THE DRAGON, THE BEAR, AND THE ELEPHANT: If there was one seminal image emerging from Monday’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization 10-nation summit in Tianjin, China, it was the “huddle,” photos showing Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, hands clasped, engaged in a warm embrace.
During a bilateral meeting with Modi on Sunday, Xi invoked the symbols of their respective nations. “It is the right choice for both sides to be friends, who have good neighborly and amicable ties, partners who enable each other’s success, and to have the dragon and the elephant dance together,” he said.
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Russia has been cozying up to China for years in the wake of its grinding war in Ukraine, which has sapped its military resources. However, the addition of India reflects how President Donald Trump’s punishing 50% tariffs on India’s exports have pushed Modi literally into the arms of Putin and Xi.
“Always a delight to meet President Putin!” Modi posted on X. “Had a fruitful meeting with President Xi Jinping,” he posted after meeting one-on-one with the Chinese leader. “We agreed on the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility in border areas and reaffirmed our commitment to cooperation.”
In an appearance on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” Peter Navarro, White House senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, defended punishing India for buying Russian oil, in defiance of Trump’s demands.
“Putin gives Modi a discount on the crude. They refine it and they ship it to Europe, Africa, and Asia at a big premium, and they make a ton of money,” he said. “Now, what’s wrong with that picture? Well, it fuels the Russian war machine. India is nothing but a laundromat for the Kremlin. It kills the Ukrainians,” Navarro said. “Look, Modi’s a great leader. I don’t understand why he’s getting into bed with Putin and Xi Jinping, when he’s the biggest democracy in the world.”
THE NOBEL PRIZE IMBROGLIO: In a story that has yet to elicit a denial of denunciation from the White House, the New York Times, citing interviews with more than a dozen unnamed people in Washington and New Delhi, reported that in a June 17 phone call, Trump infuriated Modi by repeating his claim that he “solved” the India-Pakistan war, and was proud that Pakistan was going to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
“The Indian leader bristled. He told Mr. Trump that U.S. involvement had nothing to do with the recent ceasefire. It had been settled directly between India and Pakistan,” the Times reported. “The disagreement — and Mr. Modi’s refusal to engage on the Nobel — has played an outsize role in the souring relationship between the two leaders, whose once-close ties go back to Mr. Trump’s first term.”
“The two populist leaders with big egos and authoritarian tendencies have not spoken since,” the report noted, adding the White House has not acknowledged the call.
But in a June 20 Truth Social post announcing a peace deal between Congo and Rwanda, Trump lamented, “I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for this, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between India and Pakistan … No, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do.”
‘JUST SOME SIMPLE FACTS FOR PEOPLE TO PONDER!!!’: In a curiously worded post on Truth Social Monday, Trump, or someone writing for him, defended the tariffs that have pushed India out of America’s sphere of influence.
“What few people understand is that we do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us. In other words, they sell us massive amounts of goods, their biggest “client,” but we sell them very little,” the post said, notably devoid of Trump’s trademark use of uppercase letters and sentence fragments. “Our businesses are unable to sell into India. It has been a totally one sided disaster! Also, India buys most of its oil and military products from Russia, very little from the U.S. They have now offered to cut their Tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago. Just some simple facts for people to ponder!!!”
“The West has spent decades trying to ween [sic] India away from its Cold War attachment to Soviet Union Russia, and cautioning India on the threat posed by China. Donald Trump has shredded decades of efforts with his disastrous tariff policy,” John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, who is now under investigation by the FBI, said in a post on X.
TRUMP SAYS INDIA HAS OFFERED TO CUT ITS TARIFFS ON THE US ‘TO NOTHING’
Good Tuesday 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? The president will make an announcement at 2 p.m., per the White House. While the bare bones advisory gave no hint of the subject of the announcement, it comes as the two-week deadline that President Trump gave Russian President Putin to begin serious negotiations to end the war in Ukraine has expired.
“Since the phone call, when the European leaders and President Zelensky were at the White House, the following Monday, [Putin] has done the opposite of following through on what he indicated he wanted to do,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News’s Rich Edson yesterday. “As a matter of fact, he has, in a despicable manner, increased the bombing campaign. So, I think with President Trump, all options are on the table, and I think we’ll be examining those very closely this week.”
Trump spent an uncharacteristically low-profile Labor Day weekend, playing golf away from the press, avoiding public statements or engagements with reporters, and, while active on Truth Social, making no mention of Ukraine or the failure of his peace initiative to bear fruit.
“Two weeks ago in Washington, it was stated that by this time the Russians should be ready for real negotiations — a meeting at the leaders’ level,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a Sunday speech. “Ukraine is definitely ready for this. But the only thing Russia is doing is investing further in war.”
WAR IN UKRAINE CAUSING GLOBAL TNT SHORTAGE
ALSO TODAY: V-J DAY COMMEMORATION: On this date in 1945, Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender on the deck of battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, marking the end of hostilities in World War II. Japanese envoys, Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and Gen. Yoshijiro Umezu, signed the document, which began “We hereby proclaim the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters and of all Japanese armed forces and all armed forces under Japanese control wherever situated.”
In Washington, there will be a small ceremony at the National World War II Memorial marking the 80th anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day, commonly known as “V-J Day,” with Park Service Superintendent Kevin Griess, Dave Yoho, a WWII veteran merchant mariner, and Jane Droppa, chairwoman of the Friends of the National World War II Memorial, taking part.
But China, one of the signatories of the articles of surrender, President Xi Jinping is going all out with a massive grand parade, featuring thousands of goose-stepping troops, missiles, tanks, and fighter jets in a display of China’s growing military strength. Among the VIP leaders attending are Russia’s Vladimir Putin and, in a rare appearance outside of his country, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, who arrived in Beijing via his personal armored train.
CHINA PREPARES TO WELCOME PUTIN, KIM, AND IRANIAN OFFICIALS FOR MILITARY PARADE
PUTIN: ‘UNDERSTANDINGS … PAVING THE WAY TOWARDS PEACE’: During his one-on-one meeting with Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, Putin addressed Xi as “dear friend” and said ties between the two nations are “at an unprecedentedly high level.”
At a separate meeting of the Heads of State Council, Putin used the opportunity to once again blame Ukraine for starting the war by provoking Russia by subjugating Russian-speaking Ukrainians. “Let me remind you that this crisis did not arise from Russia attacking Ukraine, but from a coup d’état in Ukraine, supported and provoked by the West, followed by attempts to use military force to suppress the regions and people of Ukraine who rejected and did not accept that coup.”
“The second reason for the crisis lies in the West’s constant efforts to draw Ukraine into NATO, which, as we have repeatedly and consistently stressed over many years, represents a direct threat to Russia’s security,” Putin said. “It is worth recalling that as a result of the 2014 coup in Ukraine, the country’s political leadership that opposed NATO membership was removed from power.”
NATO, it should be noted, is a defensive alliance, and Ukraine’s president was a native Russian-speaker, who no longer speaks Russian in public.
Putin gave no indication that he was ready to meet with Zelensky as Trump demanded, and he gave only vague assurances that he was willing to stop fighting anytime soon. “I would note that the understandings reached at the recent Russian-US summit in Alaska, I hope, are also moving in this direction, paving the way towards peace in Ukraine.”
OPINION: PUTIN TESTS TRUMP AND US-EUROPEAN RELATIONS WITH KYIV STRIKES
RETURN OF THE LATE, NOT-SO-GREAT GEN. LEE: A decision by the Pentagon to re-hang a huge 20-foot-high portrait of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point — in defiance of a provision of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act — has infuriated the former head of a Congressionally-mandated commission charged with eliminating Confederate leaders from military facilities.
“We ordered it taken down because that was our remit from Congress. So Congress passed a law, President Trump vetoed it, and Congress overwhelmingly overrode the veto, the only one that they did, telling us to create this commission, [and] to rid all of the Department of Defense of anything that commemorated the Confederacy or those who served voluntarily,” said retired Army Brigadier Gen. Ty Seidule, who was a member of the commission comprised of three Republicans, one Democrat, and four retired generals. “I think it’s illegal because Congress did say that the Secretary of Defense shall remove him.”
“There was nothing more clear than this portrait of Lee in Confederate gray with an enslaved servant in the background dressed in rags. He’s wearing the three stars of a Confederate general. It clearly commemorated the Confederacy, and we voted unanimously,” Seidule said in an interview on CNN. “We should not honor Lee. He chose treason to preserve slavery. There were nine U.S. Army colonels in Virginia in 1861. Eight chose to remain loyal to this country, and only one chose treason. Lee killed more U.S. Army soldiers than any other enemy in our history.”
“The secretary often says that this is changing history. No, it’s changing commemoration. Every year at West Point, they study the Battle of Gettysburg, and every year Lee loses, and that won’t change. That’s history,” Seidule argued.
“And one other thing, he’s a loser, and Americans don’t like losers. No other enemy in our history lost as completely as he did,” Seidule added.
Seidule is coauthor of an upcoming book, A Promise Delivered, Ten American Heroes and the Battle to Rename Our Nation’s Military Bases.
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THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: China prepares to welcome Putin, Kim, and Iranian officials for military parade
Washington Examiner: Putin tours China and meets with world leaders ahead of military parade and trilateral meeting with Xi and Kim
Washington Examiner: Trump says India has offered to cut its tariffs on the US ‘to nothing’
Washington Examiner: EU accuses Russia of hitting president’s plane with GPS jammer midflight
Washington Examiner: War in Ukraine causing global TNT shortage
Washington Examiner: Tom Rogan Opinion: Russian prime minister admits economy in big trouble
Washington Examiner: Tom Rogan Opinion: Putin tests Trump and US-European relations with Kyiv strikes
Washington Examiner: Trump says India has offered to cut its tariffs on the US ‘to nothing’
Washington Examiner: Hamas military spokesman killed by Israeli airstrike in Gaza
Washington Examiner: Trump cites Bowser popularity in appeal to blue-state governors to accept National Guard
Washington Examiner: How Trump’s deportation agenda is being stalled in courts
Washington Examiner: Noem fires 24 ‘deep-state’ government employees embedded in FEMA
Washington Examiner: Four things to watch in Congress after August recess
Washington Examiner: Trump says US military power would be ‘instantly obliterated’ without tariffs
AP: Maduro says Venezuela ready to respond to US military presence in the Caribbean
The Hill: US Greenlights Nearly $330M Military Package for Ukraine
New York Times: With Drones and IEDs, Mexico’s Cartels Adopt Arms of Modern War
Breaking Defense: Japan’s $60B Defense Budget Request Seeks Funding for Coastal Defense Network, More F-35s
Breaking Defense: Stormy Weather: DOD Faces Dearth of Data from Planned NOAA Cuts
The War Zone: Boeing’s New F/A-XX Next-Gen Naval Fighter Concept Looks Familiar
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Allvin’s Departure Could Spell End of Major ‘Re-Optimization’ Initiatives
Defense Scoop: AI Tools Accelerated Battle Management Decisions During Latest Air Force DASH Wargame
Air & Space Forces Magazine: How the Air Force Might ‘Judo Throw’ China’s Plan to Disrupt Its C2 Networks
Defense News: Rocket Lab Unveils New Pad as Firm Preps First Neutron Rocket Launch
THE CALENDAR:
TUESDAY | SEPTEMBER 2
10 a.m — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “Airpower and the Pacific Theater,” with Air Force Gen. Kevin Schneider, commander, Pacific Air Forces and air component commander for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; and retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula, dean, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/events/gen-kevin-schneider/
3 p.m. Senate Chamber — Senate meets to resume consideration, motion to proceed to S.2296, the “National Defense Authorization Act.” At approximately 5:30 p.m., the Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.2296. http://www.senate.gov
4 p.m. — Atlantic Council virtual seminar: “Envisioning the Threat to Taiwan: A Cross-Strait and Beyond Seminar,” with Jin-chang Lin, executive producer of “Zero Day Attack,” a forthcoming television series depicting a fictional People’s Liberation Army invasion of Taiwan https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/envisioning-the-threat-to-taiwan
WEDNESDAY | SEPTEMBER 3
8:45 a.m. 151 St. George Blvd., Oxon Hill, Maryland — Defense Strategies Institute fourth annual AI For Defense Conference, September 3-4, with Melinda Reed, deputy secretary of defense for enabling technology in the Office, Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering; and Air Force Maj. Gen. Joseph Kunkel, director of force design, integration and wargaming for Air Force Futures AS/7 https://ai.dsigroup.org/
10 a.m. 253 Russell — Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing: “There’s a Bad Moon on the Rise: Why Congress and NASA Must Thwart China in the Space Race,” with testimony from Allen Cutler, president and CEO, Coalition for Deep Space Exploration; Dave Cavossa, president, Commercial Space Federation; and Jim Bridenstine, managing partner, Artemis Group and former NASA administrator http://commerce.senate.gov
10 a.m. 2141 Rayburn — House Judiciary Committee hearing: “Europe’s Threat to American Speech and Innovation,” with testimony from U.K, Member of Parliament Nigel Farage http://judiciary.house.gov
10 a.m. — Forecast International, Military Periscope, LeadSpotting, and the Israel Export Institute Zoom briefing: “Countering the Drone Threat: C-UAS Insights.” https://theincube.zoom.us/
THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 4
8:45 a.m. 151 St. George Blvd, Oxon Hill, Maryland — Defense Strategies Institute fourth annual AI For Defense Conference, with Brian Campo, deputy assistant Coast Guard commandant for C4IT and deputy Coast Guard CIO https://ai.dsigroup.org/
9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “China’s Military on Parade,” with Heather Williams, director, CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues; Tom Karako, director, CSIS Missile Defense Project; and Kari Bingen, director, CSIS Aerospace Security Project https://www.csis.org/events/chinas-military-parade
10 a.m. — American-German Institute virtual discussion: “Germany’s Party Ban Proceedings Against the AfD (Alternative for Germany),” with former German Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann https://americangerman.institute/events
10 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies release of a policy paper: “”Homeland Sanctuary Lost: Urgent Actions to Secure the Arctic Flank,” with retired Air Force Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, former commander, U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command https://afa-org.zoom.us/webinar/register
12:30 p.m. — Middle East Institute discussion: “What are Iran’s Options After the 12-Day War?” with Ross Harrison, MEI senior fellow and author of Decoding Iran’s Foreign Policy: Strategic Interests, Power and Influence; Mohsen Milani, executive director, University of South Florida’s Center for Strategic and Diplomatic Studies and author of Iran’s Rise and Rivalry with the U.S. in the Middle East; and Kenneth Pollack, MEI vice president for policy https://www.mei.edu/events/panel-and-book-discussion-what-are-irans-options
2 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “The Digital Front Line: Building a Cyber-Resilient Taiwan,” with Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA); retired Adm. Richard Chen, former vice minister for policy, Taiwan Ministry of National Defense and former chief of naval operations for Taiwan; Jason Hsu, senior fellow, Hudson Institute; Anshu Roy, founder and CEO of Rhombus Power Founder; Joseph Saunders, CEO of RunSafe Security; and Jason Hsu, senior fellow, Hudson Institute https://www.hudson.org/events/digital-front-line-building-cyber-resilient-taiwan
2 p.m. — Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe virtual briefing: “The Impact on Central Asia of Russia’s War on Ukraine: Opportunities for U.S. Engagement,” with Eric Rudenshiold, senior fellow for Caspian affairs, Caspian Policy Center; Gavin Helf, adjunct professor, Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies at Georgetown University; and Kate Watters, co-founder and executive director of Crude Accountability https://www.youtube.com/live/
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 5
10 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “Winning the Next War: Overcoming the U.S. Air Force’s Capacity, Capability, and Readiness Crisis,” with retired Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly, former commander, Air Combat Command; John Venable, senior fellow for airpower studies at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies; and retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula, dean, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/events/winning-the-next-war
5 p.m. 37th and O Sts. NW — Georgetown University in-person discussion: “Grand Strategy,” with Rebecca Lissner, senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, former deputy assistant to former President Biden and former principal deputy national security advisor to former Vice President Harris; and Heidi Urben, professor, practice and director of external education and outreach at Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program. Chatham House Rules https://events.georgetown.edu/sfs/event