimony from William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment; Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt, program executive officer and director for the F-35 Lightning II Program; and Jon Ludwigson, director of contracting and national security acquisitions in the Government Accountability Office https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings

2 p.m. — House Transportation and Infrastructure Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee hearing: “Guardians of the Sea: National Security Missions of the U.S. Coast Guard,” with testimony from Vice Adm. Peter Gautier, deputy commandant for operations of the Coast Guard https://transportation.house.gov/calendar

2 p.m. — Defense Priorities virtual discussion: “What: Rocks, reefs, and resolve? Examining the purpose of U.S. policy in the South China Sea,” with Lyle Goldstein, director of Asia engagement, Defense Priorities; Shuxian Luo, assistant professor of Asian studies, University of Hawaii at Manoa; Lisa Curtis, senior fellow and director, Indo-Pacific Security Program, Center for a New American Security; and moderator Benjamin Friedman, policy director, Defense Priorities https://southchinasea.splashthat.com

WEDNESDAY | DECEMBER 13

7:15 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, Virginia — Association of the U.S. Army “Coffee Series” discussion with Gen. James Rainey, commanding general of U.S. Army Futures Command https://www.ausa.org/events/coffee-series/gen-rainey

9 a.m. Orlando, Florida — Day two of the Space Force Association inaugural Spacepower Conference, with Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations; Gen. James Dickinson, commander, U.S. Space Command; Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander, Space Operations Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado; Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt, deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber, and nuclear, U.S. Space Force; Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, deputy chief of space operations, strategy, plans, programs, and requirements, U.S. Space Force; Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein, commander, Space Systems Command; Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, military deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration; and others https://attendspacepower.com

9 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “Redefining U.S.-Japan-South Korea Relations in an Era of Economic Security,” with Mira Rapp-Hooper, National Security Council senior director for East Asia and Oceania https://www.brookings.edu/events/redefining-us-japan-south-korea-relations

9 a.m. — Counter Extremism Project webinar: “Houthi Procurement and Terror Finance — The Yemeni Arm of Iran’s Proxy Forces,” with Ari Heistein, author, CEP report series, Yemen specialist and defense technology professional; Raz Zimmt, research fellow, Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies; and moderator Hans-Jakob Schindler, CEP senior director https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register

10:30 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave., NW — Hudson Institute in-person and virtual discussion: “Clarity on Hamas’s Terror Campaign and Sexual Violence,” with Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN); Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA): Rebeccah Heinrichs, senior fellow and director, Keystone Defense Initiative; and Morgan Ortagus, founder, Polaris National Security, and former State Department spokeswoman https://www.hudson.org/events/clarity-hamas-terror-campaign

12 p.m. — RAND Corporation virtual discussion: “China, Taiwan, and the U.S.: The Coming War?” with David Ochmanek, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for force development and RAND senior international/defense researcher, and Timothy Heath, RAND senior international/defense researcher https://www.rand.org/events/2023/12/china-taiwan

12 p.m. — Institute for Policy Studies virtual discussion: “The Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza and U.S. Obligations under International Law,” with Craig Mokhiber, former director of the New York Office of the U.N. Office for the High Commissioner of Human Rights, and Hani Almadhoun, director of philanthropy for the U.N. Palestinian Refugee Agency https://ips-dc.org/events/crisisingaza

12 p.m. — Jewish Democratic Council of America and the Democratic Jewish Outreach of Pennsylvania virtual briefing: “The ongoing crisis in Israel and the rise of antisemitism at home and around the world,” with Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), and Yehuda Kurtzer, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute https://www.mobilize.us/jewishdems/event/593211/

THURSDAY | DECEMBER 14

8 a.m. 1700 Richmond Hwy., Arlington, Virginia — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association Northern Virginia Chapter Air Force IT Day forum: “Data Superiority Across All Domains: A Must for the High End Fight,” with acting Undersecretary of the Air Force Kristyn Jones; Joe McDade, assistant deputy chief of staff for plans and programs at the Air Force; and Maj. Gen. David Snoddy, assistant deputy chief of staff for cyber effects operations at the Air Force https://afceanova.swoogo.com/AirForceITDay2023

8:30 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “The B-21 Bomber and Its Deterrence Mission,” with Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Rebeccah Heinrichs, director of the Hudson Institute’s Keystone Defense Initiative https://www.hudson.org/events/senator-mike-rounds-b-21-bomber-its-deterrence-mission

9:30 — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Looking Ahead: Emerging Security Issues in Northeast Asia in 2024,” with retired Army Gen. Robert Abrams, former commander of U.S. Forces Korea https://www.csis.org/events/looking-ahead-emerging-security-issues

10 a.m. — Middle East Institute virtual discussion: “The Middle East and Navigating the U.S.-China Tech Cold War,” with Rishi Iyengar, global technology reporter at Foreign Policy magazine; Alicia Chavy, MEI nonresident scholar; Suhayla Sibaai, MEI nonresident scholar; and Mohammed Soliman, director of the MEI Strategic Technologies and Cyber Security Program https://www.mei.edu/events/middle-east-and-navigating-us-china-tech-cold-war

11 a.m. — Washington Institute for Near East Policy virtual forum: “The Hamas-Israel War: End of the Beginning or Beginning of the End?” with former Israel Defense Forces Brig. Gen. Assaf Orion, WINEP fellow; Hanin Ghaddar, WINEP senior fellow; and Matthew Levitt, WINEP fellow https://washingtoninstitute-org.zoom.us/webinar/register

12 p.m. — Middle East Institute virtual discussion: “The Israel-Hamas War: The Iran Factor,” with Nasser Hadian, professor of political science at the University of Tehran; Eckart Woertz, director of the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies; Maha Yahya, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center; and Alex Vatanka, founding director of the MEI Iran Program https://www.mei.edu/events/israel-hamas-war-iran-factor

2 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies International Security Program virtual discussion: “Russian Influence in the Balkans,” Kosovo Defense Minister Ejup Maqedonci, moderated by Kathleen McInnis, senior fellow, International Security Program and director, Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative https://www.csis.org/events/russian-influence-balkans

2 p.m. — Brookings Institution virtual discussion: “Previewing the 2024 Taiwan election,” with Richard Bush, nonresident senior fellow of foreign policy at the Brookings China Center and the Brookings Center for East Asia Policy Studies; Shelley Rigger, vice president for academic affairs, dean of faculty, and professor of Asian politics at Davidson College; Kharis Templeman, research fellow and project manager of the Stanford University Hoover Institution’s Project on Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific Region; and Ryan Hass, director of the Brookings China Center, senior fellow of foreign policy at the Brookings China Center and the Brookings Center for East Asia Policy Studies, and chairman in Taiwan studies at the Brookings Institution https://connect.brookings.edu/register-to-watch

FRIDAY | DECEMBER 15

10 a.m. — Asia Society Policy Institute virtual discussion: “Taiwan Elections in 2024: Who is Running and What to Expect,” with Rorry Daniels, managing director of the Asia Society Policy Institute; Simona Grano, senior fellow on Taiwan at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis; and Lyle Morris, senior fellow for foreign policy and national security at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis https://asiasociety.zoom.us/webinar/register

10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “U.S.-China Relations,” with U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns https://www.brookings.edu/events/a-conversation-with-us-ambassador-to-china