NEW: Sen. @brianschatz says he will place a “blanket hold” on all of Trump’s State Department nominees until USAID is back up and running again
- NEW: Biden tells reporters “I don’t think the conflict will be resolved until Putin gets out of Ukraine.” Sides with Zelenskyy’s condition for peace talks.
- NEW: “Two U.S. officials also said that Waltz has created and hosted multiple other sensitive national security conversations on Signal with cabinet members, including separate threads on how to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine as well as military operations.”
- POSTED: Top Pentagon aides were developing a briefing for Elon Musk last month on more than two dozen highly classified weapons programs for fighting China until the department’s top lawyer intervened
- UPDATE: The U.S. will send 30 Abrams tanks.Biden is weighing sending a "significant number" of M1 Abrams tanks -- possibly 30-50 -- to Ukraine. Announcement could come this week. w/ @laraseligman politico.com/news/2023/01/2…
- Russia admits Crimea is UkraineGasoline prices per liter, 9 January 2023
- NEW: After news of Elon's DOD visit for a China briefing broke, SecDef @PeteHegseth shouted at the then-acting Joint Chiefs chair, demanding proof he didn't leak. “I’ll hook you up to a f——-g polygraph!” Hegseth shouted at Adm. Christopher Grady. Grady never took a polygraph
- I know I'm a national security reporter, but this line is undoubtedly the most consequential news from the Biden press conferenceBiden just said Israel’s military response in Gaza “has been over the top”
- BREAKING: Biden “directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use U.S. weapons for counter-fire purposes in Kharkiv so Ukraine can hit back at Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them,” a U.S. official confirmed. w/ @ErinBanco
- Putting Waltz through a confirmation hearing will lead to: - More discussion of Signalgate - Potentially lead to more pressure on Hegseth because of Signalgate talk
- “As vice president, Harris privately expressed that the Biden administration needed to take a stronger stance against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the civilian death toll mounted in Israel’s war against Hamas.”
- NEW: Pentagon didn't inform the White House's NSC of SecDef Austin's hospitalization til Thursday, Jan. 4. Austin was hospitalized Jan 1. Jake Sullivan didn't even know til Thursday. DOD aides & lawmakers also in dark til Friday. w/ @laraseligman
- I’m looking for a man at NATO, ally, Art. 5, blue eyesNATO summit this week, DC dating apps about to be absolutely wild stay sharp
- Panama's President: Panama will not renew the memo 2017 with China on its Belt and Road Initiative. Panama will study the ability to end the agreement earlier than its end date in a year or two. This comes after SecState Rubio's visit to Panama today.MASSIVE win for @SecRubio Following his meeting with the Panamanians, the country’s president announced that it will not be renewing its deal with China’s Belt and Road
