The Senate moved forward with three individual military promotions, leaving hundreds still in need of Congressional action. Air Force General Charles Brown was approved to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Randy George was approved to become the Chief of Staff for the Army and General Eric Smith was approved to become the next Commandant of the Marine Corps.
The House saw a week of great expectations and dashed hopes. With little time to spare before the September 30th funding deadline, Speaker McCarthy tried everything to push a framework for a Continuing Resolution through his caucus, but to no avail. Despite numerous concessions to GOP hardliners, and significant optimism after a Wednesday evening meeting, by Thursday it was clear that no real progress had been made. Two attempts to advance defense funding legislation also failed amidst the ongoing GOP rebellion. It is likely that Speaker McCarthy will continue attempting to tweak the GOP Continuing Resolution in an attempt to appease the handful of holdouts, but if that fails he will either need to cut a deal with Democrats or take the blame for a government shutdown. A bipartisan coalition is already discussing a basic plan for a Continuing Resolution that would fund the government at current levels until January while also including some border security provisions and Ukraine aid.
If McCarthy cannot pass a bill with just the support of his Republican colleagues, he may need to take up the bipartisan legislation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was on Capitol Hill this week meeting with lawmakers. After speaking at the United Nations, he traveled to Washington where he was met with enthusiasm in the Senate, but received the cold shoulder from the House. Still, he found much support among the lawmakers he spoke with and additional aid to Ukraine is very possible. In the Canadian Parliament, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made international news when he accused the government of India of being involved in the targeted assassination of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. The resulting furor has left relations between the two nations at their lowest point in recent history.
And a speed offensive by Azerbaijan has ended with a ceasefire largely holding. Azerbaijan launched its offensive (which they refer to as a “counter-terrorism operation”) against the Armenian ethnic enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. The operation has left many ethnic Armenians displaced, resulted in the killing of Russian peacekeepers, and left the fate of the remaining Armenian population in dire doubt. While the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh is technically within Azerbaijan’s borders, such an attack on a sizable Armenian population certainly risked reprisal from the neighboring nation of Armenia.
However, in the past Armenia has been significantly dependent on its foremost ally and backer, Russia. But with Russian forces bogged down in Ukraine, Armenia is seemingly on its own. This may have been the reason that Azerbaijan chose to launch this attack. It is another example of Russia’s declining influence in the region. If you wish to unsubscribe from this newsletter, please use the link at the bottom of this page or contact us directly.
The State of the Sea Services
US Navy unmanned surface vessels visit Japan for first time – Navy Times / Sept 21
Unmanned surface vessels Ranger and Mariner pulled into Fleet Activities Yokosuka Sept. 18, becoming the first Navy USVs to visit Japan.
*Ukraine*
Zelenskyy returns to Washington as GOP dissent grows to funding war – Military Times / Sept 21
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a whirlwind return visit to Washington on Thursday to shore up U.S. support for Ukraine, delivering an upbeat message on the war’s progress while facing new questions about the flow of American dollars that for 19 months has helped keep his troops in the fight against Russian forces.
Great Power Competition
Zelenskyy returns to Washington as GOP dissent grows to funding war – Wall Street Journal / Sept 21 Surge in activity shows Chinese honing ability to block U.S. military from responding to an invasion