TRUMP: ‘IT MAY OR MAY NOT AFFECT THEM’: On Air Force One flying back to Washington from Scotland, a tie-less President Donald Trump gave reporters what he called a “scoop” — Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said, would have “10 days from today,” or Aug. 8, to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine, or face secondary sanctions.
While bipartisan advocates in Congress have described sanctions that would target countries, such as China, from buying Russian oil as a “sledgehammer” that would crush Russia’s already anemic economy, Trump seemed decidedly unenthusiastic about the move he has resisted for months.
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“We’re going to put on tariffs and stuff, and I don’t know if it’s going to affect Russia,” Trump told reporters on his plane. “[Putin] wants to obviously, probably, keep the war going. But we’re going to put on tariffs on the various things that you put on. It may or may not affect them, but it could.”
Trump, who often confidently boasted his negotiating skills would enable him to end the war in 24 hours, even before he took office, now admits he was sadly mistaken, and believes economic pressure is unlikely to change Putin’s goal of the complete subjugation of Ukraine.
“I never really thought this would happen. I thought we’d be able to negotiate something. And maybe that’ll still happen, but it’s very late down the process,” Trump said at a session with reporters in Scotland. “I thought he would want to end this thing quickly. I really felt it was going to end. But every time I think it’s going to end, he kills people.”
“The funny thing is that their economy isn’t that big, and it’s having a hard time right now. But it’s a relatively small economy,” Trump said. “Russia could be such so rich right now, instead, they spend all their money on war. They spend everything on war and killing people, and it doesn’t make sense to me.”
PUTIN RESPONDS WITH MORE BOMBS: Russia continued to scoff at the latest threats of secondary sanctions and remains convinced it will find a market for its cheaper oil. The tangible indication that Putin has no intention of compromising on his objective is his attempt to punish Ukrainian civilians with constant bombardments while pressing forward with his summer ground offensive.
“Russian forces conducted a series of drone and missile strikes against civilian targets near the frontline and in the Ukrainian rear on July 28 and 29 that resulted in high casualties,” the Institute for the Study of War noted in its latest battlefield assessment. “ISW continues to assess that the Kremlin is uninterested in negotiations to end the war and is instead trying to protract the war in Ukraine in order to make additional gains on the battlefield.”
“Russia shows absolutely no regard for anyone in the world who wants to bring this war to an end,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X, noting Putin is basically ignoring Trump’s threats. “But still, strikes continue, and even demonstrative killing of our people by Russians continues.”
“Every act of Russian boorishness in response to the world’s calls to stop the war, only proves one thing: pressure is necessary,” Zelensky said. “More sanctions against Russia, steady support for Ukraine, and our defense of life, coordinated diplomacy for peace. I thank everyone who is working with us in exactly this way.”
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Good Wednesday 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 National Transportation Safety Board begins the first of three days of hearings into the deadly Jan. 29 collision between a civilian regional jetliner and a military Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The accident killed all 67 on board the two aircraft, 64 on the PSA Airlines CRJ700 jet, and the three crew members on the U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60.
The investigation has focused on why the Army helicopter was flying above the 200-foot limit over a narrow flight corridor over the Potomac River, and why the crew apparently did not see the PSA jet until it was too late.
The Washington Post reported this morning that in the wake of the crash, the Army issued a new navigation device called Stratus to the Army’s 12th Aviation Battalion, which was the unit involved in the accident.
“Some older Army helicopters, including the Black Hawk variant involved in the tragedy, lack a system that shows precise locations of other aircraft. Instead, pilots must rely on devices that integrate with the iPads they carry to provide such data in real time,” the report said. “In all, nearly 1,700 devices were purchased to distribute across the Army’s helicopter fleet.”
The systems are not always foolproof, Army pilots told the Post. “The connection between the Stratus and a pilot’s iPad can sometimes be lost, for instance, and the device can have a short battery life, they say.”
The NTSB hearings are scheduled to run through the end of the week.
CRUZ ROLLS OUT BILL TO PREVENT PLANE COLLISIONS AFTER DEADLY DC CRASH
TRUMP: IT’S NOT MY PLANE: In the wake of a New York Times report suggesting the makeover of the luxury Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar to serve as a temporary Air Force One could run well over $900 million, President Trump told reporters on his current Air Force One last night that he has no idea what the bill to taxpayers will be to retrofit the donated jumbo jet.
“They’re not normal 747s. They, you know, have a lot of things on them that another plane wouldn’t have,” Trump noted, insisting he hasn’t even asked the Air Force what the complicated conversion would cost. “I don’t know. It’s up to the military. I don’t know. I really don’t know. I haven’t been involved. It’s their plane.”
Trump said he hopes to be flying on the new, 17-year-old 747 by early next year.
“I think by let’s say February, much sooner than the others,” he said, referring to the two Boeing planes ordered during his first administration that have been delayed by cost overruns and unexpected complications. The two aircraft also had to be converted from civilian configuration, given that they were manufactured for a Russian airline that went bankrupt, and then purchased in a deal brokered by Trump.
“It’s a great plane. It’s one of the best planes in the world. The Air Force is going to have it. We have a great 747. We need it,” Trump said, complaining that the current Air Force One aircraft are over 30 years old. “You can’t get parts for it anymore. It’s very hard to get parts. They have to go and take from the older planes.”
Trump said it’s embarrassing to show up in his aging plane when he travels the world. “When you look at 747s and you know the heads of state from especially the Arab countries, you look at from Saudi Arabia, from some of those countries, and you put it next to this, it doesn’t show well for the United States.”
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Poland detained 32 people accused of working with Russia for acts of sabotage
Washington Examiner: US frustrated by France and UK giving ‘hope’ to Hamas with Palestinian state recognition
Washington Examiner: UK will recognize Palestinian state if Israel does not take steps to end Gaza conflict
Washington Examiner: Tide shifts against Israel over images of starving children in Gaza
Washington Examiner: North Korea opens door to talks with Trump but leaves denuclearization off table
Washington Examiner: Trump’s Golden Dome dream would protect US against electromagnetic pulses, expert says
Washington Examiner: Trump appreciates ‘respect’ in Scotland as British leaders seek ‘soft power’
Washington Examiner: Uncle Sam-themed DHS website urges US citizens to join ICE: ‘AMERICA NEEDS YOU’
Washington Examiner: Trump confirms Secret Service agent tried to sneak wife on Scotland trip: ‘Weird deal’
Washington Examiner: Cruz rolls out bill to prevent plane collisions after deadly DC crash
Washington Post: After Deadly DC Plane Crash, Army Expands Use of Navigation Devices
AP: Trump says US will partner with Israel to run additional food centers in Gaza, but details are scant
New York Times: Top Generals Nominated for New Positions Must Now Meet With Trump
Washington Post: Hegseth team lashes out at Pentagon’s internal ‘Signalgate’ review
Breaking Defense: How SASC, HASC Want to Spend Reconciliation on Golden Dome, Munitions
AP: Thailand and Cambodia reaffirm ceasefire after China-brokered meeting in Shanghai
DefenseOne: Boeing Downplays Impending Fighter Jet Worker Strike
The War Zone: MQ-25 Stingray Carrier-Based Uncrewed Tanker Ground Testing Now Underway
Air & Space Forces Magazine: C-17 ‘BEE Liners’ Push Their Limits in Sprawling Pacific Exercise
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force Component in Pacific Gets New Commander
DefenseScoop: Slingshot’s New AI-Enabled Tool Helps Space Force Train for Satellite Ops
Air & Space Forces Magazine: MC-130J Tests Aerodynamic ‘Finlets’ to Reduce Drag, Fuel Costs
Air & Space Forces Magazine: NATO Will Follow Space Force Lead with a Single Front Door for Industry
Task & Purpose: Army, Marine Corps, Navy Have No Plan to Stop Using M18, M17 Pistols
Military Times: Longer Assignments Coming Soon for Troops Heading to South Korea
THE CALENDAR:
WEDNESDAY | JULY 30
9 a.m. 490 L’Enfant Plaza SW — Day one of the National Transportation Safety Board three-day investigative hearing on the Jan. 29 mid-air collision between a PSA Airlines CRJ700 regional jetliner and a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport https://www.youtube.com/user/NTSBgov
10 a.m. — Middle East Institute virtual discussion: “Iran and the 12-Day War: Strategic Fallout and Future Trajectories,” with Arash Azizi, contributing writer, The Atlantic and author of What Iranians Want: Women, Life, Freedom; Holly Dagres, Washington Institute for Near East Policy senior fellow; Siamak Namazi, Iranian-American businessman and former U.S. hostage in Iran; and Alex Vatanka, MEI senior fellow https://www.mei.edu/events/iran-and-12-day-war-strategic-fallout
1 .p.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion of a new report, “The Axis of Upheaval: Gauging the Growing Military Cooperation Among Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea,” with Karim Sadjadpour, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace senior fellow; Andrea Kendall-Taylor, director, CNAS Transatlantic Security Program; Richard Fontaine, CNAS CEO; and David McKenzie, CNAS communications director https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-new-axis-of-upheaval
3:30 p.m. 301 Russell — McCain Institute discussion: “Post-War Pathway: Principles for U.S.-Russia Relations After Ukraine,” with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY); and Dan Twining, president, International Republican Institute https://www.mccaininstitute.org/resources/events/post-war-pathway
THURSDAY | JULY 31
8 a.m. 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Virginia — Potomac Officers Club Air and Space Summit, with Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, military deputy to the assistant Air Force secretary for space acquisition and integration at U.S. Space Force; Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein; and Missile Defense Agency Director Lt. Gen. Health Collins; and https://www.potomacofficersclub.com/events/2025-air-and-space-summit/
9 a.m. 490 L’Enfant Plaza SW — Day Two of the National Transportation Safety Board three-day investigative hearing on the Jan. 29 mid-air collision between a PSA Airlines CRJ700 regional jetliner and a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport https://www.youtube.com/user/NTSBgov
12 p.m. — RAND Corporation virtual discussion: “Restoring U.S. and Allied Military Power and Influence,” with David Ochmanek, RAND senior international/defense researcher; and Anu Narayanan, associate director of the RAND National Security Research Division https://www.rand.org/events/2025/07/restoring-us-and-allied-military-power
1 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Breaking Out of Quarantine: Wargaming a Chinese Blockade of Taiwan,” with Matthew Cancian, associate professor at the U.S Naval Academy; Eric Heginbotham, principal research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for International Studies; and Mark Cancian, senior adviser, CSIS Defense and Security Department https://www.csis.org/events/breaking-out-quarantine
2:30 p.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE — Heritage Foundation and Conference of Christian Presidents for Israel discussion: “Peace Through Strength: U.S. Policy on Israel and the Middle East,” with Rev. Johnnie Moore, executive chairman of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation https://www.heritage.org/middle-east/event/peace-through-strength
FRIDAY | AUGUST 1
9 a.m. — Final day of the National Transportation Safety Board three-day investigative hearing on the Jan. 29 mid-air collision between a PSA Airlines CRJ700 regional jetliner and a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport https://www.youtube.com/user/NTSBgov
10 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: “No New Start: Renewing the U.S.-Russian Deal Won’t Solve today’s Nuclear Dilemmas,” with Rick Edelman, counselor, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments; and Frank Miller, principal at the Scowcroft Group https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/no-new-start