BIDEN: ‘I’M PREPARED, IF HE’S WILLING TO TALK’: President Joe Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin is in a box of his own making. “He’s miscalculated every single thing he initially calculated,” Biden said at a White House news conference with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron.
“So, the question is: How does he get himself out of the circumstance he’s in?” Biden said. “There is one way for this war to end the rational way: Putin to pull out of Ukraine — No. 1. But it appears he’s not going to do that.”
Biden said despite paying “a very heavy price” for pursuing a war that was supposed to be over in a week or two but is now in its ninth month, Putin shows no signs he’s ready to back off, instead doubling down on a campaign to destroy much of Ukraine’s basic infrastructure.
“He’s inflicting incredible, incredible carnage on the civilian population of Ukraine — bombing nurseries, hospitals, children’s homes. It’s sick what he’s doing,” Biden said, calling the prospect of Russia defeating Ukraine “beyond comprehension.”
“Let me choose my words very carefully,” Biden said, with Macron looking on. “I’m prepared to speak with Mr. Putin if in fact there is an interest in him deciding he’s looking for a way to end the war.”
Biden said he had no “immediate plans” to initiate contact with Putin but said that if the Russian leader showed any willingness to end the war, he’d be “happy to sit down with Putin to see what he wants.”
“He hasn’t done that yet,” Biden said. “I’m prepared, if he’s willing to talk, to find out what he’s willing to do, but I’ll only do it in consultation with my NATO allies. I’m not going to do it on my own.”
BIDEN AND MACRON PRESENT UNITED FRONT ON UKRAINE AS WAR’S FUTURE QUESTIONED
MACRON: ‘ZELENSKY WAS VERY MUCH WILLING TO TALK’: Macron said he witnessed firsthand how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wanted to avoid war before Russia invaded in February.
“President Zelensky was very much willing to talk and negotiate. The one who wanted to go to war, to wage war, was President Putin, and I could see it by myself, including when I visited Russia and Ukraine at the beginning of February,” Macron said, arguing it is now up to Zelensky to set the condition for peace.
“President Zelensky presented a 10-point peace plan, so we, I believe, very much need to continue to engage with him because there is a genuine willingness on behalf of Ukraine to discuss these matters, and we acknowledge it and we commend it,” Macron said. “It is for him to tell us when the time comes and what choices of the Ukrainians are.”
BIDEN INVOKES ‘SHARED COMMITMENT TO LIBERTY’ IN WELCOMING FRANCE’S MACRON
LAVROV: ‘WE ARE READY TO LISTEN’: In a video call with reporters yesterday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov insisted that while Moscow has not heard any “serious ideas yet,” it is open to peace talks.
“We never asked for talks but always said that we are ready to listen to those who are interested in a negotiated settlement,” he said, adding that Ukraine must recognize Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, and other territories seized this year by Russia.
Asked if Putin might meet with Biden, Lavrov replied that “we don’t shun contacts,” but he added that “we haven’t yet heard any serious ideas yet.”
While NATO says its support of Ukraine does not make the alliance a party to the conflict, Lavrov dismissed that out of hand. “You shouldn’t say that the U.S. and NATO aren’t taking part in this war. You are directly participating in it — and not just by providing weapons but also by training personnel,” Lavrov said. “You are training their military on your territory, on the territories of Britain, Germany, Italy, and other countries.”
Lavrov defended the crippling strikes against Ukraine’s energy and water infrastructure as necessary to “knock out energy facilities that allow you to keep pumping deadly weapons into Ukraine in order to kill the Russians.”
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Good Friday 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 Stacey Dec. 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 us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.
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HAPPENING TODAY: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is in Palmdale, California, for today’s big unveiling of America’s newest and most advanced stealthy long-range bomber, the B-21 Raider built by Northrop Grumman.
The unveiling will be streamed live by Northrop Grumman at 4:30 p.m. Pacific time, 7:30 p.m. in Washington. Based on artist renderings on the company’s website, the nuclear-capable bomber will look like a slightly sleeker version of the batwing B-2 Spirit, also built by Northrup Grumman in the 1990s. Only 21 of the billion-dollar B-2s were made before production was canceled. The Air Force plans to buy at least 100 B-21s, at $692 million a plane.
PENTAGON STICKING TO VACCINE MANDATE: As Republicans in Congress are pushing legislation to force the Pentagon to drop its requirement that troops be vaccinated against the coronavirus, the Pentagon isn’t budging on the requirement, which it argues is necessary to maintain readiness.
“We are a warfighting organization. So the health and readiness of our force is always going to be paramount to ensure that our forces are ready and able to conduct their mission,” said chief spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder at yesterday’s Pentagon briefing. “Vaccinations, whether it’s COVID, influenza, anthrax, those kinds of things — we’re going to ensure that our forces are properly vaccinated to be able to carry out their wartime mission.”
“I remember the president calling that Coast Guard [officer] a hero, and a week later, he loses his job simply because of his own belief of not taking a vaccine for COVID. That has got to stop,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) this week.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is hoping her proposed amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would repeal the mandate will get a vote in the Senate.
“It would prohibit the Department of Defense from releasing these individuals, and it would preserve their right to pay and benefits while they go through to negotiate an exemption from this vaccine,” Blackburn told Fox Business on Wednesday. “To release them when we are short numbers — the Army is short 15,000 people this year. We should not be doing this. We need to stand with our men and women in uniform, support my amendment, get it in the NDAA, and protect our troops.”
“The vaccine mandate is currently in effect,” said Ryder. “I’m not going to talk about pending or proposed legislation or speculate on future potential outcomes.”
GOP SENATORS DEMAND AN END TO COVID-19 VACCINE MANDATE IN US MILITARY
INDUSTRY WATCH: The Army has awarded a $1.2 billion contract to Raytheon Missiles and Defense for delivery of six National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System batteries, training, and logistical support to Ukraine’s military and security forces.
Two of the advanced air defense systems have already been delivered to Ukraine and have been very effective in shooting down Russian cruise missiles targeting critical civilian infrastructure.
“NASAMS are just the latest in the diverse set of air-defense capabilities we are delivering to Ukraine,” said William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, in an Army release. “These are proven systems that will continue making a difference on the battlefield.”
Raytheon is also working to shorten the two-year production time, a reflection of the urgency both to provide air defense systems for allies and to replenish America’s munition stockpiles.
ARMY AWARDS RAYTHEON CONTRACT TO PROVIDE AIR DEFENSE MISSILE SYSTEMS TO UKRAINE
The Rundown
Washington Examiner: Biden and Macron present united front on Ukraine as war’s future questioned
Washington Examiner: Biden invokes ‘shared commitment to liberty’ in welcoming France’s Macron
Washington Examiner: An oasis of bipartisanship?
Washington Examiner: Countering China’s grand strategy
Washington Examiner: Pentagon moves to beef up cybersecurity
Washington Examiner: China racing to beat the US in a looming lunar gold rush
Washington Examiner: Sergey Lavrov accuses pope of ‘un-Christian’ comments on Russia’s war crimes
Washington Examiner: Political polarization saps confidence in US military, survey says
Washington Examiner: Army awards Raytheon contract to provide air defense missile systems to Ukraine
AP: Russian shelling cuts off power again in liberated Kherson
New York Times: Ukraine Restores Power, Only for Bombs to Cause Blackouts
AP: Ukrainian engineers scramble to keep mobile phones working
Reuters: U.S. And Asian Allies Impose New Sanctions On North Korea After ICBM Test
Military Times: Congress Wants To Arm Taiwan, But Hasn’t Figured Out How To Pay For It
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Senate Confirms New AFGSC Commander, Deputy Chiefs of Operations for Air Force and Space Force
Air & Space Forces Magazine: First F-15s Leave Kadena for ANG Units or the Boneyard
Air & Space Forces Magazine: DAF’s Chief Information Officer Envisions Future With ‘Intelligent Warfare’
Defense News: UK Navy To Take Drone-Teaming Operations Underwater With New Submarine
Space.com: China Sends New Trio of Mysterious Satellites Into Orbit
19fortyfive.com: Is the Ukraine War Going on Winter Break?
19fortyfive.com: Putin Is Trying to Destroy Ukraine’s Power Grid: Can America Help?
19fortyfive.com: The Air Force Wants At Least 100 B-21 Raiders. What If It Never Happens?
19fortyfive.com: The U.S. Air Force Had a Squad of Russian MiGs To Dogfight
Forbes: Opinion: Resetting America’s Power Projection Edge: The B-21
Calendar
FRIDAY | DECEMBER 2
8 p.m. Simi Valley, California — Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute annual Reagan National Defense Forum, full agenda at: https://www.reaganfoundation.org/media
SATURDAY | DECEMBER 3
10:15 a.m. Simi Valley, California — Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute annual Reagan National Defense Forum, with keynote address by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at 2 p.m. EST. Full agenda at: https://www.reaganfoundation.org/media
MONDAY | DECEMBER 5
8:30 a.m. — Stimson Center forum: “Voices from Japan: Japan’s National Security Strategy in the Era of Strategic Competition,” Nobukatsu Kanehara, professor, faculty of law, Department of Political Science, Doshisha University; and Yuki Tatsumi, director, Japan Program, Stimson Center https://www.stimson.org/event/voices-from-japan
2:30 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. N.W. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual and in-person event: “The Convergence of National Security and Homeland Security: A Conversation with DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas”
THURSDAY | DECEMBER 8
8 a.m. 2401 M St., N.W. — George Washington Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group conversation with Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger Contact: Thom Shanker at [email protected]
9 a.m. 801 Wharf St. S.W. — Aspen Strategy Group’s “Aspen Security Forum: D.C. Edition,” with Kathleen Hicks, deputy defense secretary; David Turk, deputy energy secretary; Sen. Todd Young (R-IN); Pekka Haavisto, Finnish foreign affairs minister; Zbigniew Rau, Polish foreign affairs minister; Tobias Lindner, German minister of state; Enrique Mora, deputy secretary-general, European External Action Service; Arati Prabhakar, director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; and Zoe Baird, senior counselor to the secretary for technology and economic growth, U.S. Department of Commerce https://web.cvent.com/event
WEDNESDAY | DECEMBER 14
2 p.m. — Stimson Center forum: “North Korea: Is Denuclearization Dead?’ with Robert Gallucci, distinguished professor, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service; Siegfried S. Hecker, senior fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University; Sharon Squassoni, research professor of international affairs, George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs; and Joel Wit, distinguished fellow in Asian and Security Studies, Stimson Center https://www.stimson.org/event/north-korea-is-denuclearization-dead/
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I’m prepared, if he’s willing to talk, to find out what he’s willing to do, but I’ll only do it in consultation with my NATO allies. I’m not going to do it on my own.”
President Joe Biden, asked whether he has plans to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin anytime soon
