TALKS THAT COULD SEAL UKRAINE’S FATE START WITHOUT UKRAINE: As the war in Ukraine approaches the three-year mark, top U.S. and Russian officials sat down across the table from each other in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh to negotiate the terms of the end of U.S. support for Ukraine, with the goal of forcing Ukraine to accept a peace deal on terms favorable to Russia.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio sat on one side of the table, flanked by national security adviser Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. On the other side was Russia’s longtime foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and Yuri Ushakov, foreign policy adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he wasn’t informed of the meeting and was not invited to attend. Consequently, he said he considered nothing decided there to be binding on Ukraine. “We can’t recognize any things or any agreements about us without us,” he told reporters Monday.
In a statement, Lavrov portrayed the talks as the first step in the normalization of relations between Washington and Moscow, with the goal of removing “unilateral barriers inherited from the previous U.S. administration,” and said in a phone call with Rubio ahead of the talks, “both sides expressed a shared commitment to engaging on key international issues, including the situation in Ukraine, developments in Palestine and the broader Middle East.”
In an appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation Sunday, Rubio called the meeting a “first step” in a process. “We have a long ways to go,” he said. “The next few weeks and days will determine whether it’s serious or not.” He said, ultimately, Ukraine and European allies would have to be brought into the discussion. “If it’s real negotiations, and we’re not there yet, but if that were to happen, Ukraine will have to be involved, because they’re the ones that were invaded, and the Europeans will have to be involved because they have sanctions on Putin and Russia as well.”
WALTZ: U.S. WANTS ‘PAYBACK’ FROM UKRAINE: In what amounts to a demand for reparations from an ally in the middle of a war, President Donald Trump wants Ukraine to commit to a deal that would send $500 billion in rare earth minerals to the U.S. to compensate for billions of military and economic assistance the U.S. economy. The proposal, delivered to Ukrainian officials last week by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bassent, was quickly rejected by Zelensky as way too one-sided.
But in an interview on Fox Sunday, Waltz said if Ukraine wants U.S. support in the future, there is no smarter way than to form an economic alliance. “President Trump is rethinking the entire dynamic here. That has some people uncomfortable,” he said. “But I think Zelensky would be very wise to enter into this agreement with the United States. There’s no better way to secure them going forward.”
“The American people deserve to be recouped, deserve to have some type of payback for the billions that they have invested in this war,” Waltz said. “We’re talking about growing the pie for the Ukrainian economy. And I can’t think of any better security guarantee than being co-invested with President Trump, with the American people going forward, and having those investments as a protection.”
In an interview with NBC, Zelensky said such an “economic treaty” must be contingent on firm security guarantees from the U.S. “We wanted American business to come. These critical minerals, rare earth, they are closed for many partners. We are ready to open them for the business of the United States,” Zelensky said. “That is where we can put money and make profits together. This is goodwill from us, so it’s possible to make money.”
But he said, “If we are not given the security guarantees from the United States, I believe that the economic treaty will not work.”
HEGSETH: ‘A ROOKIE MISTAKE’: There has been almost universal head-scratching over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s remarks at a meeting of the Ukraine Contract Groups in Germany last week, in which he outlined major concessions to Russia, without making any demands of Putin. Senate Armed Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) called the speech “a rookie mistake,” and a day later in Poland, Hesgeth attempted to slightly hedge what he said.
“I would never put constraints around what the president of the United States would be willing to negotiate with the sovereign leaders of both Russia and Ukraine,” Hegseth said. “We’ve been here just simply to introduce realism into the expectations of our NATO allies to incentivize the opportunity for that negotiation.”
“The reality that returning to 2014 borders as part of a negotiated settlement is unlikely. The reality of U.S. troops in Ukraine is unlikely. The reality of Ukraine membership in NATO as a part of a negotiated settlement is unlikely,” Hegseth said. “And I stand by the comments that I made on that first day in the Ukraine Contact Group.”
PETE HEGSETH: FIGHTING FOR PRE-2014 BORDERS ‘UNREALISTIC’ FOR UKRAINE
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RUTTE: EUROPE WILL HAVE TO ‘FIGHT’ TO GET IN ON NEGOTITIONS: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte had a stark message for European countries who were grumping about being left out of the peace talks with Russia.
“Europe wants to have a place at the table. Well, I told them, fight yourself a way to the table by coming up with concrete proposals,” Rutte said in a Sunday Morning Futures interview with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum. “What I said to the Europeans in Munich at this famous security conference the last couple of days was, stop complaining, start acting, get your act together.”
“Clearly, what the United States signaled in Munich, but also in a meeting of defense ministers, with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth being there, what the U.S. signaled is, ‘Hey, listen, Europeans, you have got to pay more,’” Rutte said. “And it will require a lot of a lot more money than we spent so far.”
“We will come to the conclusions towards summer on this, but I can hear now from European colleagues that they are willing to step up,” he said. “Because it is fair, not only because President Trump wants this and Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, but also because we have to defend ourselves.”
Rutte met yesterday with the U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, at NATO headquarters in Brussels. “The Secretary-General underscored the importance of a just and lasting resolution to the conflict to secure a stable future for Ukraine,” NATO said in a press release.
TRANS BAN IS IMPLEMENTED: The Army last week announced the beginning of the ban on transgender troops mandated by President Trump’s executive order, which effectively banned “trans-identifying” troops from serving in the military, calling the Biden administration policy “gender insanity.”
“The #USArmy will no longer allow transgender individuals to join the military and will stop performing or facilitating procedures associated with gender transition for service members,” the Army said in a post on X. “Effective immediately, all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria are paused, and all unscheduled, scheduled, or planned medical procedures associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition for Service members are paused.”
The announcement was met with dismay from gay and transgender advocacy groups, including Common Defense.
“Individuals with gender dysphoria have volunteered to serve our country and will be treated with dignity and respect,” read the post.
“It’s disheartening to see dedicated service members denied basic respect due to anti-trans bigotry,” said Vivian Taylor, a transgender Army veteran. “Thousands of trans and non-binary troops, including myself, have served honorably, and this kind of discrimination is shameful to our service, sacrifice, and work we put in to pave the way for transgenders to feel empowered to serve.”
“This isn’t just a matter of language or policy — it is a matter of survival. When state-enforced discrimination infiltrates institutions like the Army, the VA, and public education, it emboldens extremists, silences dissent, and makes life tangibly more dangerous for millions of people,” said Kris Goldsmith, Founder of Task Force Butler and U.S. Army Veteran. “ We are not just fighting for policy changes; we are resisting the normalization of exclusion and erasure.”
PENTAGON BANS TRANS PEOPLE FROM ENLISTING, STOPS TRANSITION PROCEDURES
USS TRUMAN INVOLVED IN AT-SEA COLLISION: The damage was slight, but the consequences could be severe for the skipper of the USS Harry S. Truman, which collided with a merchant vessel last week while operating in the Mediterranean Sea in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt.
The incident is under investigation, and a photograph released by the Navy showed minor damage that did not affect the aircraft carrier’s operation.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Marco Rubio defends JD Vance’s lecture on free speech
Washington Examiner: Pete Hegseth: Fighting for pre-2014 borders ‘unrealistic’ for Ukraine
Washington Examiner: Pete Hegseth accuses Biden IRS of rushing through last-minute audit of him
Washington Examiner: Hegseth rebukes concerns of Trump-Putin negotiations
Washington Examiner: Inspectors general stress impartiality following mass Trump firings
Washington Examiner: ‘Iron Dome for America’ explained: Blueprint laid out in lawmakers’ bill
Washington Examiner: China-Taiwan feud runs deep in South African politics
Washington Examiner: German military is less battle-ready than when Russia-Ukraine war began
Washington Examiner: House passes bill to curb high-speed border chases after agent killed on duty
Washington Examiner: The border transforms from years of chaos to silence as Trump takes over
Washington Examiner: China hits at US after State Department changes wording about Taiwan on website
Washington Examiner: Pentagon bans trans people from enlisting, stops transition procedures
Washington Examiner: Opinion: The many problems with Trump’s Gaza plan
Washington Examiner: Opinion: JD Vance rightly calls out Europe on free speech
AP: Zelenskyy travels to UAE as momentum grows for talks to end Russia’s war in Ukraine
New York Times: European Leaders Meet in Paris as U.S. Pushes Ahead With Ukraine Plan
Wall Street Journal: Ukraine’s Zelensky, Left Out of U.S.-Russia Talks, Sees Little Chance for Progress
Washington Post: Europeans Explore Troops for Ukraine Ceasefire—and Want US Support
The War Zone: Ukraine Appears to Have Destroyed Its First Russian S-350 Air Defense System
The Hill: Trump Says Putin ‘Wants to Stop Fighting’ in Ukraine
Bloomberg: Hegseth Set to Seek 8% Spending Shift at Pentagon
AP: Trump Administration Tries to Bring Back Fired Nuclear Weapons Workers in DOGE Reversal
The Economist: Will Donald Trump and Elon Musk wreck or reform the Pentagon?
AP: Chinese navy helicopter flies within 10 feet of Philippine patrol plane over disputed shoal
AP: Trump begins firings of FAA staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash
C4ISRNET: Pentagon Expands List of Commercial Drones Certified for Military Use
CNBC: Boeing’s Air Force One Program Could Be Delayed Until 2029, or Later, Senior Official Says
Breaking Defense: General Atomics to Unveil New ‘Super Wide Area’ Sensor for ‘Iron Dome for America’
SpaceNews: Ursa Major Eyes ‘Iron Dome’ Applications for Its Mid-Size Rocket Engine
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Pursues Quick Launch Capability with New ‘Victus’ Program
Defense News: Black Hawk Crew in DC Crash May Have Missed Key Air Traffic Messages
Task & Purpose: US Strike Kills a Senior Official of an al-Qaeda Affiliate in Syria
Air & Space Forces Magazine: New Airmen Train for Astronaut Recovery to Keep Up with Spaceflight Surge
19fortyfive.com: The F-15EX Eagle II Fighter Will Be Armed with Hypersonic Weapons
19fortyfive.com: Russia’s MiG-41 Fighter Nightmare Has No Expiration Date
Air & Space Forces Magazine: New Report: Abolish Joint Requirements Process, Replace with Bottom-Up Approach
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force to ‘Evaluate’ Family Days, Clarifies Policy for Civilians
Fox News: Opinion: If Iran goes nuclear, B-2 bomber will get the call
Wall Street Journal: Opinion: Did US Caution Cost Ukraine a Flying Ace?
THE CALENDAR:
TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 18
10:30 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Democracy in Poland,” with Peter Doran, adjunct senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies; James Carafano, Heritage Foundation fellow; and Matthew Boyse, senior fellow at the Hudson Center on Europe and Eurasia https://www.hudson.org/events/democracy-poland
11 a.m. — Brookings Institution virtual discussion: “What Americans think about foreign assistance: Findings from a new public opinion survey,” with Steven Kull, director of the University of Maryland’s Program for Public Consultation; Charles Dent, executive director and vice president of the Aspen Institute’s Congressional Program; Vanessa Williamson, Brookings senior fellow for governance studies; and George Ingram, senior fellow for global economy and development at the Brookings Center for Sustainable Development https://www.brookings.edu/events/what-americans-think-about-foreign-assistance/
11 a.m. — Heritage Foundation virtual discussion: “500 Days in Captivity: Hostage Families Speak Out,” with Noa Argamani, rescued hostage; Gal Gilboa-Dalal, brother of hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal; Ilay David, brother of hostage Evyatar David; Moshe Lavi, brother-in-law of hostage Omri Miran; and Daniel Flesch, senior policy analyst at the Heritage Center for National Security https://www.heritage.org/middle-east/event/500-days-captivity-hostage-families-speak-out
11:30 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “How long can Russia sustain its aggression in Ukraine?” with former Russian Deputy Minister of Energy Vladimir Milov, research associate at the Wilfried Martins Center for European Studies; Aura Sabadus, senior journalist at Independent Commodity Intelligence Services; S. Frederick Starr, chairman of the American Foreign Policy Council’s Central Asia-Caucasus Institute; and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/how-long-can-russia-sustain-its-aggression-in-ukraine/
11:30 a.m. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Wilson Center book discussion: Looking At Women Looking At War: A War and Justice Diary, with Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova; Tetyana Teren, executive director of PEN Ukraine; and Michael Kimmage, director of the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/book-launch-looking-women-looking-war
1 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “U.S. Allies and Partners under the Trump Administration.” https://www.csis.org/events/us-allies-and-partners-under-trump-administration
WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 19
8 a.m. 7500 GEOINT Drive, Springfield, Virginia — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association 2025 Navy Information Warfare Industry Day, with Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare, and director of naval intelligence; Rear Adm. Steve Parode, deputy director of Naval intelligence; Vice Adm. Craig Clapperton, commander, Fleet Cyber Command/Commander Navy Space Command and commander, 10th Fleet; Rear Adm. Seiko Okano, commander, Naval Information Warfare Systems Command; and Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus, chief of naval research https://www.afcea.org/events/2025-navy-information-warfare-industry-day/registration
10 a.m. — Hudson Institute discussion: “Righting the Ship: Strengthening U.S. Navy Shipbuilding and Ship Repair,” with Assistant Navy Secretary for Research, Development, and Acquisition Nickolas Guertin; Glen Kim, director of naval affairs and strategy development at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries; Brian Holland, president and general manager of MHI Ship Repair and Services; Greg Little, senior counselor at Palantir Technologies; Steve Miley, director of planning, engineering and scheduling at NASSCO Ship Repair Norfolk; Brad Moyer, vice president of business development and strategic planning at BAE Systems Ship Repair; Cecilia Panella, senior strategy and policy analyst at Saronic Technologies Inc.; and Chris Clark, vice president of new construction at TOTE Services https://www.hudson.org/events/righting-ship-strengthening-us-navy-shipbuilding-ship-repair-bryan-clark
11 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Implications of South Korea’s Political Crisis for Foreign Policy,” with former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Kathleen Stephens, global senior adviser at McLarty Associates; Kang Choi, president of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies; and Victor Cha, CSIS Korea chair https://www.csis.org/events/impossible-state-live-podcast-implications-south-koreas-political-crisis-foreign-policy
12 p.m. — Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft virtual book discussion: “Spirals: The Ukraine War and the Toppling of the World,” with former French Secretary of State for European Affairs Pierre Lellouche; and Anatol Lieven, director of the Quincy Institute’s Eurasia Program https://quincyinst.org/events/book-talk-spirals-the-ukraine-war-and-the-toppling-of-the-world/
12 p.m. 325 Russell — Friedlander Group event to celebrate the introduction of S.262, the “Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds Congressional Gold Medal Act,” in recognition of his heroic actions during World War II, with Pastor Chris Edmonds, son of Roddie Edmonds https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/5j662up?
4 p.m. 2121 K St. NW — International Institute for Strategic Studies book discussion: Strategy and Grand Strategy, with author Joshua Rovner, American University associate professor; Kori Schake, American Enterprise Institute director of foreign and defense policy studies; and Steven Feldstein, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace senior fellow https://www.iiss.org/events/2025/02/book-discussion-strategy-and-grand-strategy/
5 p.m. 775 12th St. NW — National Defense Industrial Association 35th Annual Special Operations two-day Symposium: “Special Operations in an Era of Strategic Competition,” with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Ia) https://tinyurl.com/3r4suw6m
THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 20
8 a.m. 775 12th St. NW — National Defense Industrial Association 35th annual Special Operations Symposium: “Special Operations in an Era of Strategic Competition,” with Army Gen. Bryan Fenton, commanding general, U.S. Special Operations Command; former Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist, NDIA president and CEO; Air Force Lt. Gen. Sean Farrell, deputy commander, U.S. Special Operations Command; retired Army Lt. Gen. Ken Tovo, president and CEO of DOL Enterprises, Inc. and former commanding general, U.S. Army Special Operations Command; former Defense Undersecretary for Policy Michele Flournoy, co-founder and managing partner of WestExec Advisors LLC; Rear Adm. Mark Schafer, commander, Special Operations Command South; Rear Adm. Jeromy Williams, commander, Special Operations Command Pacific; Army Command Sgt. Maj. Shane Shorter, senior enlisted leader of the U.S. Special Operations Command; and retired Army Lt. Gen. Charles Cleveland, former commander, Army Special Operations Command; Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh, commander, U.S. Cyber Command; Army Lt. Gen. Thomas James, deputy commander, U.S. Space Command; Army Lt. Gen. Richard Angle, commander, Allied Special Operations Forces Command, North Atlantic Treaty Organizations/Special Operations Command Europe; Army Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commanding general of the Army Special Operations Command; and retired Vice Adm. Ross Myers, former deputy commander, U.S. Cyber Fleet Command/10th Fleet; Sandra Hobson, principal deputy assistant Defense secretary for special operations/low-intensity conflict; Air Force Lt. Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, director of J7 Joint Force Development; Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Francis Donovan, vice commander, U.S. Special Operations Command; and Force Master Chief Petty Officer Walter Dittmar, force master chief of the Naval Special Warfare Command; House Armed Services ranking member Adam Smith (D-WA); Melissa Johnson, acquisition executive at the U.S. Special Operations Command; and Air Force Lt. Gen. David Harris Jr., deputy chief of staff at Air Force Futures; https://tinyurl.com/3r4suw6m
9 a.m. 608 Dirksen — U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission hearing on “An Axis of Autocracy? China’s Relations with Russia, Iran, and North Korea,” with Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director of the Center for New American Security’s Transatlantic Security Program; Christopher Walker, vice president for studies and analysis at the National Endowment for Democracy; Christopher Chivvis, senior fellow and director of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s American Statecraft Program; Kimberly Donovan, director of the Atlantic Council’s Economic Statecraft Initiative; Elina Ribakova, nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics; Anthony Ruggiero, adjunct senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Elizabeth Wishnick, senior research scientist at the Center for Naval Analyses; Jemima Baar, independent researcher; Jake Rinaldi, defense analyst at the U.S. Army War College; and Sheena Chestnut Greitens, associate professor at the University of Texas Austin https://www.uscc.gov
10 a.m. — German Marshall Fund of the U.S. virtual discussion: “A Foreign Policy Memo for the New U.S. Administration,” with Kristine Berzina, managing director of GMF North; Lindsay Gorman, managing director of GMF Technology; Andrew Small, senior fellow at the GMFUS Indo-Pacific Program; and Ian Lesser, GMFUS fellow https://www.gmfus.org/event/foreign-policy-memo-new-us-administration
10 a.m. — Wilson Center virtual discussion: “Arabs and Israelis: From October 7 to Peacemaking,” with Shai Feldman, chair of Israeli politics and society at the Brandeis University Crown Center for Middle East Studies and professor of politics at Brandeis University; Abdel Monem Said Aly, chairman of the board and CEO of the Al Masry Al Youm Publishing House; Khalil Shikaki, director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, member of the Arab Barometer’s Steering Committee and senior fellow at the Brandeis University Crown Center for Middle East Studies; and Robin Wright, fellow at the Wilson Center and author and columnist for the New Yorker https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/discussion-arabs-and-israelis
8 p.m. 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore, Maryland — Stevenson University “Baltimore Speaker Series” with retired Adm. James Stavridis, the 16th NATO supreme allied commander https://www.baltimorespeakers.org/speakers/
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 21
8:30 a.m. — Henry L. Stimson Center virtual discussion: “Trump and Ishiba Meet for the First Time – What Comes Next?” with former Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Lincoln Bloomfield; chairman emeritus, Stimson Center’s Board of Directors; Kunihiko Miyake, director and special adviser of the Canon Institute for Global Studies; and Yuki Tatsumi, senior fellow and co-director of Stimson’s East Asia Program and director of Stimson’s Japan Program https://www.stimson.org/event/trump-and-ishiba-meet-for-the-first-time-what-comes-next/
12 p.m. 1957 E St. NW — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs discussion: “What Drives Russians to Support the War?” with Natalia Savelyeva, researcher at the Public Sociology Laboratory and lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Ivan Grek, director of George Washington University Institute for European, Russian and European Studies Russia Program https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/what-drives-russians-to-support-the-war