Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, attended an Easter ceremony in Moscow this week, and cameras caught him trying to control involuntary mouth movements. This is fueling more rumors that he may be suffering from a common neurodegenerative condition.

69 year-old Putin had been observed for years to have a decrease in extremity movement fluidity and gait insinuating progressive stiffness, prompting rumors he could have Parkinson’s.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied the claims, saying they are “nonsense” and he is in “good health.”

Lower lip movements, or oromandibular dystonia, at rest can be a sign of Parkinson’s.

They may also be a sign of anxiety as one might bite their lip when nervous.

Tardive dyskinesia, involuntary movements of the face and jaw, can also be a consequence of medications used to treat psychosis or disorders of the brain including Parkinson’s.

Hence a neurological condition or medications to treat a neurological condition can cause some of the repeated lip movements seen in the above video.

This week an additional video surfaced of Putin in a televised meeting with his defense minister Sergei Shoigu discussing the plan to block off the Ukrainian Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol rather than sending in Russian troops to navigate the catacombs.

Image from MSN

In the video, Putin is sitting in a very tense, awkward position with his right hand griping the desk. His thumb moves but his hand remains fixed, despite the tendency to use hand gestures when speaking.

This might be an attempt to prevent a pill-rolling tremor that occurs at rest when one has Parkinson’s.

Daily Mail posted a video of his right hand shaking uncontrollably in February.

This is a far cry from Putin’s use of right-handed gestures when he spoke four months ago.

And much farther cry from his fluidity when he spoke publicly four years earlier.

Additionally reports have suggested Putin has cancer, specifically thyroid.

Either way, Putin appears more bloated, pale and less confident than he did 4 years ago suggested a rapid deterioration of his health.

Fifa World Cup 2018

This is a developing story….

What is Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, next to Alzheimer’s, and the most common movement disorder that affects 1% of the world’s population over 60 years old. In the US, 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.  It affects several areas of the brain, primarily the substantia nigra, altering balance and movement by affecting dopamine producing cells.

IMAGE FROM THE SCIENCE OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE

It was first described in 1817 by James Parkinson as a “shaking palsy.”

What are the Symptoms of Parkinson’s?

Common symptoms of Parkinson’s include:

• Stiffness and rigidity
• Poor balance
• Tremor at rest, especially a pill-rolling tremor
• Slow movement
• Inability to move
• Shuffling steps, gait

and patients may later develop…

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Memory loss
• Constipation
• Decrease ability to smell
• Difficulty swallowing
• Erectile dysfunction
• Pneumonia
• Fractures from falling
• Hallucinations
• Delusions
• Dementia

Who is at Risk for Parkinson’s?

Most cases are idiopathic, meaning the disease arises with no specific cause.  However some cases are genetic and multiple genes have been identified that are associated with the disease.

The average age of onset is 60, but some cases may occur as “early onset”, before the age of 50, and if before the age of 20, it is known as juvenile-onset Parkinson’s.

Men appear to be more affected than women at twice the rate.

Risk may be enhanced with a history of head trauma.

Exposure to herbicides and pesticides has been linked to an increase risk of Parkinson’s as well.

How Quickly do Parkinson’s Symptoms Progress?

Average progression rates can last years to decades, however, earlier onset disease may manifest much quicker.

The stages of Parkinson’s are illustrated below:

How is Parkinson’s treated?

Although there is no cure for Parkinson’s, symptoms can be treated by a variety of measures.

• Levadopa – converts to dopamine in the brain, helping replace the deficient hormone.
• Carbidopa (Sinemet) – if given with levadopa prevents the latter from being broken down before it reaches the brain.
• Dopamine agonists – mimic dopamine
• MAO-B inhibitors – helps block the enzyme MAO-B, which breaks down natural dopamine
• Other medications including COMT inhibitors, amantadine and anticholinergics
• Medications to treat anxiety and depression
• Deep brain stimulation – a surgeon implants electrodes into the brain, allowing stimulation of parts that help regulate movement.
• Stem cell therapy – being investigated as a means to create dopamine-producing cells
• Physical and occupational therapy

Famous People Diagnosed with Parkinson’s

• Michael J. Fox
• Janet Reno
• Robin Williams
• Muhammad Ali
• Casey Kasem
• Johnny Cash
• Linda Ronstadt
• Pope John Paul II
• Peanut’s creator Charles Schulz
• Rev. Jesse Jackson
• Neil Diamond
• Ozzy Osbourne

It’s been postulated Adolf Hitler suffered from Parkinson’s as well. His left hand tremor can be seen here.

Learning Medical Spanish is Easy!!!

Austin said the Contact Group will continue to find innovative ways to provide long-term support to Ukraine’s defenders and tailor assistance to ensure Ukraine has the technology, ammunition and firepower to defend itself.

“You know that this is a critical phase of the conflict. Therefore, our collective support for Ukraine is vitally necessary and urgent. Russia thinks it can survive Ukraine and survive us. But this is just the latest in a series of Russian miscalculations,” the U.S. Secretary of Defense emphasized.

Austin also said that the next package of weapons, ammunition and equipment for Ukraine will be presented this week.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on July 14, Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi, and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink discussed accounting and transparency of military aid to Ukraine

On July 13, a member of the parliamentary committee on national security and defense, Fedir Venislavskyi, reported that Ukraine is negotiating with the United States of America to obtain long-range missiles for HIMARS, which will be able to hit targets at a distance of up to 300 km.

On June 23, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov reported that HIMARS are already in Ukraine.

Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has been left awkwardly standing in a room in front of a throng of reporters while waiting to meet his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Footage taken ahead of the meeting on Tuesday shows Putin fidgeting, shifting his weight and pulling a series of uncomfortable faces in front of cameras for nearly a minute before he is finally greeted by Erdoğan.

It was unfamiliar terrain for the Russian leader who has developed a reputation for keeping world leaders waiting, on purpose, sometimes for hours after scheduled talks were due to begin. Some speculated it may have been payback for a 2020 meeting in Moscow that saw Erdoğan wait so long to enter the meeting room that he took a seat.

Reporters captured the moment Putin strode into the room on Tuesday in the expectation Erdoğan would swiftly follow suit. Instead, he was left standing amid the sound of camera shutters.

With his hands clasped in front of him, the usually stoic Russian leader was seen shuffling his feet and sucking his cheeks during the 50-second wait. Finally, Putin let his hands fall by his sides with a hint of exasperation as Erdoğan casually emerged and the pair shook hands.

“Those 50 seconds that Erdoğan made Putin wait, looking frazzled in front of cameras say plenty of how much has changed after Ukraine,” Joyce Karam, senior correspondent at Middle Eastern media organisation National News, said in a Twitter post.

Karam called the exchange “sweet payback” for Erdoğan after Putin left the Turkish leader waiting for around two minutes before a meeting in 2020. Turkish media reported at the time that Erdoğan and his entourage were left humiliated after they were forced to wait outside in an antechamber in footage shared widely by Russian news outlets.

Erdoğan has been leading efforts to broker a deal to allow thousands of tonnes of grain that is being blockaded by Russia to leave Ukraine’s ports.

Turkey, a Nato member, has a special responsibility under the 1936 Montreux convention for naval traffic entering the Black Sea. It is proposing that Russia allow Ukrainian grain ships to leave Odesa on designated routes so long as checks are made that the vessels are not carrying arms.

Though Putin praised the Turkish leader for mediating talks, saying some progress had been made, he was less impressed with Erdoğan’s ambitions to construct a buffer zone south of the Turkish-Syrian border.

Erdoğan claims the buffer zone would shield Turkey from attacks by Syrian Kurds and maintains it is “not possible to expect Turkey to sit idle and aloof from this problem”.

Some have speculated that Putin’s tardiness when meeting with international leaders is a calibrated psychological policy that goes back to the early days of his presidency. Putin was 14 minutes late for the Queen in 2003, and a year earlier kept parents of children killed in a plane crash waiting at a cemetery for two hours.

Putin showed up an hour late to his meeting with Pope Francis in the Vatican in June 2015.

In 2018, then US president Donald Trump was kept waiting for 45 minutes ahead of a scheduled summit in Helsinki with the Russian president.

According to Radio Free Europe, Angela Merkel was left waiting for four hours and 15 minutes for a meeting with Putin in 2014, while Viktor Yanukovych, when he was Ukrainian president, once waited four hours before sitting down with the Russian leader.

Thank you, Secretary Wallander. Good morning. It’s great to see everyone on-screen today. Welcome to our fourth meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

We’re meeting as Ukraine is about to enter the sixth month in its fight against Russia’s cruel and unprovoked invasion. And it’s an important forum for discussing the urgent requirements that Ukraine needs to defend itself, its citizens, and its sovereign territory. 

Our assistance is making a real difference on the ground. But let’s start by taking a step back and remembering how we got to this point—six months into a war of choice that the Kremlin thought would be over in days.

On 24 February, Russia deployed a massive invasion force to conquer the entire country of Ukraine. And they failed.

Russia poured its troops and steel into taking Kyiv. And they failed.

Russia tried to topple the democratically elected government of Ukraine. And they failed.

And then Russia retooled and thought it could easily seize the Donbas. And they failed.

And throughout, Russia tried to crush the spirit of the free people of Ukraine. And they failed.

And as we have seen time and again over these past months of war, Ukrainian forces are frustrating Moscow’s combat objectives. And they are defending their democracy and their homeland with bravery, resolve, and valor.

We’re all here because we understand the grave threat that Ukraine still faces. But let’s also remember that Putin has consistently overestimated Russia’s military prowess. And he has consistently underestimated the power of a free people fighting to defend their homeland and the will of the international community to stand with them.

And so as this fight rages on, the Contact Group will keep finding innovative ways to sustain our long-term support for the brave men and women of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. And we will tailor our assistance to ensure that Ukraine has the technology, the ammunition, and the sheer firepower to defend itself.

You know, this is a critical phase of the conflict. And so our collective support for Ukraine is vital—and urgent.

Russia thinks that it can outlast Ukraine—and outlast us. But that’s just the latest in Russia’s string of miscalculations.

We stand united in our support. We stand firm in our commitment. And we will rise to this occasion.

Now, one month ago, in Brussels, this group met in person to reaffirm our dedication to Ukraine’s self-defense. And we heard from many countries undertaking important new initiatives. More than 30 countries have now sent lethal military assistance to Ukraine in its hour of crisis. 

And we continue to make important headway. And we’re seeing the results on the ground.

From our meeting in Brussels until now, the United States has committed more than $2.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. Our assistance includes a total of 12 HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems to further strengthen Ukraine’s long-range fires capability. And I want to underscore the impact that they’ve made.

We have also committed two NASAMS air-defense systems to help Ukraine protect its forces and its civilians against Russian missile attacks. 

The United States has also committed to sending more HIMARS munitions, precision-guided artillery ammunition, tactical vehicles, and other urgently needed support. 

We’ll continue to provide historic levels of security assistance to help Ukraine defend itself. And later this week, we’ll roll out our next presidential drawdown package of weapons, ammunition, and equipment for Ukraine.

It will be our sixteenth drawdown of equipment from DOD inventories since August 2021. It will include four more HIMARS advanced rocket systems, which the Ukrainians have been using so effectively and which have made such a difference on the battlefield. And it will include more rounds of MLRS and artillery ammunition.

And other countries have continued to step up their support as well, including in the important area of long-range fires.  The U.K.’s M270 MLRS systems are now in the fight, and Germany’s systems will soon be on the battlefield as well. 

Poland has also recently transferred three battalions of 155-millimeter self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine, which are already making a difference on the front lines.

And I want to especially thank Norway for its close cooperation with the United States on our NASAMS transfer. 

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have repeatedly demonstrated their skill in operating HIMARS, M270s, and 155-millimeter howitzers. And those capabilities have been crucial in the Donbas fight.

Ukraine has also made real gains on the ground with other equipment that members of this Contact Group have provided. For example, Ukraine has deftly employed donated Harpoon systems against Russia’s navy in the Black Sea. And those systems helped Ukraine reclaim Snake Island.

So I look forward to today’s discussion on how we can continue to rush Ukraine more critical capabilities and urgently needed ammunition.

And here to help us understand those critical requirements are my close friends and colleagues, Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov and Deputy Chief of Defense, Lieutenant General Moisiuk.

Minister Reznikov and I have been in close and ongoing touch about Ukraine’s combat requirements and progress since our last in-person meeting in Brussels. 

Gentlemen, I want to thank you and your teams for joining us in today’s meeting. We deeply admire your tireless commitment to your country’s defense, and we deeply appreciate your close cooperation over these past few months. 

I’m also honored to be joined again by ministers and chiefs of defense from some 50 countries.

The Contact Group continues to make a real difference in real time. And that’s a testament to our collective resolve to stand up to Russia’s assault on democracy, sovereignty, and the rules-based international order that keeps us all secure.

So let me thank everyone for joining us. And now, we’ll say goodbye to our friends from the media—and following the departure of the media, I’ll turn the microphone over to my dear friend, Minister Reznikov.

Thank you very much.

RUSSIAN PROGRESS SLOW: Ukraine continues to make effective use of U.S.-supplied HIMARS precision artillery rocket systems to degrade Russian forces, hitting and damaging a key bridge in the south that Russia needs to resupply its troops.

“It is one of only two road crossing points over the Dnieper by which Russia can supply or withdraw its forces in the territory it has occupied west of the river,” said the British Defense Ministry in its daily intelligence update.

“It is highly likely that the bridge remains usable, but it is a key vulnerability for Russian Forces,” the assessment said.

“We’re using HIMARS systems precisely like the scalpel of a doctor [in] surgery,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said at an Atlantic Council event Tuesday. “We proved to our partners that we can use these economically, I would say, and precisely.”

Now that Ukraine has shown that it can effectively employ the high-tech systems, the race is on to train more crews and get more missiles into the fight. The next tranche of U.S. aid is expected to include more HIMARS systems. So far, the U.S. has supplied only 12.

Reznikov says Ukraine needs at least 50 HIMARS to hold off Russia and as many as 100 to take back lost territory.

UKRAINE SAYS IT NEEDS ‘AT LEAST 100’ MOBILE ROCKET SYSTEMS FOR COUNTERATTACK

CRIMEA REDUX: Despite the slow pace of Russia’s “meat-grinder” strategy, the U.S. believes Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to follow the same playbook he used to annex Crimea in 2014 to exert control over the areas that Russian forces currently occupy, including Kherson, Zaporizhia, the eastern Donbas region.

“We are seeing ample evidence Russia intends to annex additional Ukrainian territory,” said John Kirby, NSC coordinator for strategic communications, at a White House briefing yesterday. “Russia is beginning to roll out a version of what you could call an annexation playbook very similar to the one we saw in 2014.”

Among the tactics: installing Russian-backed officials in local governments, requiring the use of the Russian ruble for financial transitions, and forcing Ukrainians to apply for Russian passports.

“Putin’s timeline for annexation is likely contingent on the extent to which he understands the degraded state of the Russian military in Ukraine,” says the latest assessment from the Institute for the Study of War in Washington.

“He may intend to capture the remainder of Donetsk Oblast before annexing all occupied territories, which would likely force him to postpone annexation,” the ISW says. “Russia’s degraded forces are unlikely to occupy all of Donetsk Oblast before Russia’s September 11 unified voting day for local and gubernatorial elections.”

RUSSIA ‘LAYING THE GROUNDWORK TO ANNEX UKRAINIAN TERRITORY,’ WHITE HOUSE SAYS

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HAPPENING TODAY: We should get an idea of what the next shipment of weapons to Ukraine will include when Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin leads a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group from the Pentagon this morning. The group, which includes more than 45 nations who have pledged to arm and assist Ukraine, last met at NATO headquarters last month.

Austin’s opening remarks will be livestreamed by the Pentagon at 8 a.m., and Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley are scheduled to brief reporters afterward at approximately 12:30 p.m.

ALSO TODAY: At 11 a.m., Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska will address members of Congress inside the Capitol Visitor Center Congressional Auditorium.

“Olena will speak in the Congress on behalf of all Ukrainian mothers, all Ukrainian women, and it will be an important address,” said her husband Volodymyr Zelensky in his nightly video address. “And I really believe that it will be heard by those on whom decision-making in the U.S. depends.”

“The brutality of Russian aggression and the treatment of women and children have horrified the American people, and these crimes have been of particular concern to the women Members of Congress,” said House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in a letter to colleagues. “Indeed, we have sufficient evidence of kidnappings and deportations into Russia, rape of women in front of family members and even rape of little girls … I have been told these barbaric crimes are being directly ordered by Putin. Let me be clear: rape of children cannot be a weapon of war. It is a war crime!”

“We look forward to hearing First Lady Zelenska report on this situation, as well as offer insight on security, economic and humanitarian conditions on the ground,” Pelosi said.

PUTIN GETS IRANIAN ENDORSEMENT FOR WAR IN UKRAINE DURING TRIP TO MIDDLE EAST

PELOSI TO TAIWAN? A report yesterday in the Financial Times that Nancy Pelosi plans to lead a congressional delegation to Taiwan next month has prompted a furious backlash from China.

“China firmly opposes this as it will have a grave impact on the political foundation of bilateral relations,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a briefing in Beijing. “As an integral part of the U.S. government, the U.S. Congress should strictly abide by the one-China policy pursued by the US. If House Speaker Pelosi visits Taiwan, it will be a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiqués.”

“I think this is natural Chinese reaction, and if they can scare us off with rhetoric, they’ll do it,” said former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on CNN. “I would vote for not being intimidated by standard Chinese rhetoric. I think the Chinese, frankly, are on their own timetable with respect to Taiwan. And I also think that what they have seen happen in Ukraine is going to give them pause.”

Pelosi had planned a trip to Taiwan in April but canceled it after contracting COVID. No speaker of the House has visited Taiwan since Newt Gingrich in 1997.

CHINESE MILITARY SET TO REPEAT SOME OF RUSSIA’S INVASION MISTAKES

TURNS OUT THE SECRET SERVICE DOESN’T HAVE JAN. 6 TEXTS AFTER ALL: After promising to deliver all relevant text data from Secret Service phones to the Jan. 6 committee by yesterday, the deadline came and went with only a single text exchange provided.

“We got one text message, and I haven’t seen it yet,” Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), a member of the Jan. 6 committee, said on MSNBC. “Obviously, this doesn’t look good. Coincidences can happen, but we really need to get to the bottom of this.”

Now, the National Archives is also demanding answers about why requirements to preserve government records were apparently not followed. In a letter to the Secret Service, the National Archives wants an explanation for “the potential unauthorized deletion” of agency text messages within 30 days.

“The United States Secret Service respects and supports the important role of the National Archives and Records Administration in ensuring preservation of government records. They will have our full cooperation in this review,” said Anthony Guglielmi, a Secret Service spokesman, in a tweet.

SECRET SERVICE HAS NO NEW TEXTS TO DELIVER TO JAN. 6 COMMITTEE: REPORT

INDUSTRY WATCH: The F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin have reached a “handshake deal” on production of 375 aircraft in the next three lots, according to a report in Air Force Magazine.

The agreement comes after more than 10 months of negotiations, and it falls short of the original goal and timetable. “While the per-year production rate is unlikely to be the same across all three lots, at 375, production will average 125 aircraft a year. That’s well below the 156 per year that Lockheed Martin CEO James D Taiclet told stock analysts in a January conference call,” Air Force Magazine reports.

The news comes as the GAO has released a report citing a shortage of spare parts for F-35 engines that results in 9% of the fleet being unavailable, exceeding the DOD goal of 6%.

“The engine repair issue — and its ramifications for readiness — are a case study in why the Pentagon is struggling to reduce the estimated $1.3 trillion cost to operate and sustain the planes over a 66-year projected lifespan,” reported Bloomberg. “Engine sustainment costs are already projected to hit $1 billion annually by 2028, up from $315 million last year, as aircraft quantities, flying hours and scheduled maintenance increase,” Bloomberg said, citing the GAO.

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The Rundown

Washington Examiner: Russia ‘laying the groundwork to annex Ukrainian territory,’ White House says

Washington Examiner: Putin gets Iranian endorsement for war in Ukraine during trip to Middle East

Washington Examiner: Ukraine says it needs ‘at least 100’ mobile rocket systems for counterattack

Washington Examiner: New York Army National Guard heads to Germany to help train Ukrainians

Washington Examiner: Russia’s offensive struggles likely getting worse, UK says

Washington Examiner: Army personnel could be more than 25,000 short at end of fiscal year

Washington Examiner: Biden executive order allows agencies to sanction for wrongful detention abroad

Washington Examiner: Chinese military set to repeat some of Russia’s invasion mistakes

Washington Examiner: Opinion: White House defends spreading the US Navy thin when it can’t afford to

Washington Examiner: Opinion: From Merkel, with cold: Putin summons a winter freeze for Europe

CNN: U.S. Navy Destroyer Enters Chinese-Claimed Waters For Third Time In A Week

Stars and Stripes: China Announces Military Exercise Near Disputed Islands In South China Sea

Wall Street Journal: Kyiv Struggles With Western Arms

AP: ‘The mouth of a bear’: Ukrainian refugees sent to Russia

AP: Ukraine graft concerns resurface as Russia war goes on

Air Force Magazine: F-35 JPO and Lockheed Martin Reach Handshake Deal for 375 Aircraft

Bloomberg: Troubled Lockheed F-35 Risks More Groundings on Lack of Working Engines

Breaking Defense: New Air Force One Will Be 2-3 Years Late

Military Times: Funding Shortfalls Could Cause Major Readiness Problems, Leaders Warn

Air Force Magazine: At Readiness Hearing, Air Force Calls to Retire Old Aircraft, Space Force Asks for Advanced Training

USNI News: New Navy Fleet Study Calls for 373 Ship Battle Force, Details are Classified

Air Force Magazine: After Successful Flight Tests for Skyborg, XQ-58 ‘Continuing to Evolve’

Marine Corps Times: New Aerial Defense System Helps Marines Blast Simulated Cruise Missiles

Breaking Defense: Marines Ready To Buy Missile Intercept Capability That Uses Iron Dome Tech

The Hill: Pentagon Steps Into Senate Chip Debate, Citing National Security

Air Force Magazine: USAFE Won’t Add Extra F-35 Squadrons—But Will Get Rotation of F-22s, New Commander Says

Aviation Week: Air Force Aims to Increase Exports of Air-to-Air Missiles

19fortyfive.com: Coming Soon: A $1 Trillion U.S. Defense Budget?

19fortyfive.com: Joe Biden’s Magical Thinking on Iran

19fortyfive.com: Do We Really Need 6th-Generation Stealth Fighters?

19fortyfive.com: South Korea’s KF-21 Fighter Takes Flight: A Cheaper ‘F-35’ Alternative?

19fortyfive.com: Meet the M1A2 SEPv4: The U.S. Army’s New Tank That Could Surprise Everyone

19fortyfive.com: China’s 4th Aircraft Carrier: What the Experts Think About It

19fortyfive.com: Putin Has a Problem: HIMARS and Howitzers Are Stopping Russian Advances

Calendar

WEDNESDAY | JULY 20

7:15 a.m. 2425 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, Virginia — Association of the U.S. Army “Coffee Series” discussion with Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo https://www.ausa.org/events/ausa-coffee-series

9 a.m. 5000 Seminary Rd., Alexandria, Virginia — Institute for Defense and Government Advancement two-day VA Healthcare Conference, with Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio; and Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., discussing “Saving Veterans’ Limbs and Lives by Application of the PAVE Program” https://www.idga.org/events-veteransaffairshealthcare

9 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “Biden’s Trip to the Middle East: Outcomes and Opportunities,” with former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro; Jonathan Panikoff, director of the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Security Initiative; and Kirsten Fontenrose, Atlantic Council nonresident senior fellow https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/outcomes-and-opportunities/

9 a.m. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace virtual discussion: “Does the War in Ukraine Herald a New European Era?” with Benedetta Berti, foreign policy and security analyst; Marc Pierini, visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe; Sinan Ulgen, visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe; and Maha Yahya, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center https://carnegie-mec.org/2022/07/20

10:45 a.m. Aspen Meadows Resort, Colorado — Day two of the Aspen Security Forum with Gen. Charles Flynn, commanding Gen., U.S. Army Pacific; Gen. Laura Richardson, commander, U.S. Southern Command; Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall; Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Q. Brown; CIA Director William Burns; White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan; U.S. Northern Commander Gen. Glen VanHerck; former Defense Secretary Robert Gates; former Defense Secretary Mark Esper; Army Gen. Richard Clarke, commander U.S. Special Operations Command; Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.; former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; Kay Bailey Hutchison, former U.S. ambassador to NATO; and others. Full agenda at https://www.aspensecurityforum.org

2 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. N.W. — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Now the Real Work Begins: The U.S.-Japan Alliance Agenda,” with Edgard Kagan, special assistant to the president and senior director for East Asia and Oceania at the National Security Council; and Pamela Phan, deputy assistant secretary for Asia at the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration https://www.csis.org/events/now-real-work-begins

THURSDAY | JULY 21

8:30 a.m. — Jewish Institute for National Security of America virtual discussion: “Advancing Abraham Accords Through Regional Air Defense,” with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; and Michael Makovsky, president and CEO of JINSA https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register

9 a.m. — Arab Center virtual discussion: “Iran and the Regional Order,” with Mahsa Rouhi, research fellow at the National Defense University’s Center for Strategic Research https://dohainstitute-org.zoom.us/webinar/register

9:30 a.m. G50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing for Lt. Gen. Bryan Fenton for promotion to general and to be commander, U.S. Special Operations Command; and Lt. Gen. Michael Langley for promotion to general and to be commander, U.S. Africa Command https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings

3 p.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion:”Sweden and Finland’s application to join NATO and the future of security in Europe,” with Finnish Ambassador to the U.S. Mikko Hautala; and Swedish Ambassador to the U.S. Karin Olofsdotter https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/ambassadors

WEDNESDAY | JULY 27

TBA Fort Bragg, North Carolina — Association of the U.S. Army two-day, in-person “Warfighter Summit and Exposition,” with Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville; Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston; Alejandro Villanueva, former Army Ranger and former offensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens; as well as leaders from Army Forces Command, the XVIII Airborne Corps and the 82nd Airborne Division. Register at https://meetings.ausa.org/warfighter/index.cfm

9 a.m. 10 Daniel French Dr., S.W. — Korean War Veterans Memorial “Wall of Remembrance Dedication Ceremony,” in which an addition featuring names of more than 36,000 American war dead and 7,000 Koreans who fought alongside them will be unveiled, with President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attending. https://koreanwarvetsmemorial.org/event/wall-of-remembrance-dedication/

THURSDAY | JULY 28

1:30 p.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual fireside chat with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr.; and Stacie Pettyjohn, senior fellow, director, CNAS Defense Program. https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-fireside-chat

Ukraine is talking about using Western weapons to target Russia’s Black Sea fleet amid the ongoing war, according to the country’s deputy defense minister.

Volodymyr Havrylov told The Times on Monday that attacking the fleet could help Ukraine take back Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

“Russia will have to leave Crimea if they wish to exist as a country,” the British newspaper quoted Havrylov as saying.

“We have a permanent threat from the Russian Black Sea fleet. Given the new technologies and capabilities we receive, we have to address this threat,” he continued. “We are ready to target them all over the Black Sea if we have that capability.”

Ukraine is talking about using Western weapons to target Russia’s Black Sea fleet amid the ongoing war, according to the country’s deputy defense minister. Above, soldiers stand at attention as Russian Navy warships take part in the Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 25, 2021.
Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images

U.S.-supplied weapons have reportedly helped Ukraine push back against Russia in recent days. Last week, Ukraine said that it destroyed two Russian ammunition depots in the southern city of Nova Kakhovka using American-made HIMARS multiple rocket launcher vehicles. A report published by The Moscow Times on Monday said that Russia is struggling to protect its tanks from weapons sent to Ukraine from the United States.

A senior U.S. Department of Defense official said during a background briefing at the Pentagon last week that American-supplied weapons to Ukraine are having a “significant impact on what’s going on, on the front lines.”

The Black Sea touches the borders of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Bulgaria, Georgia and Romania. The Crimean peninsula is in the Black Sea.

Havrylov is not the first Ukrainian official to suggest that Russia’s fleet could be targeted.

Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, tweeted in May that the U.S. “is preparing a plan to destroy the Black Sea Fleet.”

“The effective work of the Ukrainians on warships convinced (the USA) to prepare a plan to unblock the ports,” he tweeted. “Deliveries of powerful anti-ship weapons (Harpoon and Naval Strike Missile with a range of 250-300 km) are being discussed.”

He posted the message after Reuters reported on May 19 that the White House was working to provide Ukraine with anti-ship missiles in the hands of Ukrainian troops to help defeat Russia’s naval blockade.

Havrylov told The Times that Ukrainian officials were in talks to determine whether they could use U.S.-supplied weapons to attack Russian forces in Crimea.

“Sooner or later we will have enough resources to target Russia in the Black Sea and Crimea,” he said, according to The Times. “Crimea is Ukrainian territory, that’s why any target there is legitimate for us.”

Crimea and the Black Sea have been the subject of discussion or reported conflict several times in recent months.

A pair of bridges, together called the Kerch Strait bridge, runs between mainland Russia and Crimea. General Philip Breedlove, who served as NATO‘s supreme allied commander in Europe, told The Times this month that the Kerch Strait bridge is a “legitimate target.”

Last month, Ukraine announced that it recaptured Snake Island, which is in the Black Sea. Moscow said at the time that it had withdrawn its forces from the island as a “gesture of goodwill,” but Ukraine stressed that it forced out Russian troops.

“Unable to withstand the fire of Ukraine’s artillery, missile and air strikes, Russian army left Snake Island,” said Valery Zaluzhny, commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Ukraine.

Newsweek reached out to the defense ministries of Russia and Ukraine for comment.

Top F.B.I. and National Security Agency officials said that Iran and China also remained potent threats, mounting their own campaigns to undermine American democracy.