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From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | |  | | By Matt Berg and Eric Bazail-Eimil | |  People demonstrate calling for the departure of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Feb. 7, 2024. | Richard Pierrin/AFP/Getty Images | With help from Alex Ward, Joe Gould and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Matt| Email Eric The Biden administration just sent top Republicans in Congress its plan for helping Haiti this afternoon as it tries to convince them to drop a hold on $40 million that would help send security to Haiti. The U.S. has pledged $300 million toward the United Nations multinational mission, announced last year, that would involve 1,000 Kenyan police officers deploying to Haiti to try to quell the chaos caused by gangs. After that, the State Department made an initial request of $50 million from Congress, which released $10 million of those funds in December. Now, the State Department is battling House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair MICHAEL McCAUL (R-Texas) and Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member JIM RISCH (R-Idaho), who are blocking the remaining funds that officials argue are crucial for Kenya to be able to send officers to the Caribbean. Minutes before publication, the lawmakers told POLITICO that they had received a plan from the State Department. State didn’t immediately respond to comment on that development. “After years of discussions, repeated requests for information, and providing partial funding to help them plan, the administration only this afternoon sent us a rough plan to address this crisis. Whether it’s ‘credible and implementable’ remains to be seen,” Risch and McCaul told NatSec Daily in a joint statement. “Given the long history of U.S. involvement in Haiti with few successful results, the administration owes Congress a lot more details in a more timely manner before it gets more funding.” The lawmakers also argued that the Kenyan government hasn’t confirmed whether they can send the officers because of legal concerns about deploying to a foreign country, and expressed concern that the officers may not be ready to depart. State has given 68 briefings to Congress on the multinational mission, a senior State Department official, granted anonymity to discuss private conversations, told NatSec Daily. “This notion that we've not been transparent or that we're not keeping them up to date on progress is not really on the level,” the official said, adding that the assertion that State hasn’t created a comprehensive plan or used the funds is “not true” and that many Kenyan officers have already been vetted by the U.S. Officials across the administration are growing concerned about the repercussions of the hold: Haiti “cannot wait” any longer for the Kenyan officers to arrive, a National Security Council spokesperson, granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic, told NatSec Daily. Haiti’s future becomes more precarious by the day. Armed gangs are challenging the country’s central government — which has been without an elected president since the 2021 assassination of its last one — by engaging in firefights with police and trying to take control of the airport and other key buildings. In a small sign of progress last night, Haiti’s embattled Prime Minister ARIEL HENRY announced that he would step down after the creation of a transitional council — a move the Biden administration and partner countries have been strongly pushing for. The Republicans’ hold on funds is a “tremendous problem,” RENATA SEGURA, deputy program director of Latin America and Caribbean at the International Crisis Group think tank, told NatSec Daily. “The mission cannot really get going, which at this point is the only hope we have that Haiti's going to be pulled back from the brink.” Democrats are also warning that if left to deteriorate, the crisis will significantly exacerbate the region’s migration crisis. That would also worsen the Biden administration’s immigration woes, especially if Haitian refugees choose to flee to the U.S. by boat as they have in the past. “Human lives are at stake,” Rep. GREGORY MEEKS (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on HFAC, told reporters today. “If we don't release the money so that the Kenyans can come in and do what they need to do, they are increasing the chance of the further migration problem to the United States.”
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: F-35: Advancing 21st Century Security
The F-35 is vital to 21st Century Security. The most advanced, survivable, and connected fighter in the world is helping those we serve stay ahead of ready. Learn more. | | | | | ‘THREAT REDUCTION’: A National Security Council official last week offered a new proposal to North Korea: let’s talk about “threat reduction,” not denuclearization — at least not yet. “We are ready and willing to engage in discussions with the DPRK about threat reduction, especially currently in light of the situation on the Korean peninsula,” MIRA RAPP-HOOPER, a senior director for Asia on the NSC, told the Center for Strategic and International Studies, using the abbreviation for North Korea’s official name. “We believe that this progress would certainly take time,” she continued in comments picked up almost exclusively by South Korean press. This was a significant offer by the U.S., which has vowed to engage in diplomacy with North Korea without preconditions. The White House is saying initial conversations should center around anything from halting nuclear production to making an arms-control deal. Our own ALEX WARD (remember him?) asked the NSC if Rapp-Hooper had signaled a policy change, and NSC spokesperson ADRIENNE WATSON said no — denuclearization is still the prize. But, she continued, “while we work towards this goal, there are a number of valuable discussions we seek to have with the DPRK, including on reducing the risk of inadvertent military conflict on the peninsula.” This is also reflected in U.S. military thinking. Gen. PAUL LaCAMERA, the top U.S. military official in South Korea, said policy should reflect stopping North Korean leader KIM JONG UN from using nuclear weapons — not having them. “We have to assure him that positive will be met with positive actions, and negative will be met with negative,” he told The Wall Street Journal. Tensions are high there. North Korea recently said it would no longer seek reunification with its southern neighbor, taking a more aggressive military posture instead. Pyongyang has also sent missiles to Moscow that Russia has used to attack Ukraine. And, lest we forget, the north has only improved its nuclear and missile work during the Biden years. The problem is North Korea has not responded to President JOE BIDEN’s or the administration’s offer for diplomatic talks on its weapons program — and it’s unlikely to pick up the phone now. NEW ATACMS FOR KYIV: The White House is expected to announce as soon as today that it will send a number of Army Tactical Missile Systems to Ukraine in a new package worth $300 million in military aid, U.S. officials with knowledge of the discussions told our own LARA SELIGMAN and Alex. The package will include a number of the Anti-Personnel/Anti-Materiel, or APAM, missiles, an older version of the long-range ATACMS, which travels 100 miles and carries warheads containing hundreds of cluster bomblets, according to one of the officials. The tranche will also include additional rounds for the 155mm howitzers and the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, according to that official and another U.S. official. The U.S. first sent a shipment of mid-range ATACMS in September. Read: Polish rivals unite in DC to lobby for Ukraine military aid by Alex and ELI STOKOLS AID ON ITS WAY: An aid ship to Gaza left the Cypriot port of Larnaca this morning as a new humanitarian sea corridor is tested out, our own NEKTARIA STAMOULI reports. The ship was loaded with almost 200 tons of food supplies — including flour, rice and proteins — and accompanied by another vessel, bound for Gaza, which the United Nations says is on the brink of famine. “It is a lifeline to civilians,” said Cypriot President NIKOS CHRISTODOULIDES. The trip is expected to take two days, according to government officials. The mission, mostly funded by the United Arab Emirates, is being organized by U.S.-based charity World Central Kitchen, and Spanish charity Open Arms is supplying the ship. The shipment comes during the second day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid concerns that Israel will invade the city of Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinians are sheltering. As Alex and our own JONATHAN LEMIRE reported, Biden will consider conditioning military assistance to Israel if that happens. U.S. officials told Axios’ BARAK RAVID that an operation into Rafah “would likely lead to a significant shift in U.S. policy — including an end to the defense of Israel at the United Nations and restrictions on the use of U.S. weapons by Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza,” he wrote. BIDEN NAVIGATES ESSEQUIBO DISPUTE: A border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over the resource-rich Essequibo region is providing yet another geopolitical test for the Biden administration’s energy and security agendas, Eric reports (for Pros!). Guyana aims to overtake OPEC members like Nigeria, Algeria and its neighbor Venezuela with a target of producing 1.3 million barrels of oil a day by 2028. But Venezuela’s leader NICOLÁS MADURO has threatened to take the disputed Essequibo region by force ahead of the country’s July 28 elections. As Eric writes, “a Venezuelan invasion of the Essequibo would impact billions of dollars in investments from U.S. energy companies and test the Biden administration’s ability to support friendly countries in its backyard. The Biden administration said it is taking necessary steps to deter aggression from Caracas and better equip Guyana.” HOSTAGE DEAD: The Israel Defense Forces this morning announced the death of ITAY CHEN, an American-Israeli soldier abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7, according to the Times of Israel’s EMANUEL FABIAN. Chen was killed, according to the Israeli military, near the Gaza border during the attacks. The death was only announced now due to new intelligence. IT’S TUESDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at mberg@politico.com and ebazail@politico.com, and follow us on X at @mattberg33 and @ebazaileimil. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @alexbward, @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @reporterjoe, and @JGedeon1.
| | | | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics. | | | | | | | | | HUNGARY FOR TROUBLE: Hungary has hauled in the American ambassador for a dressing down after Biden’s remarks about Hungarian Prime Minister VIKTOR ORBÁN wanting to run a “dictatorship,” our own ELENA GIORDANO reports. During a presidential campaign stop in Pennsylvania on Friday, Biden said that Orbán “doesn’t think democracy works and is looking for dictatorship,” after the Hungarian leader’s love-in with Republican presidential front-runner DONALD TRUMP in Florida last week. Hungary reacted furiously today, with Foreign Minister PÉTER SZIJJÁRTÓ blasting that Budapest “is not obliged to tolerate lies, even from the president of the United States.” “This way of thinking by the president and the Democratic administration is a heavy burden on our bilateral relationship,” Szijjártó added, according to local media reports.
| | | TIKTOK VOTE: House GOP leaders are barreling ahead on a vote that would push TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company, mostly ignoring pressure from Trump to abandon the bill, our own OLIVIA BEAVERS reports. During a weekly closed-door meeting with House Republicans, Majority Leader STEVE SCALISE (R-La.) gave a “big, impassioned defense” of the legislation, according to Rep. MIKE GALLAGHER (R-Wis.), the bill’s lead sponsor. If TikTok’s parent company does not divest, the legislation would block it from app stores. The No. 2 House Republican essentially said, according to a person in the room: It’s a forced divestment, not a ban — despite what TikTok has tried to claim to its users. Scalise also argued that China currently has access to all of its users’ data through the app, and passing the legislation was necessary to protect Americans. TikTok has said it has not and would not share U.S. user data with Beijing’s government. ICYMI — Angry TikTok users are still flooding Congress with calls by our own REBECCA KERN and BRENDAN BORDELON
| | NEW NATO CHIEF CANDIDATE: Romanian President KLAUS IOHANNIS today jumped into the race to be NATO's next leader, pitting him against Dutch leader MARK RUTTE who is struggling to lock up support from all 32 member countries, our own STUART LAU reports. “I have decided to enter the competition for the position of NATO secretary-general,” Iohannis, whose presidential term ends in December, said in a televised address in Bucharest. “I believe that NATO, in turn, needs a renewed perspective on its mission. Eastern Europe has a valuable contribution in the discussions and decisions within NATO.” Conveniently, the Romanian president also wrote an op-ed in POLITICO today about his candidacy. Read: Biden wants to cut a submarine — and top Dems aren’t happy by CONNOR O’BRIEN and JOE GOULD
| | | | JOIN US ON 3/21 FOR A TALK ON FINANCIAL LITERACY: Americans from all communities should be able to save, build wealth, and escape generational poverty, but doing so requires financial literacy. How can government and industry ensure access to digital financial tools to help all Americans achieve this? Join POLITICO on March 21 as we explore how Congress, regulators, financial institutions and nonprofits are working to improve financial literacy education for all. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | | DEM DISCHARGE PETITION: House Democrats are kickstarting a longshot bid to force a Senate-passed foreign aid bill to the House floor this morning, our own NICHOLAS WU reports. They’re launching a discharge petition, a legislative maneuver that can force a bill to the floor if a majority of lawmakers sign on. But the move faces long odds in the House, with some Democrats expected to oppose the legislation over concerns about supplying unrestricted aid to Israel, and Republicans also resistant to sending Ukraine aid and wary of bucking their leadership. Rules Committee ranking member JIM McGOVERN (D-Mass.) told reporters on his way to file the petition on the House floor he was “confident we’ll get a good number” of signatures. He saw the petition as “hopefully increasing the pressure on the speaker of the House to do what he should do.” Read: Progressives welcome Biden's tough talk to Netanyahu — but calls for action grow louder by our own ANTHONY ADRAGNA
| | ZIMBABWE EXPELS AMERICAN OFFICIALS: Zimbabwe is accusing U.S. officials working in the country of promoting “regime change,” days after the country’s government reportedly detained, interrogated and deported a number of U.S. contractors and officials and prompted a war of words with the U.S. Agency for International Development, according to The New York Times’ JOHN ELIGON. The employees, according to a USAID spokesperson, were assessing democracy, human rights and governance concerns, a part of the accountability measures for the agency’s aid programs in Zimbabwe. USAID administrator SAMANTHA POWER said in a statement to the Times that “the people of Zimbabwe deserve better.” Those comments prompted a sharp rebuke from the Zimbabwe government, which pushed back through state media. The dispute comes as Zimbabwe’s government faces international scrutiny for its efforts to hold onto power, including its expulsion of opposition members of the country’s legislature and its handling of last year’s chaotic elections. VATICAN WAVES WHITE FLAG: The Vatican is walking back POPE FRANCIS’ comment that Ukraine should wave a “white flag” after receiving fierce blowback from Kyiv, our own SEB STARCEVIC reports. In an interview, Cardinal PIETRO PAROLIN, the Vatican’s secretary of state and second-highest-ranking official after Francis, said Russia “should first and foremost cease fire.”
| | — JUDD DEVERMONT is now an operating partner at Kupanda Capital. He previously was director for African affairs at the NSC. — ETHAN TAN is joining the TSA as adviser for strategy, policy coordination and innovation. He previously was manager of policy comms and research in DHS’ Office of Public Affairs.
| | | |   | | | | | — JOSEPH WEBSTER, War on the Rocks: Win-Wind: How a bipartisan SHIPS act could meet China and climate challenges — The Editors, National Review: Congress should force China to sell TikTok — VLADIMIR KARA-MURZA, The Washington Post: Putin’s next term is illegal. The world should call him out on it.
| | — Defense Strategies Institute, 8:45 a.m.: 12th annual joint civil and DOD chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear symposium — House Armed Services Cyber, Information Technology, and Innovation Subcommittee, 9 a.m.: A hearing on "Too Critical to Fail: Getting Software Right in an Age of Rapid Innovation" — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 9 a.m.: A virtual discussion on "Three Futures for Gaza," focusing on the humanitarian and health situation inside Gaza — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 9 a.m.: Can the United States and Europe coordinate counter-coercion with Taiwan? — The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 10 a.m.: A discussion with European Union Ambassador to the United States JOVITA NELIUPSIENE — Brookings Institution, 10 a.m.: Delivering on nuclear deterrence — The United States Institute of Peace, 10:30 a.m.: A discussion on "Russian Asset Seizures and Transitional Justice for Ukraine" with Ukrainian justice minister DENYS MALIUSKA — Department of Defense, 11:15 a.m.: The office of the Secretary holds a meeting of the Defense Advisory Committee on investigation, prosecution, and defense of sexual assault in the armed forces — New America, 12 p.m.: A book discussion on STEVE COLL’s "The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the CIA, and the Origins of America's Invasion of Iraq" — Atlantic Council, 3 p.m.: A discussion on "Baltic Bulwark: Latvia's Transatlantic Role" with Latvian Prime Minister EVIKA SILINA — McCain Institute, 3:30 p.m.: A discussion to mark the third anniversary of the Levinson Act on the national crisis of hostage-taking and the U.S. government's response with Special Envoy ROGER CARSTENS, Sens. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-N.H.) and CHRIS COONS (D-Del.) and DIANE FOLEY — Institute of World Politics, 5 p.m.: A discussion on "Finland and Northern European Security" with Finnish Ambassador to the U.S. MIKKO HAUTALA — National Press Club, 6 p.m.: A book discussion on "American Mother," focusing on the beheading of JAMES FOLEY by ISIS in 2014 Thanks to our editor, Emma Anderson, who refuses to resign despite our repeated requests. We also thank our producer, Gregory Svirnovskiy, who would be a great transitional editor.
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