Defense &
National Security
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Defense &
National Security
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Takeaways from Trump-Putin call |
President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held a highly anticipated phone call Tuesday, after Ukraine last week agreed to a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire in the war. |
© Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via Associated Press |
Putin rejected that proposal Tuesday, according to the Kremlin’s readout of the call, but responded positively to Trump’s proposal of a more limited 30-day ceasefire on energy facilities on both sides of the conflict. The Russian leader expressed various concerns about that proposal, according to the Kremlin’s readout.
In a post to Truth Social, Trump said the two sides did agree “to an immediate Ceasefire on all Energy and Infrastructure, with an understanding that we will be working quickly to have a Complete Ceasefire and, ultimately, an END to this very horrible War between Russia and Ukraine."
Russia said the idea for the specific ceasefire came from Trump. It’s unclear whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is on board.
Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has long been a focus of Russian aerial attacks. Ukraine’s ability to strike inside Russia has increased throughout the war, and Monday, Ukrainian drones attacked a fuel facility in Russia’s Astrakhan Oblast. Putin also laid down some steep demands for broader peace talks, such as the “complete cessation of foreign military assistance and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv,” according to Moscow’s readout. However, neither readout mentioned any demands for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia, something the Trump administration has suggested is inevitable in a peace deal. The U.S. in its readout said negotiations on a broader ceasefire and peace deal would begin immediately in the Middle East.
Read the full report at TheHill.com. |
Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. |
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How policy will affect defense and national security now and in
the future: |
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The Pentagon plans to cut 50,000 to 60,000 civilian jobs over the next several months via voluntary resignations and not replacing workers who leave, a senior defense official confirmed Tuesday. With a goal of cutting 5 to 8 percent of the Defense Department’s civilian workforce of more than 900,000, Pentagon leadership is looking to weed out roughly 6,000 positions a month by not refilling roles as employees leave — either … |
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Israel launched a wave of deadly strikes on Hamas targets across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, according to local health officials, seemingly bringing the fragile ceasefire to a halt. The attack, greenlighted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, has killed more than 400 Palestinians, as the leaders press for the return of the remaining hostages in Gaza. In a statement Tuesday, Netanyahu’s … |
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Democratic lawmakers are pushing back against Trump administration plans to detain thousands of immigrants living in the country illegally at U.S. military sites. In a letter signed by nine Democrats and sent to the White House and Pentagon on Monday, the lawmakers question the use of military resources to hold and deport migrants, arguing the effort takes Defense personnel away from their mission. “As you know, the mission … |
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Two transgender service members are suing the Trump administration over a pair of executive orders targeting transgender Americans and their implementation by the U.S. military. The lawsuit filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey by two transgender men — Master Sgt. Logan Ireland and Staff Sgt. Nicholas Bear Bade — argues that President Trump’s executive orders proclaiming the government … |
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Upcoming things we're watching on our beat: |
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his New Zealand counterpart, Foreign Minister Winston Peters, in Washington, D.C.
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U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is in New Delhi this week to meet with top Indian officials and speak at the Raisina Dialogue.
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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New York Post says Musk is ‘way out of his lane’ in calling for impeachment of Judge Boasberg |
The editorial board of the New York Post went after tech billionaire Elon Musk on Sunday, stating he is “way out of his lane” in calling for the impeachment of a judge who temporarily blocked the Trump administration from carrying out deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. “Elon … |
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Events in and around the defense world: |
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George Washington University will hold a discussion on “National Security Lawyering in the Intelligence Community,” with William Gade, deputy general counsel for intelligence at the Defense Department, at 12 p.m.
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The Washington Institute for Near East Policy will host a virtual forum on “Bombing Iran’s Nuclear Program: Implications of Preventive Action,” at 2 p.m.
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Stimson Center will have a conversation on “Security and Sovereignty: Exploring Canada’s Vision for Land Power,” with Lt. Gen. M.C. Wright, commander of the Canadian Army, at 3:30 p.m.
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News we've flagged from other outlets: |
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Pentagon restores a few webpages honoring service members but still defends DEI purge (The Associate Press)
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Advocates push Trump administration to help Afghan allies in face of potential travel ban (Military.com)
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Shipyards, military clinics exempted from Pentagon hiring freeze (Military Times)
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Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
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NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are expected to return to Earth Tuesday afternoon after more than nine months on the International … Read more |
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A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) likely exercised unconstitutional authority “in multiple ways” in dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Read more |
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Op-ed related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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