‘There is no guy in the world who can push us to do it’: Zelensky vows Trump won’t force Ukraine to surrender

‘THERE IS NO GUY IN THE WORLD WHO CAN PUSH US TO DO IT’: In an interview following the Republican National Convention, where former President Donald Trump repeated his claim he can quickly end the war in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky questioned Trump’s plan, and insisted Ukraine will not be pressured to make large territorial concessions to Russia.

“The question is, what is the price? And who will pay? So do you think you might pay?” Zelensky told the BBC during his visit to London on Friday. “If he wants to do it during 24 hours, the simple way is to push us to pay… It means just stop, and give, and forget. Sanctions out, everything out. Putin will take the land.”

“We will never go on this. Never. And there is no guy in the world who can push us to do it,” Zelensky said.

HOW CAN THIS PERSON BE TRUSTED? Zelensky said he is often asked, “What is more important for you, territory or people?” and his answer is “people,” but adds “people are important but it doesn’t mean we can give them 30% of our land.”

“First, it’s our land. Secondly, who says they won’t go further,” Zelensky said, according to a BBC translation during the portion of the interview in which Zelensky spoke Ukrainian. “Who said Putin does not simply want us destroyed? He does. He wants a return of the USSR under his control until the end of his days. That’s his plan. And if he sacrificed 500,000 people of his country, who said he wouldn’t want to kill another million of us? If he didn’t spare half a million of his people, how can this person be trusted? I don’t think so.”

ON CALL, TWO READOUTS: Zelensky had a phone conversation with Trump the day after his nomination last week to congratulate him and wish him well after the failed attempt on his life.

“President Zelensky of Ukraine and I had a very good phone call earlier today,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

“I appreciate President Zelensky for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families,” Trump said. “Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity.”

Zelensky was a bit more circumspect, saying on X that while condemning “the shocking assassination attempt in Pennsylvania” and wishing him “strength and absolute safety in the future,” he also noted the “vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our nation’s freedom and independence.”

“Ukraine will always be grateful to the United States for its help in strengthening our ability to resist Russian terror,” Zelensky said. “We agreed with President Trump to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting.”

In the BBC interview, Zelensky was asked about the views of Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, who has advocated an end to U.S. aid to Ukraine and, in 2022, said he didn’t care what happened to Ukraine “one way or another.”

“Maybe he really doesn’t understand what goes on in Ukraine,” Zelensky said. “So for us, we have to work with the United States and if a new team will come, we have to work with them. We need their support.”

TRUMP’S PICK OF JD VANCE AS RUNNING MATE COULD SEAL UKRAINE’S FATE Good Monday 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

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE

NOTE TO READERS: Daily on Defense will take a two-day break this week and won’t publish on Thursday, July 25, and Friday, July 26. We’ll be back in your inbox and online Monday, July 29.

HAPPENING TODAY: Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle is scheduled to testify at 10 a.m. before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, the first of several committees demanding answers and accountability for security lapses that allowed an attempted assassin to get a clear head shot that almost killed former President Donald Trump .

“Every American can tell that there should have never been allowed anyone on that roof and the fact that there are videos showing that people were trying to notify the authorities, that there was a person on the roof with a gun and nothing was done about it and that shooter was allowed to get that many shots off at President Trump. That’s unacceptable,” Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said on Fox News Sunday. “We want to know who’s at fault for what happened.”

There are dozens of questions swirling around the attempt, which killed one spectator and critically wounded two others. This includes a Washington Post report that senior Secret Service officials repeatedly rejected requests from Trump’s security detail for more manpower and gear at events, at times citing a lack of resources.

“Look, the Secret Service has a budget of $3.1 billion. They have thousands of employees. There aren’t that many people that require Secret Service protection. There aren’t that many events that the Secret Service have to secure,” Comer told Fox. “So the budget is more than enough to provide adequate protection for the presidential candidate. So we have a lot of questions as to how they’re managing their money.”

“Our question for the Director Cheatle is, are you competent to run the Secret Service?” Comer said. “She’s going to have about a six-hour hearing, and she’s going to have hundreds of questions that she’s going to have to answer, and the American people will be watching that hearing.”

SECRET SERVICE ADMITS SOME REQUESTS FROM TRUMP DETAIL WERE DENIED

MAYORKAS NAMES INDEPENDENT PROBE: Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced yesterday he’s appointed a bipartisan, independent panel “to conduct a 45-day independent review of the planning for and actions taken by the U.S. Secret Service and state and local authorities before, during, and after the rally.”

Cheatle quickly released a statement welcoming the probe. “We are eager to cooperate with the independent security review,” Cheatle said in a statement . “I look forward to the panel examining what happened and providing recommendations to help ensure it will never happen again.”

“The U.S. Secret Service is continuing to take steps to review our actions internally and remain committed to working quickly and transparently with other investigations, including those by Congress, FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General,” she said, noting the Secret Service as a “no-fail” mission.

Panel members named so far with “extensive law enforcement and security experience” include former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano ; Frances Townsend , former Homeland Security adviser to President George W. Bush; Mark Filip , a former federal judge and deputy attorney general to President George W. Bush; and David Mitchell , former Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security for the state of Delaware.

EX-TRUMP OFFICIALS CALL FOR BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO DO MORE TO PROTECT THEM FROM IRANIAN RETALIATION

ALSO TODAY: Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks and Iris Ferguson , deputy assistant defense secretary for Arctic and Global Resilience, are scheduled to brief reporters at the Pentagon at 3 p.m. on the new "2024 Department of Defense Arctic Strategy."

The increased melting of Arctic sea ice in recent years has opened up new shipping lanes in the Northern Sea Route which has Arctic countries jockeying for strategic advantage. Russia, in particular, has ramped up military operations in the Arctic, including tests of hypersonic missiles. The briefing will be live-streamed at https://www.defense.gov/News/Live-Events

NEXT STEP, PRISONER SWAP? The quick verdict by a Russian court Friday in the show trial of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on trumped-up charges of espionage is bad news with a tiny sliver of a possible silver lining. Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security prison, but that could clear the way for a prisoner swap.

“Gershkovich received a sentence of 16 years in a Russian prison, despite having committed no crime,” President Biden said in a statement released by the White House. “He was targeted by the Russian government because he is a journalist and an American. We are pushing hard for Evan’s release and will continue to do so.”

“There is no question that Russia is wrongfully detaining Evan. Journalism is not a crime. We will continue to stand strong for press freedom in Russia and worldwide and stand against all those who seek to attack the press or target journalists,” Biden said. “ I have had no higher priority than seeking the release and safe return of Evan, Paul Whelan, and all Americans wrongfully detained and held hostage abroad.”

FAMILIES OF AMERICANS DETAINED IN RUSSIA CLING TO HOPE AS TIME PASSES

AUSTIN: BIDEN ‘EXTRAORDINARY GUARDIAN OF AMERICA’S NATIONAL SECURITY’: In a statement praising his boss as “one of our great foreign-policy presidents,” Defense Lloyd Austin noted President Joe Biden’s success in uniting NATO in support of Ukraine, his decision to end America’s longest war in Afghanistan, and his efforts to “break barriers” at the Pentagon.

“He has made history,” Austin said, by “appointing Kathleen Hicks as the first female Deputy Secretary of Defense, Christine Wormuth as the first female Secretary of the Army, Admiral Lisa Franchetti as the first female Chief of Naval Operations, and the first woman on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and myself as the first Black Secretary of Defense.”

“President Biden has always understood that America’s greatest strategic advantage is our people, and he has sought to make America even stronger and more secure by drawing on the full talents of all of our citizenry,” Austin said.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

THE RUNDOWN:

Washington Examiner : Biden bows out of 2024 presidential race

Washington Examiner : Republicans say Biden should resign immediately after historic campaign exit: ‘Not fit to serve’

Washington Examiner : Opinion: Biden ends reelection campaign, doing the right thing for the nation

Washington Examiner : Editorial: Biden’s withdrawal — overdue, and insufficient

Washington Examiner : Secret Service admits some requests from Trump detail were denied

Washington Examiner : Ex-Trump officials call for Biden administration to do more to protect them from Iranian retaliation

Washington Examiner : Opinion: The Secret Service director must answer these questions - now

Washington Examiner : Families of Americans detained in Russia cling to hope as time passes

Washington Examiner : Israel launches retaliatory air strike on Yemen

Washington Examiner : Houthi drone attack in Tel Aviv brings further attention on Iran threats

Washington Examiner : Top US general urges Russia not to give Houthis anti-ship missiles

Washington Examiner : Top UN court says Israeli presence in occupied Palestinian territories is illegal

Washington Examiner : Army says slides labeling anti-abortion groups as ‘terrorists’ have been used for over seven years

Washington Examiner : Opinion:  Trump’s Iron Dome boondoggle won’t make America safer

Bloomberg : US Prepares Jamming Devices Targeting Russia, China Satellites

AP : China And The Philippines Reach Deal In Effort To Stop Clashes At Fiercely Disputed Shoal

Reuters : Taiwan Starts Annual War Games, Aiming To Closely Mimic Actual Combat

Washington Post : Afghanistan War Commission opens inquiry of America’s longest conflict

Washington Post : Israel Intercepts Missile from Yemen After Airstrikes on Houthi Port

Wall Street Journal : US Launches Effort to Stop Russia from Arming Houthis with Antiship Missiles

Air & Space Forces Magazine : China Halts Nuclear Arms Control Talks with US: Why and What’s Next

Air & Space Forces Magazine : F-35 Deliveries Resume After a Year on Hold

Defense One : Lockheed Won’t Get Paid in Full Yet for Upgraded F-35s, Even as Deliveries Resume

Defense News : How the Sixth-Generation Fighter Jet Will Upend Air Warfare

DefenseScoop : Defense Innovation Board Taking Closer Look at Escalating Military Drone Challenges

Military.com : National Guard Chief Warns of ‘Unintended Consequences’ of Transferring Air Guard Units to Space Force

Air & Space Forces Magazine : The Air Force’s Zero Trust Strategy Is Out—and Acknowledges Big Hurdles.

Air & Space Forces Magazine : Weaker Conventional Military Led Russia to ‘Asymmetric’ Space Nuke: DOD Officials

Breaking Defense : Air Force Could Reopen Competition for Sentinel ICBM Ground Infrastructure, Hunter Says

Long War Journal : What we know about Russia’s new 3-ton glide bomb

Defense One : Air Force Brought in Hard-Nosed Negotiator to Close E-7 Deal with Boeing

Aviation Week : Boeing Undertakes VC-25B Improvements, New Schedule to Outline Delays

NPR : Navy Exonerates 256 Black Sailors Unjustly Punished Over 1944 Port Explosion

Reuters : World's Youngest Air Force Papua New Guinea Takes to Skies Among Top Guns

The Cipher Brief : Analysis: How Trump and Vance Would Deal with Global Hot Zones

The Cipher Brief : Opinion: China’s Party Plenum: About Much More Than Economics

THE CALENDAR:

MONDAY | JULY 22

9 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “How STARCOM (Space Training and Readiness Command) is preparing Guardians, at all stages,ir service, for the realities of space being a warfighting domain," with Air Force Maj. Gen. Timothy Sejba , commander, Space Force STARCOM https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/event/maj-gen-timothy-j-sejba

9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: "China's Third Plenum: A Plan for Renewed Reform?" with Lingling Wei , Wall St. Journal chief China correspondent; Daniel Rosen , CSIS chair in Chinese business and economics; Jude Blanchette , CSIS chair in China studies; Bonny Lin , director, CSIS China Power Project; and Scott Kennedy , CSIS chair in Chinese business and economics https://www.csis.org/events/chinas-third-plenum-plan-renewed-reform

10 a.m. — Hudson Institute virtual discussion: "Deterring an Axis of Aggressors," focusing on Russia, China, Iran and North Korea," with former White House national security adviser retired Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster , Hudson Japan chair https://www.hudson.org/events/deterring-axis-aggressors

10 a.m. — Middle East Institute virtual discussion: "Unpacking Iran's Presidential Elections: Dr.rs and Implications," with Holly Dagres , Atlantic Council nonresident senior fellow; Arash Ghafouri , CEO, Stasis Consulting; Alex Vatanka , director, MEI Iran Program; and Nazee Moinian , MEI nonresident scholar https://www.mei.edu/events/unpacking-irans-presidential-elections

10 a.m. 2154 Rayburn — House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing: "Oversight, U.S. Secret Service and the Attempted Assassination of President Donald J. Trump," with testimony from U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle http://oversight.house.gov

1 p.m. — Washington Post Live virtual discussion: "Journalists being held captive and the state of global press freedom," with Jason Rezaian , former Tehran bureau chief for the Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live

3 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — National Endowment for Democracy in-person and virtual discussion: "Preparing for a Democratic Future of North Korea: Next Generation Leadership," with U.S. Special envoy for North Korean Human Rights Julie Turner ; Yung Ho Kim , Korean minister of unification; Jitae You , actor and memorandum of understanding ambassador on North Korean Human Rights; and Damon Wilson , NED president and CEO https://www.ned.org/events/preparing-for-a-democratic-future-of-north-korea

8 p.m. — Jews United for Democracy and Justice virtual briefing: "Israel in Crisis," with Aaron David Miller , Carnegie Endowment for International Peace senior fellow; and Warren Olney , former host, "To the Point" podcast https://www.jewsunitedfordemocracy.org/event/july-22

TUESDAY | JULY 23

6:30 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia — Association, U.S. Army “Coffee Series” in-person event with Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey , commanding general of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command https://www.ausa.org/events/coffee-series/ltg-gainey

8 a.m. 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Virginia — Potomac Officers Club 2024 Air Defense Summit, with Air Force Undersecretary Melissa Dalton ; Air Force CIO Venice Goodwine ; Timothy Grayson , special assistant to the Air Force secretary for mission-centered analysis and operational imperatives https://potomacofficersclub.com/events/poc-2024-air-force-summit/

9 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies conference: "The 2024 International Dialogue on North Korean Human Rights,” with South Korea Ambassador to the U.S. Hyundong Cho ; ROK Minister of Unification Yung Ho Kim , U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the DPRK Elizabeth Salmon https://www.csis.org/events/2024-international-dialogue

10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Joint Subcommittee hearing: Mobility Aircraft Relevance and Survivability in a Contested Environment,” with testimony from Air Force Gen. Mike Minihan , commander, Air Mobility Command; Air Force Lt. Gen. David Tabor , director of programs, Office, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs; Rear Adm. Derek Trinque , director, strategic plans, policy, and logistics, U.S. Transportation Command https://armedservices.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings

10 a.m. 2172 Rayburn — House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing: "Member Roundtable with Families of U.S. Hostages Held by Hamas," with testimony from family members of Americans held hostage by Hamas following the October 7th attack on Israel http://foreignaffairs.house.gov

10 a.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Committee hearing: "Examining the Assassination Attempt of July 13," with testimony from witnesses TBA http://homeland.house.gov

10 a.m. HVC-210, U.S. Capitol — House (Select) Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party Committee hearing: "The Great Firewall and the CCP's Export of its Techno-Authoritarian Surveillance State," with testimony from Nat Kretchun , senior vice president for programs for the Open Technology Fund; Zack Cooper , senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; and Xiao Qiang , founder and editor-in-chief, China Digital Times https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/

11 a.m. — Wilson Center Polar Institute virtual discussion: "The DOD's New Arctic Strategy," with Amanda Dory , acting undersecretary of defense for policy; Iris Ferguson , deputy assistant secretary of defense for Arctic and global resilience; Maj. Gen. Odd-Harald Hagen , defense attache at the Norwegian Embassy; Rebecca Pincus , director, Wilson Center Polar Institute; and former U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Mark Green , president and CEO, Wilson Center https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/dods-new-arctic-strategy

3 p.m. — Washington Post live virtual discussion, “Rep. Adam Smith on his call for Biden to leave the Democratic 2024 ticket,” with Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live

3 p.m. 608 Dirksen — Sen. Chuck Grassley , (R-IA); and Sen. Ron Johnson , (R-WI) discussion: "Reckless Disregard: How DHS' Failure to Collect DNA at the Border Endangers Americans," with whistleblowers from DHS and Customs and Border Protection; and subject matter expert Kumar Kibble RSVP: Clare_Slattery@grassley.senate.gov

3 p.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution Talbott Center for Security and Technology and Center on the U.S. and Europe discussion: "Finland, NATO, and the Future of Trans-Atlantic Security," with Finnish Ambassador to the U.S. Mikko Hautala ; Michael O'Hanlon , director of research in the Brookings Institution's Foreign Policy Program director, Brookings Institution's Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology; and chair in defense and strategy at the Brookings Institution; and Constanze Stelzenmuller , director and senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution Center on the U.S. and Europe and chair on Germany and Trans-Atlantic relations https://www.brookings.edu/events/finland-nato-and-the-future

6 p.m. 2021 14th St. NW — Institute for Policy Studies discussion: "What's Behind Netanyahu's Address to Congress?" with Omar Baddar , Palestinian-American political analyst; Zeina Ashrawi Hutchison , director of development and expansion at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee; Eran Efrati , director of campaigns and partnerships at Jewish Voice for Peace; and Phyllis Bennis , IPS fellow https://ips-dc.org/events/netanyahuaddress/

WEDNESDAY | JULY 24

9 a.m. — American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research virtual discussion: "Delivering on a Shared Vision with America's Indo-Pacific Allies and Partners," with Daniel Kritenbrink , assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs; Ely Ratner , assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Security affairs; and Mira Rapp-Hooper , National Security Council senior director for East Asia and Oceania https://www.aei.org/events/delivering-on-a-shared-vision

10 a.m. 2141 Rayburn — House Judiciary Committee hearing: "Oversight, Federal Bureau of Investigation," with testimony from FBI Director Christopher Wray http://judiciary.house.gov

12 p.m. — RAND Corporation virtual discussion: "Reconstructing Ukraine," with Howard Shatz, senior economist and professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School https://www.rand.org/events/2024/07/rand-policy-lab-reconstructing-ukraine

10 a.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Committee hearing: “From Drug Interdictions in the Caribbean to National Security Patrols in the Arctic: Examining U.S. Coast Guard’s Role in Securing the Homeland,” with testimony from Adm. Linda Fagan , commandant, U.S. Coast Guard https://www.youtube.com/watch

10 a.m. 2154 Rayburn — House Oversight and Accountability National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing: "Wasteful Spending and Inefficiencies: Examining DoD Platform Performance and Costs," with testimony from Moshe Schwartz , senior fellow of acquisition policy at the National Defense Industrial Association; Mackenzie Eaglen , senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; and Bryan Clark , senior fellow and director, Hudson Institute's Center for Defense Concepts and Technology http://oversight.house.gov

11:30 a.m. — Washington Post Live virtual discussion: “Cyber landscape, terrorism threat and transnational repression,” with Matthew Olsen , assistant attorney general for national security https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live/2024/07/24/matt-olsen

2 p.m. House Chamber — Joint meeting, House and Senate to receive an address from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

THURSDAY | JULY 25

10 a.m. 538 Dirksen — Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing: "Advancing National Security through Export Controls, Investment Security, and the Defense Production Act," with testimony from Thea Kendler , assistant Commerce secretary for export administration; Paul Rosen , assistant Treasury secretary for investment security; Grant Harris , assistant Commerce secretary for industry and analysis; and Laura Taylor-Kale , Assistant Secretary of Defense for industrial base policy http://banking.senate.gov

12 p.m. — Middle East Institute virtual discussion: "U.S.-Israel Relations After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Visit," with Aaron David Miller , Carnegie Endowment for International Peace senior fellow; David Schenker , director, Washington Institute for Near East Policy's Arab Politics Program; Shira Efron , Israeli Policy Forum director of research; and Brian Katulis , MEI senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register

2 p.m. 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discussion: "The Future of U.S. Nuclear Arms Control Policy,” with Mallory Stewart , assistant secretary of state for arms control, deterrence, and stability; and George Perkovich , CEIP vice president for studies https://carnegieendowment.org/events/2024/07/the-future-of-us-nuclear-arms-control-policy

2 p.m. CVC-268, U.S. Capitol — Middle East Policy Council Capitol Hill Conference: "Conflict in the Red Sea: The Role of Great Power Actors," with Bradley Bowman , senior director, Foundation for Defense of Democracies Center on Military and Political Power; Jeffrey Wood , economic security analyst at Systems Planning and Analysis; Nada Al-Hajjri , president, Yemen Information Center; Khalid Alwan, MEPC board member; and Bassima Alghussein , MEPC executive director https://www.eventbrite.com/e/conflict-in-the-red-sea-the-role-of-great-power-actors

FRIDAY | JULY 26

9:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual book discussion: The Boiling Moat: Urgent Steps to Defend Taiwan, with editor Matt Pottinger ; Ivan Kanapathy , CSIS nonresident senior associate; and Jude Blanchette , CSIS chair in China studies https://www.csis.org/events/countering-china-gray-zone-lessons-taiwan

10 a.m. — Brookings Institution virtual discussion: "How Strong is China's Navy?" with Thomas Shugart , adjunct senior fellow, Center for a New American Security Defense Program; and Emma Salisbury , associate fellow in military innovation, Council on Geostrategy https://www.brookings.edu/events/how-strong-is-chinas-navy/

7 p.m. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW — Politics and Prose Bookstore book discussion: Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World, with author Anne Applebaum , staff writer at The Atlantic https://www.politics-prose.com/anne-applebaum