A ‘tough riddle’ on Gershkovich’s grim anniversary

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Mar 29, 2024 View in browser   By Matt Berg Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands inside a defendants' cage before a hearing to consider an appeal on his arrest at the Moscow City Court in Moscow on April 18, 2023. | Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images Subscribe here | Email Matt| Email Eric With help from Eric Bazail-Eimil, Lara Seligman, Alex Ward and Daniel Lippman Today marks one year since Wall Street Journal reporter EVAN GERSHKOVICH was detained on espionage charges in Russia. For PAUL BECKETT, a Journal editor who advocates full-time for Gershkovich’s release, keeping the reporter’s name in the headlines has been a challenge. “There's a huge amount going on in the world, and we firmly believe that if Evan slips out of the spotlight, that will just make the necessary dealings harder to pull off,” Beckett told NatSec Daily. Public pressure has long been seen as key to getting detained Americans released. Responding to that pressure is a balancing act for U.S. officials — who want to do all they can to bring someone home, but also don’t want to incentivize hostage-taking or arbitrary detentions. “It's a tough riddle,” HUGH DUGAN, the former acting special presidential envoy for hostage affairs in the Trump administration, told NatSec Daily. “You're either home or you're not … It's one of the few things that is so blatantly accountable, to any American who pays attention in this world.” The Biden administration knows very well how challenging it can be to pull off a deal: They paid a steep price for the release of WNBA player BRITTNEY GRINER, ending in a one-for-one trade for Russian arms dealer VIKTOR BOUT. The Griner deal faced intense scrutiny from critics who said the U.S. got the short end of the stick. “Overexposure — I can't say that's what brought Griner home, but it certainly raised the price on her head,” Dugan said. “And it kept us from getting more than Griner back.” PAUL WHELAN, who has been imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges for over five years, was supposed to be a part of that deal, but the Kremlin wouldn’t budge unless the U.S. secured the release of a former Russian spy agency official. That’s the trickiness with negotiations: They’re an imperfect art, often dependent on interpersonal relationships between officials as well as the specific charges levied against the captive, and real lives hang in the balance if the work isn’t perfectly executed. As the U.S. quietly works behind the scenes, hostage family members long for direct attention from U.S. leaders — which can be exceedingly difficult to obtain. ANNA CORBETT, whose husband RYAN CORBETT has been held by the Taliban in Afghanistan since August 2022, still hasn’t met with President JOE BIDEN despite her pleas. Her children also wrote dozens of letters that were handed to Biden’s staff during the State of the Union, but she hasn’t heard any response to those pleas. “I don't understand what the holdup is here, because it seems like when they prioritize something, they make time for it,” Anna told NatSec Daily. “So my conclusion is, is Ryan important or is he not?” She has met with Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN and national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN among other top officials, and the White House is “actively engaged in Ryan Corbett’s case and doing everything possible to bring him home,” National Security Council spokesperson KATE WATERS told NatSec Daily. The Biden administration has brought home more than 60 Americans from places where they have been held hostage or wrongfully detained around the world, Waters said, adding that the administration continues to warn Americans against traveling to Afghanistan especially since the U.S. withdrawal in 2021. Anna recounted a phone call with her husband this week in which he said that he’s ill and losing hope of getting out. The Taliban have been telling him that the United States is forgetting about him, she added. Biden today focused on those held in Russia: “To Evan, to Paul Whelan, and to all Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad: We are with you. And we will never stop working to bring you home.” Read more from our colleagues about Evan’s situation here: Evan Gershkovich is no spy. Trust me, I recruited him by EVA HARTOG Inside the WSJ’s ‘very intense’ effort to free Evan Gershkovich by RYAN LIZZA ‘Hello from sunny Moscow’: My year of letters with Evan Gershkovich by LINDA KINSTLER A message from Lockheed Martin: Make Any Point your Center of Command Lockheed Martin, guided by our 21st Century Security vision, is driving innovation to connect data points across domains to elevate the capabilities of crucial platforms, empowering customers to stay ahead of evolving threats. Learn more.   The Inbox JOINT DRILLS NEAR CHINA: The U.S., Japan and the Philippines will launch joint naval patrols in the South China Sea later this year, a U.S. official and a foreign diplomat familiar with the planning told our own PHELIM KINE, ALEXANDER WARD and LARA SELIGMAN. The maneuvers are part of a package of initiatives that Biden, Japanese Prime Minister FUMIO KISHIDA and Philippine President FERDINAND MARCOS JR. will unveil at their first-ever trilateral summit next month, the official and the diplomat said. It’s a major move to counter China in the region — and one likely to elicit a strong response from Beijing. The White House is also expected to announce that it will “seriously consider” having Japan as a technological partner in elements of the “AUKUS” security partnership between the U.S., U.K. and Australia, a DOD official and another person familiar with the planning told our colleagues. BILLIONS IN BOMBS: The Biden administration quietly authorized the transfer of “billions of dollars in bombs and fighter jets” to Israel in recent days, The Washington Post’s JOHN HUDSON writes. Those packages include more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, Pentagon and State Department officials told the Post. The MK84s have been linked to mass casualty events in Gaza. Those bomb transfers, approved by Congress years ago, had not yet been fulfilled. Last week, the State Department also authorized “the transfer of 25 F-35A fighter jets and engines worth roughly $2.5 billion, U.S. officials said. The case was approved by Congress in 2008, so the department was not required to provide a new notification to lawmakers.” PROGRESS ON ‘MARTYR PAYMENTS’: The U.S. is close to reaching a deal with the Palestinian Authority to end its contentious “martyr payments” for people who commit acts of violence against Israel, two Biden administration officials told our own NAHAL TOOSI. The program financially supports Palestinians and their families if they are wounded, imprisoned or killed while carrying out acts of violence against Israel. It has long infuriated Israelis who say it incentivizes terrorism and call it “pay for slay.” Many Palestinians say it provides crucial support for people standing up to an oppressive Israeli occupation. “There’s been a great deal of work on this behind the scenes, and the progress is encouraging,” a senior Biden administration official told Nahal. Another official confirmed changes to the system were expected soon. It would be a key win for the multifaceted U.S. push to reform the PA — from instituting anti-corruption measures to improving basic services — so that it can take over governance of the Gaza Strip whenever the Israel-Hamas war ends, which the Biden administration has been pushing for. DEADLY ALEPPO STRIKE: Syria accused Israel of conducting massive airstrikes on the northern city of Aleppo this morning, which are thought to have killed at least three dozen soldiers, The New York Times’ RAJA ABDULRAHIM and VICTORIA KIM report. The airstrikes appear to be Israel’s largest attack in the country in years, the Times writes. Israel’s military didn’t immediately comment on the strikes, but have previously said they’ve conducted hundreds of assaults on Iran-linked forces in Syria. STOP ‘STRANGLING’ NORTH KOREA: Russian officials called on major powers today to take a new approach to North Korea, a day after Moscow vetoed the renewal of a panel that monitors Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program, Reuters’ GUY FAULCONBRIDGE reports. Russia’s veto on the U.N. Security Council to block the panel of experts, which monitors enforcement of U.N. sanctions against North Korea’s nuke and ballistic missile efforts, struck a blow to the international sanctions regime against Pyongyang. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson MARIA ZAKHAROVA accused the U.S. of stoking military tensions with North Korea and said that international restrictions on the country haven’t improved the security situation. “The United States and its allies have clearly demonstrated that their interest does not extend beyond the task of ‘strangling’ the DPRK by all available means, and a peaceful settlement is not on the agenda at all,” she said, using the abbreviated name for North Korea. ENERGY GRID ATTACKS: Parts of Ukraine were left without power following large-scale strikes by Russia on three energy stations in the country, our own VERONIKA MELKOZEROVA reports. Ukraine’s largest private energy provider DTEK said three of its thermal power stations were targeted in the attacks, which saw at least 60 explosive drones and dozens of missiles aimed at energy infrastructure, according to Kyiv’s military. ICYMI — Egypt seeks border security support from US amid Gaza negotiations by our own ERIN BANCO DRINKS WITH NATSEC DAILY: At the end of every long, hard week, we like to highlight how a prominent member of Washington’s national security scene prefers to unwind with a drink. Today, we’re featuring TORY BRUNO, the CEO of the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin and a leading aerospace company. He likes a “good single malt, and I prefer the peaty stuff,” Tory said, relaxing in his chair at ULA’s office in Rosslyn. Ardbeg is his preferred bottle, because “they do the malting of the barley by burning peat, so they taste really, really smoky. A really good one like that, you feel like you can almost chew it.” As to where he likes to chew his smoky spirit, “I drink it at home, out on the deck, usually with my son and or a friend.” And yes, we did ask about the potential sale of his company to Blue Origin: “If there were ever a sale, I wouldn’t be able to talk about it,” he soberly responded. Maybe after a few whiskeys… Cheers, Tory! IT’S FRIDAY. WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND. 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.      Keystrokes MORE HACKING VICTIMS: A pair of top officials from the Czech Republic and Britain were among the targets of Beijing's cyberespionage campaign uncovered this week, our own STUART LAU reports. The revelations come after the U.S., U.K. and others called out a 2021 online campaign by Chinese state-linked hackers earlier this week. The Justice Department released an indictment and the U.K. imposed sanctions on the hacking group, known as APT31, saying the hackers had ties to the China government. Among the targets of the attacks: British Minister for Europe NUSRAT GHANI, who was a member of a coalition of lawmakers critical of Beijing at the time of the attacks, and Czech Foreign Minister JAN LIPAVSKÝ, also a member of the group. Read: Inside TikTok’s latest arguments against a ban by our own HAILEY FUCHS The Complex ISRAEL WEAPONS SALES: We’ve got more details on Thursday’s comment from Joint Chief Chair Gen. C.Q. BROWN that Israel hasn’t received all the weapons it wants from the United States. A spokesperson for Brown told Lara that that has nothing to do with the war in Gaza, and there's no change in U.S. policy toward Israel. Rather, Brown’s comments referred to limits on U.S. stockpiles and possible impact on the Pentagon’s own readiness, according to spokesperson Capt. JEREAL DORSEY. The chair’s remarks reflected “standard practice before providing military aid to any of our allies and partners,” Dorsey said in a statement, stressing that “There is no change in U.S. policy” on Israel. “We assess U.S. stockpiles and any possible impact on our own readiness to determine our ability to provide the requested aid,” Dorsey said. SCRATCH THAT: After years of discussions, the British Army has lifted its more than 100-year-old ban on beards, it said in a statement obtained by Veronika. Sorry, U.S. soldiers (in most cases.) On the Hill BOWMAN UPDATE: Video of Rep. JAMAAL BOWMAN (D-N.Y.)’s comments that POLITICO unearthed earlier this week calling the rapes of Israeli women on Oct. 7 “propaganda” are now being used for propaganda purposes by several major Turkish media outlets, including a government-owned news agency, our own DANIEL LIPPMAN writes in. State-owned news agency Anadolu and the Turkish media outlets Milat Gazete and Eha Medya have all put the short video clip on social media. In it, Bowman says, “There was propaganda used in the beginning of the siege. There’s still no evidence of beheaded babies or raped women. But they still keep using that lie [for] propaganda.” The outlets do not note that Bowman had reversed himself on the issue of sexual assaults on Oct. 7, and now says, “The U.N. confirmed that Hamas committed rape and sexual violence, a reprehensible fact that I condemn entirely.” (The claim about beheaded babies has been widely disputed, with Israeli officials saying they couldn’t confirm the reports.) The outlets did not respond to requests for comment, and a spokesperson for Bowman had no comment.     Broadsides WAR IS HERE: Polish Prime Minister DONALD TUSK warned today that Europe is in a “pre-war era” but still has a “long way to go” before it's ready to face the threat ahead, our own CLAUDIA CHIAPPA reports. Speaking with reporters, Tusk said what’s most worrying right now is that “literally any scenario is possible," adding that Europe has not faced a situation like this since 1945. RADIO NOT FREE? Radio Free Asia is restructuring its operations in Hong Kong, as a series of new laws in the territory have raised concerns about the future of press freedoms and human rights in the Chinese-administered financial hub, Eric writes in. Radio Free Asia CEO BAY FANG announced this morning that the broadcaster, based in Washington and funded through the U.S. Agency for Global Media, will retain its official media registration but “no longer have full-time personnel in Hong Kong.” They are also closing their physical Hong Kong bureau, citing the broadcaster’s designation as a “foreign force” by Hong Kong officials and the implementation of Article 23, a national security law which critics have blasted as an attempt to criminalize dissent in the territory. ICYMI — Airlines report GPS signal jamming: Russia gets the blame by our own TOMMASO LECCA   SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, the newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world, including WEF in Davos, Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to UNGA in NYC and many more. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW.     Transitions — JOHN PLUMB plans to leave his post as assistant secretary of Defense for space policy in early May, Breaking Defense’s AARON MEHTA and THERESA HITCHENS report. — The Pentagon today announced the appointment of career official ASHLEY MANNING to serve as the acting leader of the newly established Office of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy, our own MAGGIE MILLER reports (for Pros!). The new office, formally launched on March 20, marks an elevation of cyber policy issues at the Pentagon, which is doubling down on strengthening its cyber posture in the face of new threats from China and other nations. — FRANK ROSE is leaving the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, where he was principal deputy administrator, Daniel scoops. Among other nuclear-related issues, he helped shape the administration’s Nuclear Posture Review in 2022. What to Read — HANNA NOTTE, The New York Times: Putin’s next escalation is coming — ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN, The Wall Street Journal: The West needs a war footing — LISA CURTIS and NILANTHI SAMARANAYAKE, Center for a New American Security: Countering coercion: managing Chinese gray zone activity in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean region A message from Lockheed Martin: Make Any Point your Center of Command Lockheed Martin, guided by our 21st Century Security vision, is driving innovation to connect data points across domains to elevate the capabilities of crucial platforms, empowering customers to stay ahead of evolving threats. Learn more.   Monday Today — Atlantic Council, 9 a.m.: By air and by sea: What does the spring hold for Ukraine? — Brookings Institution, 1 p.m.: The Middle East crisis and the threat of Hezbollah-Israel escalation — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 3 p.m.: A virtual discussion with U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD on "U.S. diplomacy in the Pacific islands" Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who should be subject to an international sanctions regime. We also thank our producer, Giselle Ewing, whom we’d appoint as the expert to monitor her.   Follow us on Twitter Matt Berg @mattberg33 Eric Bazail-Eimil @ebazaileimil   Follow us

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