PDB – Deterrence Failed in Ukraine – Could Fail in Taiwan

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Today’s PDB includes a variety of critical, global national security issues.

Daily ‘RUSSIA WAR BRIEF’ on the Ukraine Invasion Provided SEPARATELY

READ TODAY’S PDB BELOW:

NATIONAL SECURITY

Congressman argues US deterrence strategy failed to protect Ukraine and could fail Taiwan too. The Russian invasion of Ukraine should show American military and congressional leaders the importance of arming Taiwan before conflict erupts, one lawmaker contended in a March 3 hearing.

White House seeks new $10B Ukraine fund with half for Pentagon. The White House has formally asked Congress for $32.5 billion in pandemic relief and “critical assistance” to help Ukraine fight off a Russian invasion, with $4.8 billion for the Pentagon, as part of an updated supplemental spending request.

Service chiefs on pattern of Continuing Resolutions: ‘We can’t keep doing this’ With just over a week left before the latest continuing resolution to fund the federal government runs out, the service Chiefs of the Air Force and Space Force bemoaned the frequent use of CRs to keep the Pentagon funded, calling the practice “bad,” “frustrating,” and “absolutely devastating.”

CHINA THREAT

Despite Russian invasion, China remains military’s top challenge. The week-old Russian invasion of Ukraine has grabbed the world’s attention and caused many nations to rethink their defense priorities and commitments. But Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said at a conference in Orlando Thursday the U.S. military will retain its focus on China as the country’s top challenge.

Pacific Air Forces boss watching ‘like a hawk’ for Taiwan invasion. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach questioned what and when Chinese President Xi Jinping knew of Russia’s plan to invade Ukraine.

WAR COMING – Navy says China fight is most likely in 2020s, sharpening its focus on readiness. The U.S. Navy sees the 2020s as presenting the “peak risk” for China making a move against Taiwan, driving the service’s effort to prioritize readiness over fleet size, the vice chief of naval operations told lawmakers Thursday.

RUSSIA THREAT

China declared its Russia friendship had ‘no limits.’ It’s having second thoughts.
(Wall Street Journal) Xi Jinping wanted Vladimir Putin to join in a united front against the U.S., and he got it Feb. 4. Now the Ukraine war threatens to undo Beijing’s yearslong effort to become a world leader.

Russia-Ukraine: Mapping anti-war protests around the world. From London and New York to Beirut and Istanbul, demonstrators, some cloaked in Ukrainian flags, have come out in droves to show solidarity with Ukrainians.

Last vestiges of Russia’s free press fall under Kremlin pressure. “Everything that’s not propaganda is being eliminated,” a Nobel Prize winning editor said as Russian authorities moved to control the narrative in the Ukraine war.

How Ukraine’s military has resisted Russia so far. Ukrainian troops have mounted a stiffer-than-expected opposition to a superior force in the early days of the war. But U.S. officials say it may not last.

IRAN THREAT

Iran foreign minister says nuclear deal subject to Iran’s red lines. Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Friday that the West’s “haste” to reach a nuclear agreement “cannot prevent the observance of Iran’s red lines”, including economic guarantees.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Venezuela’s leader trades old guard for slick technocrats to keep power. A new generation of cosmopolitan Venezuelan officials has allowed President Nicolás Maduro to halt the economic collapse and remain in power, at the cost of fostering potential future challenges to his rule.

Analysis: Gulf states cautiously navigate war on Ukraine. Six Gulf Cooperation Council states have high stakes in the war with ties to the West and multifaceted relationships with Russia.

MILITARY AND SPACE

F-35C that crashed into the carrier Vinson salvaged from South China Sea. The U.S. 7th Fleet’s Task Force 75 and Naval Sea Systems Command’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving pulled the jet up from a depth of approximately 12,400-feet. 

First new B-21 stealth bomber moves to new hangar for final checks. The first B-21 expected to fly is largely assembled and has moved to a calibration facility, one of the last steps before powering systems and making final checks ahead of first flight.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

Paul Crespo

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Paul Crespo is the Managing Editor of American Liberty Defense News. As a Marine Corps officer, he led Marines, served aboard ships in the Pacific and jumped from helicopters and airplanes. He was also a military attaché with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) at U.S. embassies worldwide. He later ran for state and federal office, taught political science, wrote for the editorial board of a major newspaper and had his own radio show. A graduate of Georgetown, London and Cambridge universities, he brings decades of experience and insight to the issues that most threaten our American liberty – at home and from abroad. To read more go to: paulcrespo.com.

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