TRUMP: ‘VERY SEVERE CONSEQUENCES’: When he wasn’t announcing his personal picks for Kennedy Center honors (“I turned down plenty … of wokesters,” he said.), President Donald Trump spent most of his day Wednesday reassuring nervous allies that he had no plans to give away the store when he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin tomorrow in Alaska.
First in a virtual meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky and his key European allies, including Germany, the U.K., and France, and then in remarks at the Kennedy Center, Trump tried to tamp down fears that Putin was setting him up to be a patsy.
“We had a very good call. He was on the call. President Zelensky was on the call. I would rate it a 10, you know, a very, very friendly,” Trump said, before laying out a rosy scenario in which he envisions back-to-back meetings with Putin quickly agreeing to a ceasefire, followed by real negotiations between Putin and Zelensky.
“I would say the second meeting, if the first one goes OK, we’ll have a quick second one. I would like to do it almost immediately, and we’ll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky — and myself, if they’d like to have me there,” Trump said. “Certain great things can be gained in the first. It’s going to be a very important meeting, but it’s setting the table for the second meeting,” Trump said.
“Mr. President, will Russia face any consequences if Vladimir Putin does not agree to stop the war after your meeting?” a reporter asked, attempting to inject some reality into the discourse.
“Yes, they will. Yeah. There will be,” Trump replied. “I don’t have to say. There will be very severe consequences. Yes.” He also said he’ll walk away if Putin doesn’t play ball. “Now, there may be no second meeting because if I feel that it’s not appropriate to have it because I didn’t get the answers that we have to have, then we’re not going to have a second meeting.”
Asked if he thinks he can convince Putin to stop targeting Ukrainian civilians, Trump said, “I’ve had that conversation with him. I’ve had a lot of good conversations with him. Then I go home and I see that a rocket hit a nursing home, or a rocket hit an apartment building, and people are laying dead in the streets. So, I guess the answer to that is no.”
OPINION: PUTIN WILL ATTEMPT TO PLAY TRUMP IN ALASKA
‘THE BALL IS NOW IN PUTIN’S COURT’: In his call with European leaders who were gathered in Berlin, Trump apparently hit on all the key concerns of the allies, including those of Zelensky, who said Trump agreed that “everything concerning Ukraine must be discussed exclusively with Ukraine.”
“We need to prepare a trilateral format of talks. There must be a ceasefire, number one. There must be security guarantees, truly reliable ones,” Zelensky said in remarks after the call. “And today, by the way, President Trump voiced his support for this and the United States’ readiness to take part.”
“Among the agreed principles is also that Russia cannot have veto power over Ukraine’s European and NATO prospects,” Zelensky said.
French President Emmanuel Macron clarified that while Trump accepted that the U.S. and Europe would need to jointly give Ukraine security guarantees, Macron also said security guarantees would not involve NATO. Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also reported that Trump said he would not negotiate territorial issues, in Macron’s words, “schemes for territory swaps.” Trump’s primary goal, they said, is to get Putin to agree to a ceasefire, so negotiations can move to the next stage.
“It’s a very important clarification that we have received,” Macron said.
“The Prime Minister was clear that our support for Ukraine is unwavering,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said in a statement. “International borders must not be changed by force, and Ukraine must have robust and credible security guarantees to defend its territorial integrity as part of any deal.”
“Great call with @POTUS, @ZelenskyyUA & European leaders ahead of President Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte posted on X. “We are united in pushing to end to this terrible war against [Ukraine] & achieve just and lasting peace. Appreciate @realDonaldTrump leadership & close coordination with Allies. The ball is now in Putin’s court.”
VANCE TALKS END OF RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR IN REMARKS TO TROOPS IN ENGLAND
MEANWHILE ON THE FRONT LINES: Ukraine has continued to use its homegrown drone capacity to target Russia’s oil refineries, attempting to cripple its energy sector. Another refinery was hit yesterday, the fifth this month. The refinery in the Volgograd region, one of the biggest producers of petroleum products in southern Russia, has been a frequent target of drone attacks.
At the same time, Russia continued its push to take as much ground as possible before tomorrow’s Alaska summit.
“After months of grinding combat resulting in minimal territorial gains, last week Russian forces made an important tactical advance,” a Ukraine Military Situation Report from the Hudson Institute noted.
“Open-source intelligence indicates that Russian fighters now partially control the road near Rodynske, approximately 10 miles from the city of Pokrovsk, the linchpin of Ukraine’s eastern defenses,” said Hudson analyst Can Kasapoglu. “This development poses a significant threat to Ukrainian positions, particularly the lines of communication between Pokrovsk and Dobropillya. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that over 30% of its combat operations have centered around the Pokrovsk front.”
“While Russian forces have gained ground across the battlefield, Kyiv can take some consolation from the failure of Russia’s offensive combat operations in Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast,” Kasapoglu writes. “According to Russian Telegram channels, the setback has cost Gen. Alexander Lapin his command post as chief of Russia’s ‘North’ group of troops. General Lapin was once considered one of the likeliest candidates to replace General Valery Gerasimov as the Russian military’s chief of the general staff.”
In a separate assessment, the Institute for the Study of War said, “Russian officials reiterated that Russia’s objectives in Ukraine remain unchanged ahead of the Alaska summit on August 15, once again demonstrating that the Kremlin remains uninterested in pursuing serious peace negotiations.”
“Putin outlined his uncompromising demands for Ukraine’s capitulation as a prerequisite for ‘peace’ negotiations in Ukraine on June 14, 2024. The demands included that Ukraine must withdraw from the entirety of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson oblasts, including areas that Russian forces do not currently occupy; demilitarization; and denazification of the Ukrainian government and society, including the removal of Ukraine’s current democratically elected government; and future Ukrainian alliance neutrality, likely referring to NATO membership,” the ISW said.
VANCE TALKS END OF RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR IN REMARKS TO TROOPS IN ENGLAND
Good Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre.
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HAPPENING TODAY: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in London meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and wondering if he will get a call to join Trump in Alaska. News Agency photos showed the two leaders hugging as Zelensky arrived at 10 Downing Street.
Neither made any comments before going inside.
KEIR STARMER PRAISES TRUMP FOR OPENING DOOR TO POSSIBLE RUSSIA-UKRAINE CEASEFIRE
‘GO HOME, FASCISTS’ … ‘GET OFF OUR STREETS’: While some crime-weary residents of Washington D.C. are welcoming President Trump’s crackdown on lawlessness in the capital city, many others have taken to the streets to protest the federal police presence.
Last night, at a busy downtown intersection of 14th and W streets NW, about two dozen law enforcement officers, wearing masks and vests marked “HSI” for Homeland Security Investigations, set up a checkpoint and started pulling drivers over.
Some protesters lined up across the intersection and began shouting, “Go home, fascists,” and “Get off our streets.”
Trump has touted his federal takeover of the city police and dispatch of the National Guard to support law enforcement as a response to a “crime emergency,” and dismissed official statistics showing violent crime at a 30-year low as phony.
“The stats that they gave, because they turned out to be a total fraud, the real stats, the stats went through the roof,” Trump said at the Kennedy Center, which he pledged to turn into a “crime-free” zone. “Crime is the worst it’s ever been. But as of about yesterday, it started. You see a big change. And people are feeling safe already.”
Under the law, Trump has the power to take over Washington’s police for up to 30 days. Beyond that would require approval from Congress. “So we’re going to need a crime bill that we’re going to be putting in, and it’s going to pertain initially to D.C. We’re going to use it as a very positive example,” Trump said. “And we’re going to be asking for extensions on that, long-term extensions because you can’t have 30 days.”
In a podcast interview yesterday, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, “There’s no F***ing way,” Democrats would allow a bill to pass giving Trump more authority. “We’ve fight him tooth and nail.”
However, Trump also indicated he might just ignore the provision of the Home Rule Act. “Well, if it’s a national emergency, we can do it without Congress, but we expect to be before Congress very quickly. And again, we think the Democrats will not do anything to stop crime, but we think the Republicans will do it almost unanimously.”
Meanwhile, a man arrested Sunday night is facing felony charges for throwing a wrapped hoagie at the chest of a federal law enforcement officer, according to a video posted by Jeanine Pirro on X. “He thought it was funny,” Pirro said. “Well, he doesn’t think it’s funny today because we charged him with a felony: assault on a police officer.”
“So there, stick your subway sandwich somewhere else,” Pirro concluded. The suspect reportedly confessed, and was identified as 37-year-old Sean Charles Dunn of the District, according to the Washington Post.
RESIDENTS RESPOND IN PROTEST AS FEDERAL OFFICERS, MPD MOBILIZE IN DC
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Vance talks end of Russia-Ukraine war in remarks to troops in England
Washington Examiner: Keir Starmer praises Trump for opening door to possible Russia-Ukraine ceasefire
Washington Examiner: Kim Jong Un gives Putin pep talk ahead of Alaska summit with Trump
Washington Examiner: European countries threaten to impose snapback sanctions on Iran if diplomacy fails
Washington Examiner: Trump claims DC is under federal control ‘where it belongs’
Washington Examiner: Trump hits back at ‘dictator’ label, urges critics to ‘join him’ in D.C. crime crackdown
Washington Examiner: Homan says Trump has ‘no limitation’ in power to make country safe
Washington Examiner: Wes Moore calls Trump’s National Guard orders ‘offensive’ and a ‘deployment of personal ego’
Washington Examiner: Federal officials have arrested more than 100 people in Trump’s DC crackdown
Washington Examiner: Closed prison in Tennessee to be used as ICE detention facility
Washington Examiner: Trump signs executive order cutting red tape for commercial rocket launches
Washington Examiner: Designating antifa as a domestic terrorist organization
Washington Examiner: Tom Rogan Opinion: Putin will attempt to play Trump in Alaska
Washington Examiner: Tom Rogan Opinion: Trump shouldn’t bite on Putin’s poisoned North Korea lure
Washington Post: Ukrainians confront prospect of losing Donbas region in talks
New York Times: How a Call From Trump Ignited a Frantic Week of Diplomacy by Ukraine
Defense One: How an Alaskan Military Base Is Preparing for Trump-Putin Meeting
Defense News: European Military-Industrial Output for Ukraine Outpaces the US
Washington Post: Russia restricts WhatsApp and Telegram calls in push to control internet
Wall Street Journal: The Secret Channel Russia and Ukraine Use to Trade Prisoners of War
Washington Post: D.C. to see more federal troops as Trump pushes to extend emergency
AP: DC residents protest as White House says federal agents will be on patrol 24/7
Stars and Stripes: Espionage trial begins in San Diego for sailor accused of spying for China
DefenseScoop: Air Force Eyeing AI-Powered Platform for Wargaming
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Two New Electronic Warfare Squadrons Standing Up at Robins
Breaking Defense: Switzerland Weighs Cuts to F-35 Order amid Cost Dispute, Tariff Pressure
The War Zone: South Korea Has an Air-Launched Ballistic Missile Program
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Why Space Force Part-Timers Are Nothing Like Guard and Reserve
Washington Post: The ‘Kryptos’ code has gone unsolved for 35 years. Now it’s up for sale.
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Football Unveils New F-16 Alternate Uniform
THE CALENDAR:
THURSDAY | AUGUST 14
10 a.m. — Center for European Policy Analysis Zoom briefing for members of the media: “Press Briefing: Trump-Putin Alaska Summit,” with CEPA experts Eitvydas Bajarunas, senior fellow, Democratic Resilience and former Lithuanian Ambassador to Russia; Sam Greene, director, Democratic Resilience; Jason Israel, Auterion senior fellow, former special assistant to the president and senior director for defense policy and strategy, National Security Council; and Olga Tokariuk, fellow, Democratic Resilience https://cepapressbrieftrumpputin.rsvpify.com
10 a.m. Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Policy Options on Afghanistan Four Years After the U.S. Withdrawal,” with U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan Richard Bennett; former Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary David Sedney; Metra Mehran, gender and policy adviser at the Atlantic Council; and Lisa Curtis, director of the CNAS Indo-Pacific Security Program https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-policy-options-on-afghanistan
11 a.m. — Foreign Policy virtual discussion: “The Future of European Defense,” with Jared Cohen, president of global affairs at Goldman Sachs https://foreignpolicy.com/live/jared-cohen-future-european-defense
12 p.m. 1400 K St. NW — Arab Center Washington, D.C. book discussion: Understanding Palestine and Israel, with author Phyllis Bennis, fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies, and director of its IPS New Internationalism Project; and Khalil Jahshan, executive director of Arab Center Washington, D.C. https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg
1 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies Defense and Security Department webcast of a keynote address and discussion with the UK’s Chief of the Defence Staff, Adm. Sir Tony Radakin, with Seth Jones, president, Defense and Security Department; Harold Brown Chair, CSIS https://www.csis.org/events/uks-role-defense-chief-defence-staff
FRIDAY | AUGUST 15
8 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “U.S.-Japan Global Partnership in Central Asia,” with Tomohiko Uyama, professor at Hokkaido University; Zhanibek Arynov, assistant professor at Nazarbayev University; Joseph Webster, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center; Markus Garlauskas, director of the Atlantic Council’s Indo-Pacific Security Initiative; and Kyoko Imai, associate director of the Atlantic Council Indo-Pacific Security Initiative and the Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/us-japan-global-partnership-in-central-asia/
10 a.m. — Henry L. Stimson Center virtual discussion: “Taliban Rule and Regional Realignments Four Years On,” with Sibghatullah Ghaznawi, associate research scholar at Columbia University; Shalini Chawla, fellow at the Centre for Air Power Studies; Sarah Godek, research associate at the Stimson China Program; and Akriti Vasudeva Kalyankar, fellow at the Stimson South Asia Program https://www.stimson.org/event/taliban-rule-and-regional-realignments
TUESDAY | AUGUST 26
10 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies Defense and Security Department and the U.S. Naval Institute or a Maritime Security Dialogue virtual and in-person discussion: “The Future of Naval Aviation,” with Vice Adm. Daniel Cheever, commander, Naval Air Forces and commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet in conversation with retired Rear Adm. Raymond Spicer, chief executive officer and publisher, U.S. Naval Institute https://www.csis.org/events/future-naval-aviation-conversation-vadm-cheever