ZELENSKY: ‘EMOTIONS HAVE RUN HIGH: It was another night of hell for residents of Ukraine’s capital city, where many people spent the night huddled in bomb shelters and subway tunnels, as Russian missiles and drones rained down from the skies, killing at least nine people and injuring more than 70. Photos from the Associated Press show that homes and residential buildings were hit in Kyiv, as the city weathered one of the largest Russian attacks since the war began over three years ago.
And it comes as President Donald Trump is blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for prolonging the “killing field” by rejecting an American peace proposal that would include U.S. recognition of Crimea as part of Russia. Trump was reacting on his social media platform Truth Social to Zelensky’s statement ahead of talks in London, at which the U.S. proposal was intended to be presented. “Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea,” Zelensky said at a Tuesday press conference. “There’s nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution.”
“The statement made by Zelensky today will do nothing but prolong the ‘killing field,’ and nobody wants that!” Trump said in his post. “The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country.”
Zelensky, who cut short an official trip to South Africa in the wake of the latest bombing, has long said that recognizing occupied territory as Russian is a red line he will not cross. His rejection of the U.S. plan, which would also bar Ukraine from ever joining NATO, prompted Secretary of State Marco Rubio to skip the London meeting, which was attended instead by special envoy Keith Kellogg, who called the talks “positive.”
“Emotions have run high today,” Zelensky posted on X. “But it is good that 5 countries met to bring peace closer. Ukraine, the USA, the UK, France and Germany. The sides expressed their views and respectfully received each other’s positions.”
Attached to his post was a copy of the July 2018 “Crimea Declaration” issued by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in which the U.S. said Russia’s “attempted annexation of Crimea” undermined the “bedrock international principle… that no country can change the borders of another by force.”
TRUMP CRITICIZES ZELENSKY’S ‘VERY HARMFUL’ CRIMEA COMMENTS
TRUMP: ‘THE MAN WITH ‘NO CARDS’ NEEDS TO ‘GET IT DONE’: Clearly frustrated that Zelensky stubbornly refuses to accept a one-sided peace deal that hands Russian President Vladimir Putin everything he wants, while providing no U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, Trump continues to say he just wants to stop the killing.
“Think of this,” Trump said yesterday at an Oval Office executive order signing session. “5,000. I was saying 2,500 and everyone was telling me that’s low. Think of that. Every week, 5,000 soldiers. But let’s say, from 3,000 to 5,000 are being killed, they’re Russian and Ukrainian — they’re not Americans, but they’re Russian — but they’re people, and they’re humans. They’re human beings. They have families.”
In his social media post, Trump accused Zelensky of “inflammatory” statements and said Ukraine has little choice but to cede to Russia all the territory it now holds. “We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE.”
“I thought it might be easier to deal with Zelensky. So far, it’s been harder,” Trump told reporters. Asked if he would agree to meet Zelensky at the funeral of Pope Francis this weekend, Trump replied, “I don’t know — I don’t know that he’s going to the funeral or not.”
Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance continue to warn that the U.S. will give up trying to mediate the peace process if the two sides remain unwilling to reach an agreement. “We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process,” Vance told reporters yesterday.
ZELENSKY HOPING TO MEET WITH TRUMP AT POPE’S FUNERAL
‘IF HE WANTS CRIMEA, WHY DIDN’T THEY FIGHT FOR IT?’ Trump also blamed Ukraine for losing Crimea to Russia in 2014 by rolling over and letting Russia have it without a fight. “Nobody is asking Zelensky to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” Trump said in Truth Social Post.
While it’s true that the U.S. plan calls for the U.S. to recognize Crimea as Russia, not Ukraine, historians take issue with the idea that Ukraine wasn’t willing to fight to reclaim its territory. In 2014, Ukraine had none of the military capability it has today after a decade of Western arms and training. When Ukraine asked for help, it was turned down, as author Christopher Miller details in his 2023 book The War Came To Us: Life and Death in Ukraine.
Miller interviewed Oleksandr Turchynov, who was interim president of Ukraine when Russia took over Crimea with a stealth invasion of “little green men” in unmarked uniforms. “I turned to our partners, including the United States of America and the leaders of the European Union, for help, referring to the Budapest Memorandum, that Ukraine had given up nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees from them. But they told me explicitly that there would be no military help,” Turchynov says in a section of the book Miller posted on X. “Both the Obama administration and European leaders told me that they were categorically against the supply of any weapons to Ukraine. And they justified this to me by saying that they do not want to provoke Putin and increase the risk of Russian aggression.”
UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER MAKES UNSCHEDULED WHITE HOUSE VISIT
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: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has an 8 a.m. meeting at the Pentagon with visiting NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, the first stop in a two-day visit that will include a 3 p.m. session at the State Department with Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and national security adviser Mike Waltz.
When Rutte met with Zelensky in Odesa last week, he pledged NATO’s “unwavering” support while also endorsing President Trump’s peace initiative. “These discussions are not easy,” Rutte said. “but we all support President Trump’s push for peace.
“I also know that some have called NATO’s support into question in the last couple of months. But let there be no doubt, our support is unwavering.”
OPINION: HISTORY TELLS US TO STICK WITH UKRAINE
HEGSETH: ‘IT’S GOING BETTER THAN WE COULD HAVE EVER EXPECTED’: In a fiery speech at the Army War College, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took on his critics, declaring “We are leaving wokeness and weakness behind,” and dismissing accounts of discord and dysfunction in his office as overblown.
“It’s a lot of change very quickly,” he told the largely military audience in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. “Now, as you may have noticed, the media likes to call it chaos. We call it overdue.”
“I can tell you personally it’s going better than we could have ever expected. This department, and you know it, across the joint force is filled with patriots who want nothing more than to focus — be laser-focused on serving their country,” Hegseth said, pointing out surging enlistment rates as evidence the changes he’s bringing are welcome.
“We faced a legitimate recruiting crisis where we couldn’t recruit enough men and women into the military,” he said, but the answer was not lowering standards but raising them. “That’s over. Over the last few months, the Army has had its best recruiting numbers since 2010. The Navy is on track to have its best recruiting year since 2002.”
“The enthusiasm of young Americans, in particular, is off the charts,” Hegseth said.
“The message to our adversaries in these first 100 days in office has been undeniably clear — America is back. At the Defense Department, that means no more distractions, no more social engineering, no more climate change worship, no more electric tanks, no more gender confusion, no more pronouns, no more excuses, no more quotas, and no more woke bullshit that undermines commanders and command climates,” he concluded. We are laser-focused on our mission of warfighting. We are color blind, and we are merit-based.”
HEGSETH PRAISES DEFENSE DEPARTMENT’S FIRST 100 DAYS AS TENSIONS AT PENTAGON CONTINUE
PUTTING THE FATTIES ON NOTICE: One of Hegseth’s first actions was to order a comprehensive review of fitness standards, training standards, physical standards, and gender-neutral standards for combat roles.
“To be the world’s most lethal and effective fighting force, you have to set and maintain high standards for our men and women in uniform. High, equal, and unwavering,” he said, before issuing a not-so-subtle warning to military members, including senior officers who may be having trouble fitting into their old uniforms.
“To be lethal, you have to trust that the warrior alongside you in battle or the troops fighting in the unit that many of you will lead are capable, truly physically capable of doing what is necessary under fire,” He said. “You need to be fit not fat, sharp not shabby. Especially our leaders. And that’s why we’re reviewing how the department has maintained standards in the past, especially the last four years, and whether those standards have dropped formally or informally.”
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Trump criticizes Zelensky’s ‘very harmful’ Crimea comments
Washington Examiner: Zelensky hoping to meet with Trump at pope’s funeral
Washington Examiner: Ukrainian prime minister makes unscheduled White House visit
Washington Examiner: Putin claims he’s open to direct talks with Ukraine
Washington Examiner: Hegseth praises Defense Department’s first 100 days as tensions at Pentagon continue
Washington Examiner: Hegseth turns to his mission to reshape the military
Washington Examiner: State Department announces ‘comprehensive’ internal reorganization
Washington Examiner: Trump plans installation of two 100-foot flag poles at White House
Washington Examiner: Editorial: Trump cannot give up on Ukraine peace before pressuring Russia
Washington Examiner: Opinion: History tells us to stick with Ukraine
Washington Examiner: Tom Rogan Opinion: Is it really the perfect time to bomb Iran’s nuclear program?
Washington Examiner: Opinion: The State Department needs reform, but killing its Africa bureau only benefits China
Politico: House GOP Bumps Pentagon Spending, Eyes $150B Target for Party-Line Package
DefenseScoop: DOD Kicks Off Review of Major Defense Acquisition Programs as Hegseth Touts Reforms
Washington Post: Hegseth had Signal messaging app installed on Pentagon computer
Colorado Springs Gazette: Air Force Academy’s Staff Cuts Unclear Amid Mass Resignations; Cadets Assured of World-Class Education
Defense One: China’s Rare-Earth Mineral Squeeze Will Hit the Pentagon Hard
AP: Federal judge temporarily halts order for details on any efforts to return Abrego Garcia to US
Stars and Stripes: Army suspends Wisconsin training base’s first female commander after Trump portrait flipped to wall
New York Times: Ex-Army Sergeant Gets 7 Years for Selling Military Secrets to Chinese Conspirator
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Dozen F-16s Join Back-to-Back Exercises with the Philippines
The War Zone: New Views of China’s Next Generation Fighters
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Still Planning a Nuclear Microreactor in Alaska—and More After That
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Acting Pentagon CIO Signing Off on New, Faster Cyber Rules for Contractors
Breaking Defense: Can Hegseth’s Push to In-Source IT Consulting at the Pentagon Actually Happen?
Air & Space Forces Magazine: C-17 Refuels Off a Commercial Tanker for First Time in AMC History
Miami Herald: WWII Dive Bomber Found on Pacific Floor—with a Bomb Still Attached, NOAA Says
THE CALENDAR:
THURSDAY | APRIL 24
9 a.m. — Henry L. Stimson Center virtual discussion: “Fighter Jets and Drones: Is China’s Military Aid to the Myanmar Junta Making a Difference?” with Zachary Abuza, professor, National War College; Nyein Nyein Thant Aung, graduate of the University of Glasgow; and Pamela Kennedy, research analyst, Stimson East Asia Program https://www.stimson.org/event/china-military-aid-to-myanmar-junta/
10 a.m. — National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations virtual discussion: “A Post-Assad Syria: Dilemmas, Diplomacy, and a New Strategic Vision,” with Timothy Lenderking, senior official at the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs; former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford; fellow at the Middle East Institute; Caroline Rose, director of the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy; Neil Quilliam, associate fellow at the Chatham House Middle East and North Africa Program; H. Delano Roosevelt, NCUSAR president and CEO; and Fadi Hilani, NCUSAR senior academic and research fellow-in-residence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MLYTfzay7Q
10 a.m. 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies discussion: “Russia’s Strategic Shift in North Africa,” with Federica Saini Fasanotti, senior associate fellow at the Institute of International Policy Studies; Emadeddin Badi, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council; Hafed Al-Ghwell, senior fellow at the SAIS Foreign Policy Institute; and Andrea Cellino, vice president and head of North Africa at the Middle East Institute Switzerland https://www.youtube.com/@thenorthafricainitiative660/streams
10:30 a.m. 1957 E St. NW — George Washington University Sigur Center for Asian Studies discussion: “The First 100 Days: Trump 2.0 and New Dynamics in U.S.-Taiwan and Cross Strait Relations.” https://sigur.elliott.gwu.edu/2025/04/07/4-24-25-the-first-100-days
5 p.m. 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies Institute for America, China, and the Future of Global Affairs film screening and discussion of “Lithium Rising: The Race for Critical Minerals,” with director Samuel George, director of Bertelsmann Foundation Documentaries; Stuart Levenbach, associate director for natural resources, energy, science and water at the Office of Management and Budget; Abigail Hunter, executive director of the SAFE Center for Critical Minerals Strategy; and Margaret Myers, SAIS ACF managing director RSVP: [email protected]
FRIDAY | APRIL 25
8 a.m. — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs Institute for European, Russian, and European Studies virtual Third Annual Petrach Program Conference on Ukraine: “Understanding Wartime Ukraine” https://tinyurl.com/4fa4amak
9 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies Project on Nuclear Issues report launch: “The Future of Arms Control and Euro-Atlantic Strategic Stability,” with Heather Williams, director of the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues and senior fellow in the CSIS Defense and Security Department; Nicholas Adamopoulos, associate director and associate fellow at the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues; Lachlan MacKenzie, research associate at the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues; Catherine Murphy, program coordinator and research assistant at the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues https://www.csis.org/events/report-launch-future-arms-control
9 a.m. — Peterson Institute for International Economics virtual discussion: “Europe’s Future in 3D: Fiscal Trade, and Defense Challenges,” with Cecilia Malmstrom, PIIE nonresident senior fellow, former European Commissioner for Home Affairs and former European Commissioner for Trade; Constanze Stelzenmuller, director and senior fellow for foreign policy at the Brookings Institution’s Center on the U.S. and Europe and chair on Germany and Trans-Atlantic relations at the Brookings Institution; Oliver Blanchard, PIIE senior fellow; and Adam Posen, PIIE president https://www.piie.com/events/2025/europes-future-3d-fiscal-trade-and-defense-challenges
2 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Global Counterspace Trends,” with former Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability Mallory Stewart; Victoria Samson, chief director of space security and stability at the Secure World Foundation; Clayton Swope, deputy director of the CSIS Aerospace Security Project and senior fellow at the CSIS Defense and Security Department; Makena Young, fellow at the CSIS Aerospace Security Project; Laetitia Cesari Zarkan, researcher and legal practitioner at the Secure World Foundation; and Karl Bingen, director of the CSIS Aerospace Security Project and senior fellow at the CSIS Defense and Security Department https://www.csis.org/events/report-launch-space-threat-assessment-2025
