TRUMP: ‘WE HAVE THE CONFINES OF A DEAL, I BELIEVE’: President Donald Trump continues to signal a deal to stop the fighting in Ukraine could be imminent, while his Secretary of State Marco Rubio is cautioning against excessive optimism and warning the U.S. may soon give up on the peace initiative.
Speaking to reporters on the tarmac at Morristown Airport in New Jersey Sunday, Trump said after his Vatican sitdown with Volodymyr Zelensky, he thinks the Ukrainian president is “calmer” and “understands the picture.”
“Look, he’s in a tough situation, a very tough situation. He’s been fighting a much bigger force, much bigger,” Trump said. “And I think he wants to make a deal. I don’t know if he wants to make a deal. I think he wants to make a deal. Asked if Zelensky was ready to “give up” Crimea, Trump responded. “I think so, yeah.
”Asked what he was expecting from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said, “I want him to stop shooting, sit down, and sign a deal. We have the confines of a deal, I believe. I want him to sign it and be done with it, and go back to life.”
RUBIO: ‘CLOSE, BUT NOT CLOSE ENOUGH’: Earlier in the day, on NBC’s Meet The Press, Rubio was taking a more pragmatic tone, suggesting that while the two sides are “closer than they’ve been in a very long time,” they’re “not there yet.”
“I think this is going to be a very critical week,” Rubio told host Kristen Welker, warning that President Trump’s patience is wearing thin. In a post on his Truth Social platform Saturday, Trump expressed irritation that Putin continues to target civilians with missiles and drones. “There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump said. “It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’”
“This week is going to be a really important week in which we have to make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in, or if it’s time to sort of focus on some other issues,” Rubio said on NBC. “There are reasons to be optimistic, but there are reasons to be realistic, of course, as well. We’re close, but we’re not close enough.”
LAVROV: ‘WE ARE READY TO REACH A DEAL’: Meanwhile, over on CBS, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was telling Margaret Brennan that Putin is willing to stop the war so long as his conditions are met. “President Putin said, ceasefire, yes, but we want the guarantees that the ceasefire would not be used again to beef up the Ukrainian military and that the support of arms should stop.”
In other words, Russia wants U.S. and Western aid cut off to defang Ukraine’s formidable military. Lavrov also said that recognizing Crimea as belonging to Russia was “a done deal” and not up for discussion. “Russia does not negotiate its own territory.”
As for the U.S. proposal — as outlined in its “final offer” presented to Zelensky in London last week — that “Ukraine regains control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant through U.S. control and administration of the plant, with electricity distributed to both sides,” Lavrov also said “nyet.”
The Zaporizhzhia plant is “in very good hands,” Lavrov said. “Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station is run by the Russian Federation state corporation called Rosatom. It is being under monitoring of the IAEA personnel permanently located on the site. And if not for the Ukrainian regular attempts to attack the station and to create a nuclear disaster for Europe and for Ukraine as well, the safety requirements are fully implemented.”
KENNEDY: PUTIN THINKS U.S. ON ‘THE BULLET TRAIN TO CHUMP TOWN’: On Fox News Sunday, the always quotable Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) was unimpressed by Putin’s supposed readiness to make a deal.
“Putin has reneged on every promise that he’s made to President Trump. His latest proposal is — well, nothing. He wants to keep all the territory that he’s taken. He wants to prohibit Ukraine from joining NATO, and he wants America and Europe to stop helping Ukraine,” Kennedy told Fox’s Shannon Bream. “I think that Putin thinks that America has taken the bullet train to chump town. I think he thinks we’re afraid of him. He has jacked around President Trump at every turn. He has disrespected our president.”
“I don’t think it’s going to get any better until we make it clear to Mr. Putin that we are willing to turn him and his country into fish food and I’m not talking about nuclear weapons or nuclear war. I would start with oil, which I will be glad to talk about if you want.”
ZELENSKY: RUSSIA ‘IS TRYING TO DECEIVE THE WORLD’: In his nightly video address, Zelensky said while the “Russians talk a lot about their alleged readiness to accept American proposals,” so far, there have been “no signs of the Russian army preparing for real silence.”
“At the cost of significant losses, the Russians are trying to advance,” Zelensky said. “And every day of such battles at the front proves that Russia is really trying to deceive the world – to deceive America and others – and to further prolong this war.”
Zelensky also disputed the report that Russia’s top general Valery Gerasimov gave Putin Saturday, in which he claimed, “the scarce remnants of Ukrainian elite units were defeated and knocked out of the Kursk Region.”
“Our military continues to operate in the Kursk and Belgorod regions,” Zelensky said in a post on X. “We maintain our presence in Russia. Pokrovsk, all other directions in Donetsk region … We are keeping all our positions strong so that we have every opportunity for proper diplomacy.”
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Good Monday 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: ‘THEY’RE BACK’: The House is back in session after its two-week Easter recess, and it’s got some heavy lifting to do, including plans to increase defense spending by a whopping $150 billion.
It’s going to be a busy month, says Washington Examiner congressional reporter Rachel Schilke, who says lawmakers will be racing to get GOP’s “one big beautiful” reconciliation bill ready for a floor vote before the Memorial Day recess.
“Law will not see another break until the end of the month,” Schilke reports. “There are 16 session days on the House calendar, with three Fridays and one Monday set as recess days, for now.”
At the same time, Republicans will pursue symbolic floor votes that are sure to please Trump, including legislation renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and a bill giving current and former presidents more legal flexibility when they are prosecuted.
HOUSE GOP PACKS MAY SCHEDULE WITH MEGABILL VOTE ON THE HORIZON
ALSO TODAY: CANADIAN ELECTIONS: In what will be a closely watched election on this side of the border, Canadians go the polls today for a national election that will determine if Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney gets to remain the country’s leader or if Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative party will win more seats in Parliament.
Just a few months ago, Poilievre, a populist firebrand, seemed in a comfortable position to win, given Justin Trudeau’s sinking popularity. But then President Trump riled up nationalist fervor in Canada with his talk of annexing Canada to make it America’s 51st state, and now the election is a referendum on who will stand up to Trump.
“President Trump has some obsessive ideas, and that is one,” said Carney, who is appealing to voters to give him a strong hand to play against Trump. “It’s not a joke,” he said of Trump’s desire to acquire Canada. “It’s his very strong desire to make this happen. It’s one of the reasons why this crisis is so serious.”
CANADIAN ELECTION CAMPAIGNS END ON SOMBER NOTE AFTER VANCOUVER MASSACRE
AND… President Donald Trump has another executive order signing session set for 5 p.m. in the Oval Office, in which he plans to issue orders focused on “restoring law and order and securing the homeland.”
FINALLY, A YEMEN UPDATE: 45 DAY, 800 TARGETS: It’s been a month and a half since the U.S. military initiated “Operation Rough Rider,” the “intense and sustained campaign targeting the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen to restore freedom of navigation and American deterrence,” and we finally have an update from the U.S. Central Command about how the campaign is going.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has often complained that the media has not focused enough on the operation’s success, but aside from one briefing at the beginning of the bombing on March 15, the Pentagon and CENTCOM have been mum about what was happening on the ground in Yemen.
Occasional videos from open sources have given a glimpse of the destruction wrought by U.S. airpower, including attack aircraft from two U.S. carrier strike groups and sea-based missiles from U.S. warships.
“USCENTCOM has struck over 800 targets,” the Sunday update said. “These strikes have killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders, including senior Houthi missile and UAV officials … The strikes have destroyed multiple command-and-control facilities, air defense systems, advanced weapons manufacturing facilities, and advanced weapons storage locations. These storage facilities housed advanced conventional weapons, including anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems, and uncrewed surface vessels, which were employed in Houthi terrorist attacks on international shipping lanes.”
“While the Houthis have continued to attack our vessels, our operations have degraded the pace and effectiveness of their attacks. Ballistic missile launches have dropped by 69%. Additionally, attacks from one way attack drones have decreased by 55%,” CENTCOM said. “Iran undoubtedly continues to provide support to the Houthis. The Houthis can only continue to attack our forces with the backing of the Iranian regime.”
“We will continue to ratchet up the pressure until the objective is met, which remains the restoration of freedom of navigation and American deterrence in the region,” the statement concluded.
PENTAGON ANNOUNCES HEGSETH’S NEW SENIOR ADVISERS IN WAKE OF DEPARTURES
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Trump’s diplomatic overtures to Putin fall on deaf ears
Washington Examiner: Hegseth orders Equal Opportunity complaint process review
Washington Examiner: Pentagon announces Hegseth’s new senior advisers in wake of departures
Washington Examiner: Pentagon fixates on ‘totally fake’ makeup room report amid department turmoil
Washington Examiner: Mike Waltz defends Hegseth amid Pentagon turmoil
Washington Examiner: Hegseth criticizes overweight reserve troops: ‘Fit, not fat’
Washington Examiner: Canadian election campaigns end on somber note after Vancouver massacre
Washington Examiner: Trump testing Canadians’ patience even in famously friendly Nova Scotia
Washington Examiner: Losing AI race to China is a bigger threat than global warming, Burgum says
Washington Examiner: Over 100 illegal immigrants arrested in multi-agency raid at Colorado nightclub: Police
Washington Examiner: Second suspect arrested in DC robbery of Kristi Noem
The War Zone: F-35C Naval Joint Strike Fighters Have Been Shooting Down Houthi Drones
AP: US Forces Deploy Anti-Ship Missiles in Philippines and Stage Live-Fire Drills Near China Hotspots
Defense News: With Indo-Pacific Undersea Cables at Risk, Companies Tout Their Tech
AP: Shocked by US peace proposal, Ukrainians say they will not accept any formal surrender of Crimea
Wall Street Journal: The Russian Military Moves That Have Europe on Edge
BBC: Israel Launches Air Strike on Beirut
New York Times: 5 Takeaways From The Times’s Investigation Into the Jan. 29 Collision at National Airport
AP: Wife of US Coast Guard member arrested over expired visa after security check for military housing
Defense One: New White House Order Makes It Easier to Fire Probationary Employees
The Hill: Trump Brushes Off Hegseth Criticism: ‘I Don’t View Signal as Important’
Breaking Defense: Elon Musk Sat in on Job Interview for Air Force’s Top Civilian
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Kadena Adds Second Batch of F-35s to Its Fighter Rotation
Breaking Defense: America’s Nuclear Arsenal to Cost $946B over Next Decade, Government Report Reveals
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Force Accepts New Weather Satellite, Eyes Commercial Options
SpaceNews: Astrotech Wins $77.5 Million Contract to Accelerate Pre-Launch Satellite Processing at Vandenberg
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Boeing Claims Progress on T-7 and Other Challenged Programs
Militarycom: Independent Study Raises Alarm About Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma at Malmstrom Air Force Base
Air & Space Forces Magazine: New Jersey F-16s Lend Their ‘Voice’ to Popular Flight Simulator
THE CALENDAR:
MONDAY | APRIL 28
10:30 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Outlook for U.S.-Japan Relations: Perspectives from Japanese Legislators,” with former Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera; and former Japanese Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi https://www.csis.org/events/outlook-us-japan-relations
12:30 p.m. — Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies virtual discussion: “War in the Middle East and the Transatlantic Relationship,” with Josep Borrell, former high representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and former vice president of the European Parliament; Nathalie Tocci, director, Isituto Affari Internazionali; and Renaud Dehousse, SAIS professor https://bipr.jhu.edu/events/4860-War-in-the-Middle-East
1 p.m. 1957 E St. NW— George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs discussion: “Korean and Japanese Relations Under Trump 2.0,” with Jennifer Kavanagh, senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities; Ken Moriyasu, diplomatic correspondent at Nikkei Asia; and Scott Snyder, president and CEO of the Korea Economic Institute of America https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/korean-and-japanese-relations
1:30 p.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “Speaking Out: Former Wrongfully Detained Americans in Venezuela,” with former Venezuelan detainees Eyvin Hernandez, Eric Arthur, Matthew Heath, Osman Khan; and Sarah Moriarty, daughter of former FBI agent Robert Levinson who disappeared in Iran in 2007 https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/speaking-out
4 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual media briefing: “Analyzing the Australian Election and its Implications for U.S.-Australia Relations,” with Charles Edel, CSIS senior adviser and Australia chair; Rory Medcalf, CSIS nonresident adjunct fellow and Australia chair; Lavina Lee, CSIS nonresident adjunct fellow and Australia chair; and Mick Ryan, CSIS adjunct fellow and Australia chair https://www.csis.org/events/press-briefing-analyzing-australian-election
TUESDAY | APRIL 29
10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee markup: “Committee Print – Providing for reconciliation pursuant to H. Con. Res. 14, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2025” https://armedservices.house.gov
10 a.m. 2247 Rayburn — House Oversight and Government Reform Government Operations Subcommittee hearing: “Tracking Progress: Updates to DoD’s Financial Management Scorecard,” with testimony from Acting Defense Comptroller/CFO Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell; Brett Mansfield, deputy Defense inspector general for audit; Lt. Gen. James Adams, deputy Marine Corps commandant for programs and resources; and Asif Khan, director for financial management assurance in the Government Accountability Office http://oversight.house.gov
12 p.m. — Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft virtual book discussion: Ideology and Meaning-Making Under the Putin Regime, with author Marlene Laruelle, research professor of international affairs and political science and director, Illiberalism Studies Program at George Washington University https://quincyinst.org/events/book-talk-what-are-russians-thinking
1:30 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW— Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Army force planning, readiness, and initiatives to build a modern, capable force,” with Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus https://www.csis.org/events/strategic-landpower-dialogue
2 p.m. HVC-210, U.S. Capitol — House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Military and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing: “Securing the Skies: Addressing Unauthorized Drone Activity Over U.S. Military Installations,” with testimony from Rear Adm. Paul Spedero, vice director for operations, Joint Chiefs of Staff; Mark Roosevelt Ditlevson, acting assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs; and Timothy Arel, COO of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Organization http://oversight.house.gov
3:30 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee hearing: “Energy, Installations, and Environment Update,” with testimony from Robert Thompson, acting assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations, and environment; Daniel Klippstein, performing the duties of assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment; Brenda Johnson-Turner, performing the duties of assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and environment; and Michael E. Saunderse, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for energy, installations and environment http://www.armedservices.house.gov
WEDNESDAY | APRIL 30
8 a.m. 1099 14th St. NW — Axios “News Shapers” discussion with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) https://newsshapersapril2025.splashthat.com
8:45 a.m. 151 St. George Blvd, Oxon Hill, Maryland — Defense Strategies Institute MOSA (Modular Open Systems Approach) for Defense Summit, April 30-May 1, with Nickolas Guertin, former assistant Navy secretary for research, development and acquisition https://mosa.dsigroup.org
9 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Rebuilding America’s Maritime Industrial Base,” with Sen. Todd Young (R-IN); Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ); Michael Roberts, senior fellow, Hudson Institute’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technology; and Bryan Clark, senior fellow and director, Hudson Institute’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technology https://www.hudson.org/events/rebuilding-americas-maritime-industrial-base
12 p.m. 1957 E St. NW — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs book discussion: “My Russia: What I Saw Inside the Kremlin,” with author Jill Dougherty, former Moscow bureau chief for CNN https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/my-russia-what-i-saw-inside-the-kremlin
1 p.m. — Henry Stimson Center virtual discussion: “America at 100 Days: National Security and Global Influence” https://stimsoncenter.zoom.us/webinar/register
2 p.m. — Business Council for International Understanding discussion: “Germany’s defense priorities and the German – U.S. defense relationship,” with Rear Adm. Axel Ristau, German defense attaché to the U.S. http://www.bciu.org/events/upcoming-events [Note: Event is off-the-record and closed press. Members of the business community may RSVP to attend and to receive event location.]
3 p.m. 2118 Rayburn House — House Armed Services Committee Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing: “Missile Defense and Missile Defeat Programmatic Updates,” with testimony from Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander, U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command; Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, director, Missile Defense Agency; Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey, commanding general of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command; and Andrea Yaffe, performing the duties of the assistant secretary of defense for space policy http://www.armedservices.house.gov
3:30 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing: “Military Department Personnel Chiefs: Personnel Posture,” with testimony from Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte, deputy commandant of the Marine Corps Manpower and Reserve Affairs; Vice Adm. Richard Cheeseman, deputy chief of naval operations for personnel; Lt. Gen. Brian Eifler, deputy Army chief of staff; Katharine Kelley, deputy chief of space operations for human capital; and Lt. Gen. Caroline Miller, deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel, Air Force http://www.armedservices.house.gov
THURSDAY | MAY 1
8 a.m. 14750 Conference Center Dr., Chantilly, Virginia — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association Northern Virginia Chapter “Space Force IT Day, with the theme ‘Space Resilience,’” with Maj. Gen. Dennis Bythewood, special assistant to the chief of space operations, Space Force; Col. Nathan Iven, acting deputy chief of space operations for cyber and data; and Stacie Williams, chief science officer, Space Force https://afceanova.swoogo.com/spaceforceitday2025
8:05 a.m. 151 St. George Blvd., Oxon Hill, Maryland — Defense Strategies Institute MOSA (Modular Open Systems Approach) for Defense Summit, with Raymond O’Toole, acting director of operational test and evaluation, Defense Department https://mosa.dsigroup.org/
9 a.m. 2212 Rayburn — House Armed Services Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing: “Small UAS and Counter-Small UAS: Gaps, Requirements, and Projected Capabilities,” with Doug Beck, director, Defense Innovation Unit; Lt. Gen. Eric Austin, deputy commandant of the Marine Corps for capabilities development and integration and commanding general, Marine Corps Combat Development Command; Army Lt. Gen. Robert Collins, principal military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology, and director, Army Acquisition Corps: Army Maj. Gen. David Stewart, Director, Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office https://armedservices.house.gov
10 a.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “Strengthening U.S. Shipbuilding: Congress’s Role in Maritime Revitalization,” with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ); Sen. Todd Young (R-IN); and Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/revitalizing-us-shipbuilding
1 p.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council Global Energy Center and Eurasia Center discussion the the report: “Underwater Mayhem: Countering NATO Energy and Critical Infrastructure Threats,” with co-author Benjamin Schmitt, senior fellow, University of Pennsylvania; co-author Michael Kurtyka, fellow, Atlantic Council Global Energy Center; co-author Alan Riley, nonresident senior fellow, Atlantic Council Global Energy Center; John Herbst, senior director, Atlantic Council Eurasia Center; and Justina Budginaite-Froehly, nonresident senior fellow, Atlantic Council Europe Center and Transatlantic Security Initiative https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/underwater-mayhem
2 p.m. — Henry L. Stimson Center virtual discussion: “Gambling on Armageddon: Costs and Risks of Nuclear Modernization,” with Christopher Preble, Stimson senior fellow and director of Stimson’s Reimagining U.S. Grand Strategy Program; Elizabeth Threlkeld, Stimson senior fellow and director of Stimson’s South Asia Program; and Geoff Wilson, Stimson fellow and strategic adviser at Stimson’s National Security Reform Program https://www.stimson.org/event/gambling-on-armageddon
5 p.m. — Common Good virtual discussion: “The Limits of Presidential Power,” with former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, chairman of the Panetta Institute for Public Policy; former Rep. David Jolly (R-FL); and Richard Salomon, lawyer and CEO of Vantage Point Consultants https://www.thecommongoodus.org/upcoming-events/the-limits-of-presidential-power
8 p.m. Tuscaloosa, Alabama — President Donald Trump delivers the commencement Address at the University of Alabama at Coleman Coliseum.
FRIDAY | MAY 2
8:30 a.m. 14th and F Sts. NW — National Press Club “World Press Freedom Week” event: Alsu Kurmasheva, journalist for Radio Free Europe who was held in detention in Russia, delivers remarks on her detention in Russia, her return to reporting, and ongoing efforts to free the 10 VOA and RFE/RL and RFA journalists still imprisoned worldwide https://www.press.org/newsroom/world-press-freedom-week2 p.m. Sedona, Ariz.— McCain Institute Sedona Forum: “Wielding America’s Preeminent Power” https://www.mccaininstitute.org/resources/events/sedona-forum
