Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Palestinians stage rare protest against Hamas in Gaza U.S. sanctions three Iranian officials allegedly involved in death of FBI agent Robert Levinson U.S. agrees to help Russia boost exports in Ukraine talks The Hill’s Mark Toth and Jonathan Sweet: Putin is just playing Trump for time US gave Syria list of conditions for partial sanctions relief, sources say JPost’s Shay Gal: Turkey’s NATO veto against Israel undermines global security against Russia, Iran South Korea opposition leader clears hurdle for presidency after winning legal appeal China poses biggest military, cyber threat to US, intel chiefs say The U.S. missile launcher that is enraging China Denmark welcomes US changes to Greenland visit amid Trump spat Sudan military bombing kills dozens in attack on market in Darfur CSIS’ Dov S. Zakheim: The ‘Houthi PC small group’ chat and the tragedy that was barely avertedIn The News
Israel
In a rare protest against Hamas, hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets in a northern Gazan town on Tuesday, venting their frustrations openly for the first time since the start of the 17-month war that has left much of the enclave in ruins. – Wall Street Journal
Israel will take more territory in Gaza and fight until Hamas is wiped out if the Palestinian militant group keeps refusing to free remaining hostages, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday. – Reuters
United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed in a phone call efforts for reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, Emirati state news agency WAM reported on Tuesday, as Israel resumed its military offensive in the enclave last week. – Reuters
Israel’s parliament on Tuesday passed a state budget, a move that shores up Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition even as the embattled leader faces mounting public pressure over the war in Gaza and the hostage crisis. – Associated Press
The High Court rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to cancel the temporary order to prevent the firing of Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar on Tuesday. – Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was warned twice that Hamas military chief Muhammad Deif was appropriating funds provided by Qatar, Channel 12 reports, citing three security sources. – Times of Israel
Editorial: Going back to battle against Hamas may be the only option that’s left, but before the invasion becomes full-fledged and sees an Israeli presence throughout Gaza, as Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned, it’s imperative for Netanyahu and Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir to explain clearly to the nation why this is necessary and to shore up domestic legitimacy for a campaign that – yet again – will necessitate tremendous sacrifice. – Jerusalem Post
Hanadi Shaer writes: The bloodshed in Arab society must end. This requires responsible and courageous leadership. If the government does not take immediate action, crime will only worsen, and its devastating consequences will spread throughout the country. This is not just an Arab problem – it is a national crisis. Every citizen in Israel must demand actionable, well-funded solutions and ensure their implementation. The government has a duty to provide security for all its citizens, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or background. – Jerusalem Post
Itamar Marcus writes: The PA’s plans and justifications regarding the Jews and Israelis are just as “extravagant” and just as “boldly proclaimed” as the Nazis’ plans. Let’s not make the same mistake the world made in 1939, or that Israel made in 2023. When people say they want to kill you and back it up as God’s directive, they must be taken seriously. – Jerusalem Post
Jonathan Rosenstein writes: The gamble of involving Russia in regional geopolitics mirrors Netanyahu’s earlier decision to empower Hamas to weaken the Palestinian Authority, thereby preventing a unified Palestinian actor that could demand a state. While this tactic provided Israel with short-term benefits, the unintended consequence of bolstering Hamas ultimately enabled October 7. – Times of Israel
Iran
The United States has imposed sanctions on three Iranian intelligence officers for their alleged involvement in the disappearance of former FBI Special Agent Robert Levinson, the U.S. Treasury and State departments said in press releases on Tuesday. – Reuters
Iran’s currency fell below the psychologically key level of 1,000,000 rial per U.S. dollar on Tuesday, as market participants saw no end in sight to sanctions under U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed “maximum pressure” campaign. – Reuters
The United Nations nuclear watchdog said its latest talks with a senior Iranian official failed to yield a breakthrough in its years-long atomic probe, underscoring the urgent need for a diplomatic solution to a tense standoff between the Islamic Republic and the US. – Bloomberg
Saeid Golkar and Kasra Aarabi write: Domestically, to regain support, Khamenei will need to intensify the imposition of Islamist ideological policies, not least morality policing. Of course, that is a perilous game for the ayatollah since it will lead to a backlash among the broader population, increasing the chance of mass unrest against the regime again. And here is the paradox for Khamenei: water down ideological policies and risk losing the foot soldiers of his suppressive apparatus, or intensify them and increase the chance of mass protests. Both scenarios raise an existential threat to the Islamic Republic and may result in Khamenei facing the same destined fate as Assad. – Foreign Policy
Russia & Ukraine
The U.S. said it would help Russia boost agricultural exports and restore its access to payments systems, after the Kremlin demanded the easing of Western sanctions in return for a cease-fire in the Black Sea. – Wall Street Journal
Russia and Ukraine agreed Tuesday to expand their initial limited ceasefire on energy infrastructure to include the Black Sea after U.S.-sponsored indirect talks in Saudi Arabia. – Washington Post
Russia’s defence units destroyed nine Ukrainian drones overnight, including two over the waters of the Black Sea, the Russian defence ministry said on Wednesday. – Reuters
A submarine of Russia’s Pacific Fleet conducted drills in the Sea of Japan, launching cruise missiles at sea and coastal targets, the Russian state TASS news agency reported on Wednesday. – Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said a truce with Russia covering the Black Sea and energy strikes was effective immediately on Tuesday, but warned that Moscow was already manipulating and distorting the accords. – Reuters
The Black Sea maritime security deal aims to bring Moscow back to predictable grain and fertiliser markets that would allow for profit and ensure global food security, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in remarks published late on Tuesday. – Reuters
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was a Russian facility and transferring control of it to Ukraine or any other country was impossible. – Reuters
Britain urged Russia on Tuesday to agree to the “full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire” proposed by Ukraine after both countries reached a truce covering the Black Sea and energy strikes. – Reuters
Ukraine’s SBU security service said on Tuesday it had detained a serviceman it accused of helping Moscow attack Ukrainian troops fighting in Russia’s Kursk region by giving away their location. – Reuters
Russia, the world’s top wheat and fertiliser exporter, said on Tuesday that Western sanctions against companies involved in food and fertiliser exports and shipping would have to be lifted as a pre-condition for a Black Sea maritime security deal. – Reuters
President Donald Trump said it was possible that Vladimir Putin was avoiding finalizing a ceasefire agreement, but that he remained confident the Russian leader intended to strike a deal. – Bloomberg
Hundreds of Russian supermarkets have swept China in the past year, proving such a sensation that even President Vladimir Putin’s government is planning a rival with 300 stations. – Bloomberg
U.S. intelligence agencies sounded the alarm on Ukraine’s dwindling battlefield prospects against Russia in an annual report released Tuesday. – Politico
Mark Toth and Jonathan Sweet write: It is not enough just to get Putin to the negotiating table. Team Trump must demand that Russia enter into an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, and in doing so put an end to his license to kill and plans to widen the war this summer. That means empowering Ukraine to take the fight to Putin and getting back on board with shutting down Russia’s shadow fleets, so as to drag him kicking and screaming to a real negotiating table. If not, then more families like the Bazylevych family will keep dying and true peace in Ukraine will be fleeting. – The Hill
Irina Borogan and Andrei Soldatov write: On March 11 this year, Naryshkin held his first phone conversation with Trump’s CIA director, John Ratliff, and the two agreed to establish regular communication to ease tensions between Moscow and Washington. The two spy agency directors also discussed collaboration between the SVR and the CIA in areas of “mutual interest and crisis management.” Beseda’s presence in Saudi Arabia demonstrates the three Russian intelligence agencies represent a darker and increasingly powerful aspect of Russian foreign policy. While it’s still unclear what exactly the Kremlin could extract from the Americans and Ukrainians at the talks, the Russian spy agencies have already emerged as winners. – Center for European Policy Analysis
Syria
Suleiman’s story is just one of hundreds of thousands like it in Syria. More than 100,000 Syrians remain forcibly disappeared by the Assad regime, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights. – Wall Street Journal
The United States has handed Syria a list of conditions that it wants Damascus to fulfill in exchange for partial sanctions relief, six people familiar with the matter told Reuters, including ensuring foreigners are not in senior governing roles. – Reuters
An Israeli attack killed six people in southern Syria on Tuesday, Syria’s foreign ministry said, after the Israeli military said its troops had clashed with militants who had opened fire on them. – Reuters
Two tankers, one carrying 100,000 metric tons of crude oil and another carrying 5,600 tons of gasoline have arrived at the Syrian port city of Baniyas, Syrian state news agency SANA reported on Tuesday. – Reuters
Turkey
The leader of Turkey’s primary opposition party visited jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on Tuesday, as sustained protests calling for his release entered their seventh night. – Washington Post
Turkey and the United States want to remove obstacles to defence industry cooperation, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said on Wednesday, after talks between the NATO allies’ top diplomats in Washington. – Reuters
Anti-government protesters in Turkey said they planned to keep up a campaign of demonstrations triggered by the jailing of Istanbul’s mayor – the biggest such opposition action in a decade – despite mass arrests and clashes with police. – Reuters
A Turkish court detained Agence France-Presse photojournalist Yasin Akgul as part of an investigation into protests over the jailing of Istanbul’s mayor, Turkey’s Journalists Union said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is taking steps to ensure protests across the country don’t worsen and to contain a rout in financial markets, even as he turns the screws on opponents. – Bloomberg
Shay Gal writes: By addressing these challenges head-on, NATO can reaffirm its strategic credibility and bolster its deterrent posture. Unity and coherence remain its greatest strategic assets and must be vigilantly protected. Addressing Turkey’s troubling divergence openly and decisively is essential to preserving the alliance’s effectiveness in a rapidly evolving global defense landscape. – Jerusalem Post
Steven A. Cook writes: Erdogan had a good thing going around 2007-2008. He had faced down the Turkish Armed Forces, bringing the officer corps under civilian control; won elections with a broad coalition of support; had grown the economy; and had become a darling of the West due to his Islamist Third Way. Erdogan could never leave well enough alone, though. The healthy paranoia and self-confidence of a successful politician metastasized into egomania and vindictiveness. He destroyed every institutional check and balance—such as they were—in the Turkish political system. – Foreign Policy
Middle East & North Africa
Western coastal areas of Yemen are on the verge of a catastrophe due to malnutrition, the United Nations children’s agency (UNICEF) said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Prateek Upreti writes: The Gulf countries are at a pivotal point in their economic transformation. Diversification is not just about reducing dependence on oil; it is also about building resilient, sustainable economies. For these goals to be accomplished, workforce localization, regulatory reforms, and environmental concerns must be addressed. Diversification in the Gulf will depend on the region’s ability to adapt to global trends, manage internal challenges, and leverage its strategic geographical and economic position. – Times of Israel
Eitan Danon writes: Despite its singular geographic advantage among Iran’s proxies, the group might also suffer painful setbacks from its own strategic miscalculation, as was the case with Hamas on Oct. 7 and Hezbollah’s continual targeting of Israel with drones and rockets. Israel’s security establishment is now “waking up” to a largely overlooked Yemeni theater. This could eventually weaken the Houthis’ grip on the country through a combination of air power and kinetic operations, making space for different political arrangements. Until such time, in the absence of a change in ideology, the Houthi threat is one that can be mitigated and managed but not solved outright. – Foreign Policy
Korean Peninsula
Wildfires driven by strong winds and dry weather are ravaging southeastern South Korea, having killed at least 18 people and burned more than 43,000 acres, officials said Wednesday. – Washington Post
A South Korean appeals court reversed on Wednesday a lower court’s ruling and found main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung not guilty of violating the election law, removing a barrier that could have blocked him from running for president. – Reuters
Record nuclear power production is helping South Korea to cut imports of thermal coal and LNG to multi-year lows so far in 2025, offering a potential blueprint for other power-hungry nations looking to curb reliance on fossil fuel imports. – Reuters
North Korea has condemned the joint exercises held last week by the U.S., Japanese, and South Korean navies, the first trilateral drills of the second Trump administration. State media warned that any further provocations would be met with an “overwhelming” response from Pyongyang. – Newsweek
China
A network of companies operated by a secretive Chinese tech firm has been trying to recruit recently laid-off U.S. government workers, according to job ads and a researcher who uncovered the campaign. – Reuters
China remains the top military and cyber threat to the U.S., according to a report by U.S. intelligence agencies published on Tuesday that said Beijing was making “steady but uneven” progress on capabilities it could use to capture Taiwan. – Reuters
The U.S. added six subsidiaries of Inspur Group, China’s leading cloud computing and big data service provider, and dozens of other Chinese entities to its export restriction list on Tuesday. – Reuters
China’s ambassador warned the Canadian government against using it as a “bargaining chip” in trade negotiations with the US, but said it’s ready to pursue a bilateral free trade agreement if Canada removes barriers to Chinese investment. – Bloomberg
The US canceled two aid projects in Cambodia in late February — one to encourage child literacy and another to improve nutrition and development for kids under five. A week later, China’s aid agency announced funding for programs to achieve almost identical goals. – Bloomberg
Matthew P. Funaiole, Brian Hart, and Aidan Powers-Riggs write: China’s dominant position in global shipbuilding poses significant security and economic challenges for the United States. The PLAN’s breakneck buildup and modernization—buoyed by the success of China’s dual-use shipbuilding ecosystem—is rapidly shifting the balance of global military power. Economically, China’s deepening hold over global shipbuilding threatens to further erode the industrial capabilities of the United States and its allies and partners. Past experiences in industries like solar panels and electric vehicle batteries, where Chinese firms achieved almost total dominance, offer sober warnings of what can happen without a policy response. – Center for Strategic and International Studies
South Asia
Pakistan and China’s discussions about security measures to protect Chinese nationals working in the South Asian country are a work in progress, Islamabad’s ambassador to Beijing said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Minorities in India face deteriorating treatment, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said on Tuesday, and it recommended targeted sanctions against India’s external spy agency over alleged involvement in assassination plots against Sikh separatists. – Reuters
India is open to cutting tariffs on more than half of U.S. imports worth $23 billion in the first phase of a trade deal the two nations are negotiating, two government sources said, the biggest cut in years, aimed at fending off reciprocal tariffs. – Reuters
International Monetary Fund staff reached a deal with Pakistan for a new $1.3 billion arrangement and also agreed on the first review of the ongoing 37-month bailout program, the IMF said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Asia
A new U.S. missile system deployed in the Philippines puts key Chinese military and commercial hubs within striking distance and hands President Trump an early test of his commitment to deterring Chinese aggression against American allies in Asia. – Wall Street Journal
Vietnam will cut its tariffs on several U.S. products including LNG and cars, and moved to approve Starlink services, as the country tries to avoid being hit with U.S. tariffs because of its large bilateral trade surplus. – Reuters
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra breezed through a no-confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday in the first test of her premiership, emerging unscathed from a two-day opposition onslaught to reaffirm the stability of her coalition. – Reuters
One of Taiwan’s deputy defence ministers will visit the United States for a ceremony this week marking the completion of a new F-16 fighter jet for the island, the first acknowledged such trip since U.S. President Donald Trump took office. – Reuters
Indonesia will join New Development Bank, a multilateral bank developed by BRICS member nations, President Prabowo Subianto said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus will begin a four-day official visit to China on Wednesday, which will include talks with President Xi Jinping and top business executives. – Bloomberg
A Chinese influencer was deported from Taiwan for backing a military seizure of the self-run democracy has returned to her country — an episode that comes as Taipei steps up efforts to counter Beijing’s propaganda. – Bloomberg
Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro on Monday laid out Manila’s plans to deter Chinese efforts in the South China Sea during a speech to Manila’s forces stationed in the region. – USNI News
Christopher K. Colley writes: First, Washington can continue to work with its partners and allies in the region in deepening engagement and outreach to the South Pacific. This also calls for close consultation and coordination with Australia and New Zealand, who have much more invested in the region. The recent friction between New Zealand and the Cook Islands, over the latter’s signing of a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” with Beijing, underscores the importance of the South Pacific to Wellington. This is an example where Washington does not have to invest significant resources but can rely on its allies to further American goals. – War on the Rocks
Europe
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was among the first leaders to volunteer troops to help protect a postwar Ukraine. With French President Emmanuel Macron, he’s working to recruit partners for a coalition of the willing to staff an international peacekeeping force. – Washington Post
The European Union said it is limiting the amount of tariff-free steel its member states can import, as part of the bloc’s efforts to protect its steel industry from high exports and U.S. trade barriers. – Wall Street Journal
Denmark’s foreign minister on Wednesday welcomed a U.S. decision to alter a planned visit to Greenland that had sparked a diplomatic standoff between Copenhagen and the White House amid President’s Donald Trump’s interest in taking over the island. – Reuters
Police in ex-Soviet Moldova detained the leader of the country’s pro-Russian Gagauz ethnic minority at Chisinau’s international airport late on Tuesday, following the unexplained disappearance of two other wanted pro-Russian lawmakers. – Reuters
British security ties with the United States are as strong as ever, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said on Tuesday in response to the mistaken disclosure to a journalist of a conversation about U.S. military action in Yemen. – Reuters
Support for the European Union among citizens is at a record high, with three quarters saying membership of the bloc is beneficial because of its role in protecting peace and strengthening security, a Eurobarometer poll showed on Tuesday. – Reuters
Europe must acquire all means to defend itself against military aggression, European Council President Antonio Costa said on Tuesday, adding that peace without defence is an illusion. – Reuters
One of the last surviving alleged members of the Red Army Faction group that carried out murders and kidnappings in Germany from the 1970s went on trial on Tuesday after she hid from authorities for three decades. – Reuters
The European Union’s trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic met with U.S. President Donald Trump’s top trade officials on Tuesday to try to avoid steep U.S. tariffs on EU goods next week, but results of the talks were unclear. – Reuters
Hundreds of others have offered similar accounts, triggering accusations that the police, military or security services under the tight control of authoritarian Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic used an acoustic crowd control weapon to target peaceful protesters. – Associated Press
Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko was sworn in Tuesday to a seventh term, and he mocked those who derided him as “Europe’s last dictator” by saying his country has more democracy “than those who cast themselves as its models.” – Associated Press
Several thousand protesters blocked major thoroughfares and three bridges in the center of Hungary’s capital on Tuesday in opposition to a recent law that effectively bans LGBTQ+ Pride events and restricts Hungarians’ right to assembly. – Associated Press
Denmark will start drafting women into its military from next year, accelerating planned reforms to boost the size of its armed forces and help counter increased threats from Russia. – Bloomberg
Every citizen should stockpile enough food to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours in case of crisis, the European Commission is to warn, according to a draft of its Preparedness Union Strategy seen by POLITICO. – Politico
Africa
An airstrike by Sudan’s military ripped through a crowded market in the country’s western region of Darfur, killing at least 54 people and wounding dozens more, according to local monitoring groups that called the attack a likely war crime. – New York Times
South Sudan’s First Vice President Riek Machar has accused Uganda of violating a United Nations arms embargo by entering the country with armoured and air force units, and conducting airstrikes there. – Reuters
Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye said he had seen “credible intelligence” that Rwanda has a plan to attack his country, whose forces have battled Rwandan-backed rebels in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. – Reuters
Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo battled militiamen allied with the government on Tuesday as regional countries tried to give fresh impetus to faltering peace initiatives. – Reuters
Police in eastern Congo killed two people on Tuesday when they opened fire on mourners at the funeral of a slain singer known for denouncing both his own government and the Rwandan-backed rebels occupying much of the country’s east, witnesses said. – Reuters
Paul du Quenoy writes: In Congo, unlike Ukraine, a potential American security commitment would carry no risk of direct military confrontation with a major power. The M23 fighters and Rwandan forces operating in the country’s eastern provinces each number only a few thousand soldiers and could easily be bested by government forces with U.S. military assistance. The minerals Tshisekedi offered in his letter would then presumably be conceded to the United States rather than to China. – Newsweek
The Americas
An officer from the Kenyan multinational security support (MSS) mission went missing in Haiti on Tuesday after an incident involving gangs, the MSS said in a statement. – Reuters
Police tear gassed and hurled water from cannons at protesters in front of Chile’s national Congress in Valparaiso on Tuesday after a Senate commission delayed a vote on a controversial fishing law that seeks to redistribute quotas between artisanal and industrial fishers. – Reuters
Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Tuesday called for general elections to be held on April 12, 2026, saying she hoped the vote would put an end to a period of instability. – Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will discuss energy security in the Caribbean, illegal immigration and dismantling of transnational criminal networks during a trip to the region later this week, State Department officials said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Trade of Venezuelan oil to top buyer China stalled on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump’s order threatening tariffs on countries buying from Caracas created fresh uncertainty, days after U.S. sanctions targeting China’s imports from Iran. – Reuters
A five-judge panel from Brazil’s Supreme Court began deliberations on Tuesday to determine if former President Jair Bolsonaro and some of his closest aides should stand trial for allegedly attempting a coup after his 2022 electoral defeat. – Reuters
North America
Mexico’s security minister said on Tuesday there was no evidence that a so-called “ranch of horror” strewn with human remains was an “extermination camp” but rather it was a cartel training site where those who resisted recruitment were killed. – Reuters
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday said if his ruling Liberals won a general election on April 28, Ottawa would look at how the planned purchase of 88 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters could be adjusted. – Reuters
Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday promised an “unprecedented acceleration of investment” in Canada’s armed forces if his ruling Liberal Party wins a general election on April 28. – Reuters
Canada and India are taking steps to cool an escalation of diplomatic tensions that included harsh accusations and recriminations as both sides look to strengthen trade ties to counter US tariff threats. – Bloomberg
United States
Several countries have updated their travel advisories for the United States under the Trump administration, warning of strictly enforced entry policies and the risk of detention at U.S. border points and advising transgender and nonbinary travelers about the categorizations of sex outlined by President Donald Trump through an executive order. – Washington Post
President Trump plans to nominate L. Brent Bozell III, a conservative media critic and fierce defender of Israel, to be the U.S. ambassador to South Africa, according to the Congressional website. – New York Times
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that would require voters to prove they are U.S. citizens and attempts to prevent states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day. – Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump indicated on Tuesday that a colleague who worked for national security adviser Mike Waltz had been involved in adding a journalist to a secret group discussion by U.S. officials about sensitive war plans. – Reuters
A Korean American Columbia University student, who is a legal permanent U.S. resident and has participated in pro-Palestinian protests, cannot be detained by federal immigration officials for now as she fights the administration of President Donald Trump over attempts to deport her, a judge ruled on Tuesday. – Reuters
The U.S. State Department has upped its travel advisory for Trinidad and Tobago, a Caribbean island off the northeast coast of Venezuela, due to a state of emergency. – Fox News
The Trump administration has paused some green card applications, potentially affecting thousands who came to the United States as refugees or asylum seekers. – Newsweek
Five members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet were accused in a lawsuit of violating US laws meant to safeguard government records by using the encrypted messaging platform Signal to communicate about official business. – Bloomberg
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan today to discuss cooperation on key issues in security and trade. The Secretary requested Türkiye’s support for peace in Ukraine and the South Caucasus. – U.S. Department of State
Daniel McCarthy writes: Unfortunately, where communists did use nationalism and anti-imperialism to their advantage — in Southeast Asia and elsewhere in the Third World — they often succeeded. Vladimir Putin’s Russia is less powerful but far more intimidating than America, yet Mr. Putin too was shocked to find Ukraine would not submit to threats or force. Mr. Trump is a proud American patriot, which is one reason he dreams of expanding the nation’s territory. To succeed in diplomacy and grand strategy, though, Mr. Trump will have to make nationalism work for him, not against him, just as he did in domestic politics. – New York Sun
Cybersecurity
Britain’s National Crime Agency has warned of an “unprecedented risk” to young people from online groups that encourage teenagers to share sadistic and misogynistic material and to coerce others into sexual abuse, self-harm or violence. – New York Times
The president of Signal defended the messaging app’s security on Wednesday after top Trump administration officials mistakenly included a journalist in an encrypted chatroom they used to discuss looming U.S. military action against Yemen’s Houthis. – Reuters
New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday urged 23andMe customers to secure their data in light of rising privacy concerns after the DNA testing firm filed for bankruptcy amid declining demand for its services. – Reuters
Ukrainian state railways Ukrzaliznytsia, the country’s largest cargo carrier, said on Tuesday that a large-scale cyber attack had also hit its online freight services. – Reuters
A Ukrainian volunteer hacker group known as the IT Army has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on Russian internet provider Lovit that disrupted services in Moscow and St. Petersburg for three days. – The Record
Katie Sutton has been nominated to serve as assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy, according to a notice posted on Congress.gov – Defense Scoop
Defense
America’s top spies on Tuesday shifted the spotlight back to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to explain how highly sensitive details he posted in a telephone chat about imminent U.S. strikes on Yemen were not classified. – Reuters
Senate Commerce Committee chair Ted Cruz on Tuesday asked U.S Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to investigate if China is covertly working to prevent Congress from extending authority to auction wireless spectrum. – Reuters
U.S. Special Operations Command has tapped Anduril to help the organization develop and deploy autonomy software that can coordinate the operations of a variety of drones and other robotic platforms on the battlefield, the company is set to announce Wednesday. – Defense Scoop
Eli Lake writes: So it raises some uncomfortable questions. What will mid-level officials think about the cumbersome rules of handling classified material when their bosses so casually discuss military plans on a Signal text chain? And what will Russian or Chinese officials conclude about the national security leaders of their most powerful rival? Finally, what does it say that the president’s reaction to the entire affair is to dismiss it as fake news and a tempest in a teapot? – The Free Press
Dov S. Zakheim writes: There can be no denying that responsibility for the security breach must rest with the principals who actually used Signal on their cell phones to discuss highly classified matters. Nevertheless, if a military or civilian assistant fails to keep the boss out of trouble, he or she is not doing his or her job. There is more than enough blame to go around in what can only be termed a fiasco. It was saved only by the fact that Goldberg acted responsibly even before he realized that he had been included in a conversation to which he did not belong. Someone else might not have been as careful. If the attack plans on the Houthis had fallen into the wrong hands, the result of the leaked discussions could well have been the tragic and unnecessary loss of American military lives. – The Hill