‘A GOOD CONVERSATION’: For three days, President Donald Trump had nothing to say about Ukraine’s spectacularly successful drone attack on Russia’s long-range bomber fleet, about which the White House said Kyiv kept him in the dark.
His first comment came in a post on his Truth Social account, in which he revealed he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone for over an hour. However, he gave no indication he did anything but listen to Putin’s grievances, including Putin’s vow that “he will have to respond” to the sneak attack that destroyed at least 20 of his nuclear-capable bombers Sunday.
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“It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace,” Trump said in the post, which had a strangely “ho-hum” vibe to it. Trump went on to say that Putin might be “helpful” in securing a nuclear deal with Iran, which he accused of “slowwalking” a decision on accepting U.S. terms.
The Kremlin portrayed the phone call as a “positive and quite productive” conversation in which both sides sought ways to work together. “I believe it was useful for Trump to hear our assessments of what happened,” said Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser.
TRUMP SAYS PUTIN PLANNING RESPONSE TO UKRAINE DRONE ATTACK
A TACIT GREEN LIGHT?: The anodyne nature of Trump’s readout of the call, which lacked any of the earlier frustration that Trump had expressed with Putin, was interpreted in Kyiv as a tacit acceptance that Russia had a right to retaliate.
“Putin feels impunity. Even after all of Russia’s horrific attacks, he is reportedly preparing yet more so-called ‘responses,’” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X. “It means that with every new strike, with every delay of diplomacy, Russia is giving the finger to the entire world — to all those who still hesitate to increase pressure on it.”
“If the world reacts weakly to Putin’s threats, he interprets it as a readiness to turn a blind eye to his actions. When he does not feel strength and pressure, but instead senses weakness, he always commits new crimes,” Zelensky said. “He sees such an attitude as silent permission: permission for new atrocities, new strikes, new killings.”
“When Putin mentioned that he’s going to avenge or to deliver a new strike against Ukraine, we know what it means, it’s about civilians,” Oleksandr Merezhko, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Ukrainian Parliament, told CNN International. “President Trump didn’t say something, ‘Vladimir, stop.’ And it’s very worrisome because it might look like he’s given a green light to this new crime, which Putin is trying to commit.”
“Another reason to be worried is that it looks like Putin is offering a bribe, political bribe, so to speak, to President Trump by saying, ‘I can help you with Iran, but you shouldn’t react to what I’m going to do with Ukraine,’” Merezhko said. “And of course, it’s very worrisome for us. We expected a stronger reaction from President Trump.”
OPINION: TRUMP PROSTRATES BEFORE PUTIN’S PLEDGE OF NEW WAR CRIMES
TRUMP RESISTS SANCTIONS: One of the mysteries of Trump’s administration is why he seems so sympathetic to Putin and so critical of Zelensky, while resisting endorsing a bill with broad bipartisan support to slap new sanctions on Putin, who clearly has no desire to make peace at the moment.
In a telling moment at a televised meeting with his top ministers, Putin listened as his Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, insisted the war could still be won on Russia’s terms. “I believe that all means to achieve the just goals of the special military operation, including negotiations, must be put to use,” Lavrov said, to which Putin replied. “I agree.”
Later in the meeting, Putin accused Ukraine of being governed by a terrorist regime that deliberately targets civilians and claimed it is continuing to lose the war. “The current Kyiv regime does not need peace at all,” Putin said. “What is there to talk about? How can we negotiate with those who rely on terror?”
While Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) continue to push for a vote on their sanctions bill, which has 82 co-sponsors in the Senate, Trump continues to stiff-arm the legislation.
“[It’s] one of the mysteries to me,” Blumenthal said on CNN. “Kate, and [it] goes to the heart of Putin, in effect, playing Donald Trump. He’s making a fool of him.”
“I have no good answer for why Trump has failed so far to endorse explicitly this bill. But he’s talked about sanctions,” Blumethal said. “Eighty-two senators are co-sponsors. They are supporters on the record of this bill, 41 Democrats, 41 Republicans … and in the House, there is the same overwhelming majority. If this bill gets a vote, it will pass.”
That is if it ever gets a vote.
“I know that he asked the leader (Senate Majority Leader John Thune) not to bring the bill to a vote this week,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) reportedly said during a meeting of the Defense Writers Group this week.
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Good Thursday 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: HEGSETH AT NATO: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is in Brussels for a meeting with fellow defense ministers, and he is renewing his call for all NATO allies to spend 5% of GDP on defense, something the United States has yet to do.
“The reason I’m here is to make sure every country in NATO understands every shoulder has to be to the plow, every country has to contribute at that level of 5% as a recognition of the nature of the threat,” Hegseth said at a brief media op with NATO Secretary Mark Rutte. “It can’t be about the flags that we love. It has to be about the formations that we have. It’s that hard power that actually deters, and it can’t just be U.S. capabilities.”
“Our message is going to continue to be clear: it’s deterrence and peace through strength. But it can’t be reliance; it cannot and will not be reliance on America in a world of a lot of threats,” he said.
NEW 4-STAR COMMANDERS: The Pentagon has announced two presidential nominations for new combatant commanders to be promoted to four-star rank and take over key warfighting commands, pending Senate confirmation.
Navy Vice Adm. Charles B. Cooper has been tapped to be the next CENTCOM commander, based at the U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, in Tampa, Florida. Cooper is currently serving as deputy commander there.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, currently director of joint force development on the Joint Staff, has been nominated as commander of the U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany.
SMITH: POUND FOOLISH TO SACK WEAPONS TESTERS: Defense Secretary Pete Hesgeth’s May 28 order to reduce, by almost half, the staffing at the Pentagon’s Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation, is getting pushback from the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.
In the memo, Hegseth says the department will save $300 million annually by eliminating “redundant, non-essential, non-statutory functions within ODOT&E that do not support operational agility or resource efficiency” and reducing the staff from 94 employees to 30 civilians and 15 service members.
“Secretary Hegseth’s short-sighted decision to massively gut DOT&E in search of false efficiencies runs counter to those bipartisan priorities and the needs of our military,” Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) said in a statement. “While he may claim this reduction is intended to save money, the unfortunate reality is that these cuts would weaken our ability to ensure weapon systems meet operational requirements, hinder our ability to hold contractors accountable, and increase the likelihood that the equipment service members rely on will not work as advertised.”
“The purpose of the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) is to evaluate operational effectiveness, suitability, survivability, and lethality of DOD weapon systems in combat. It’s a mandate that is critically important to our national defense, and it has broad support on both sides of the aisle,” he said. “I urge Secretary Hegseth to reconsider this ill-advised course of action both for the benefit of our national defense and the lives of our service members.”
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THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Trump says Putin planning response to Ukraine drone attack
Washington Examiner: Ukrainian drone attack on Russian aircraft represents ‘a wake-up moment’ for US
Washington Examiner: Tom Rogan Opinion: Trump prostrates before Putin’s pledge of new war crimes
Washington Examiner: Tom Rogan Opinion: Ukrainian drone attack is a wake-up call for America on China
Washington Examiner: Trump bans travel from a dozen countries, including Iran, citing national security concerns
Washington Examiner: China outraged as Rubio marks Tiananmen Square and Macron compares Ukraine to Taiwan
Washington Examiner: Ali Khamenei rejects core tenets of US proposal for nuclear deal with Iran
Washington Examiner: Kristi Noem orders crackdown on visa overstays after Boulder terrorist attack
Washington Examiner: House launches inquiry into immigration history of Boulder terrorism suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman
Washington Examiner: Jeanne Shaheen lobbied Biden TSA not to surveil husband after he flew with suspected terrorist: DHS
Washington Examiner: Trump orders vast investigation into Biden health cover-up and who ran the White House
Washington Examiner: Jean-Pierre torched for switching to independent while promoting memoir on ‘broken’ Biden White House
Washington Examiner: US vetoes UN resolution calling for ceasefire in Gaza
Washington Examiner: ‘Agroterrorism’ fungus was first smuggled into US in 2022 inside Chinese national’s boots
Washington Examiner: Senate weighs unraveling House’s ‘big, beautiful’ deal on the SALT deduction
Reuters: Ukraine hit fewer Russian planes than it estimated, US officials say
The War Zone: Ukrainian Commander’s Exclusive Insights on Brutal Drone Warfare on the Frontline
Wall Street Journal: US Is Redirecting Critical Antidrone Technology From Ukraine to US Forces
AP: North Korea’s Kim says he’ll ‘unconditionally support’ Russia’s war against Ukraine
Breaking Defense: ‘We Need Your Creative, Innovative, Patriotic, and Diabolical Minds’: Joint Chiefs Chairman Caine
Defense One: China May Own the ‘Narrative’ of Future Conflict If the US Crushes the Satellite Imagery Biz: Experts
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Senate Adds Billions for Air Force Programs to GOP Spending Bill
SpaceNews: Lockheed Martin Launches ‘AI Fight Club’ to Test Algorithms for Warfare
Defense One: What Will DOD Civilians Do At the Border? The Pentagon Won’t Say.
Task & Purpose: Bill Would Cover ‘Forever Chemical’ Exposure at Bases Under VA Benefits
Inside Defense: RTX to Ramp AIM-9X Production to 2,500 Missiles Per Year with New $1.1 Billion Award
The War Zone: Smaller Version of Quicksink Ship-Killing Smart Bomb Tested by USAF
Air & Space Forces Magazine: This General Could Be the First Airman to Lead AFRICOM
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Top NATO Official Says All Members May Hit Spending Target After 11 Years
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force’s First Female 4-Star Takes Command
Military.com: Air Force Special Operations Command Names New Enlisted Leader as Predecessor Faces Investigation
THE CALENDAR:
WEDNESDAY | JUNE 4
9 a.m Warsaw, Poland — Atlantic Council Europe Center virtual discussion: “Future Directions for Transatlantic Economic Relations,” with Michal Baranowski, undersecretary of state, Polish Ministry of Development and Technology https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/warsaw-week
10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: “Department of the Army FY2026 Posture,” with testimony from Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George http://www.armedservices.house.gov
10 a.m. 2200 Rayburn — House Foreign Affairs Europe Subcommittee hearing: “Assessing the Challenges Facing NATO,” with testimony from retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, CCTI senior director and senior fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Nile Gardiner, director, Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom and Bernard and fellow in the Heritage Foundation; and Julianne Smith, former U.S. permanent representative to NATO http://foreignaffairs.house.gov
10 a.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing: “Dismantling Transnational Criminal Organizations in the Americas,” with testimony from Celina Realuyo, adjunct professor, George Washington University https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/
10 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “America’s ‘Golden Dome’ Explained,” with Tom Karako, director, CSIS Missile Defense Project; Heather Williams, director, CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues; and Kari Bingen, director, CSIS Aerospace Security Project https://www.csis.org/events/americas-golden-dome-explained
10 a.m. 1201 South Joyce St., Arlington, Va. — Air & Space Forces Association discussion “Insights from recent expedition to the ISS, “with Space Force Col. Nick Hague https://www.afa.org/events/warfighters-in-action-col-nick-hague/
10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “The End of the Imperial Republic and the Future of the Trans-Atlantic Alliance,” with Camille Grand, policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations; Mara Karlin, visiting fellow at the Brookings Foreign Policy Program and Brookings Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology; Peter Rough, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and director, Hudson Institute’s Center on Europe and Eurasia; and Constanza Steizenmuller, director, Brookings Center on the U.S. and Europe, senior fellow in the Brookings Foreign Policy Program and Brookings Center on the U.S. and Europe and Brookings chair on Germany and Trans-Atlantic relations https://www.brookings.edu/events/the-end-of-the-imperial-republic
1 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Combating State Hostage Taking and Wrongful Detention,” with Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Response Adam Boehler, founder and managing partner of Rubicon Founders; former State Department Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens; Danielle Gilbert, assistant professor at Northwestern University; Sarah (Levinson) Moriarty, principal at R.A. Levinson & Associates; Diane Foley, president and founder, James W. Foley Legacy Foundation; and former White House National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, co-chair, CSIS Commission on Hostage Taking and Wrongful Detention https://www.csis.org/events/combatting-state-hostage-taking-and-wrongful-detention
2 p.m. House Triangle, U.S. Capitol — House Committee on Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party news conference to commemorate the legacy of Tiananmen Square and “highlight the courage of dissidents and pro-democracy advocates in China today.” [email protected]
2:30 p.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee hearing: “China’s Malign Influence in Africa,” with testimony from Troy Fitrell, senior officials, State Department Bureau of African Affairs https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/chinas-malign-influence-in-africa
4 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “The Future of U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East,” with Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID) https://www.hudson.org/events/future-us-foreign-policy-middle-east-senator-james-risch
THURSDAY | JUNE 5
9 a.m. Warsaw, Poland — Atlantic Council Europe Center virtual discussion: “Poland’s Strategic Partnerships in a Changing World – New Roads and Old Ties,” as part of Warsaw Week 2025: Retooling the Transatlantic Alliance for an Era of Uncertainty,” with Marta Prochwicz-Jazowska, deputy head of office and policy fellow for Warsaw at the European Council on Foreign Relations; and Aleksander Olech, head of international cooperation at Defence24 https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/warsaw-week-2025/
9:30 a.m. 2200 Rayburn — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “The Posture of the Department of the Army in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2026 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: “Department of the Air Force FY2026 Posture,” with testimony from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin; Air Force Secretary Troy Meink; and Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman http://www.armedservices.house.gov
2 p.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee hearing “Among Us: Evaluating Sleeper Cell Activity and Other Subversion and Sabotage Threats” http://homeland.house.gov
2 p.m. 1333 H St. NW — Center for American Progress discussion: “America’s Role in the World,” with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT); and Neera Tanden, president and CEO, Center for American Progress https://rsvp2.americanprogress.org/americasroleintheworld
2 p.m. — New America virtual book discussion: “The Future of Deception in War: Lessons from Ukraine,” with co-author Peter Singer, New America strategist and senior fellow; and co-author Mick Ryan, author of War Transformed https://www.newamerica.org/future-security/events/the-future-of-deception-in-war-lessons-from-ukraine/
2 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Strategic Landpower Dialogue,” with Andrew Poppas, commanding general, U.S. Army Forces Command; Robert Brown, president, Association of the U.S. Army and former commanding general, U.S. Army Pacific; and Tom Karako, director, CSIS Missile Defense Project and senior fellow in the CSIS Defense and Security Department https://www.csis.org/events/strategic-landpower-dialogue
2:30 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Emerging Technologies and Strategic Competition,” with Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) and Chris Miller, AEI nonresident senior fellow https://www.aei.org/events/emerging-technologies-and-strategic-competition
3 p.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “Global Strike Command’s Role in Strategic Deterrence,” with Gen. Thomas Bussiere, commander, Air Force Global Strike Command https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/general-thomas-bussiere
FRIDAY | JUNE 6
9 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: “Deterring the New Pacing Threats of Opportunistic and Coordinated Aggression,” with Matt Costlow, senior analyst, National Institute for Public Policy https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/deterring-the-new-pacing-threats