April 11, 2025

Welcome to FDD Action's Weekly NatSec Roundup.

🌐 ICYMI: FDD hosted an event this week focused on operationalizing “maximum support” for the Iranian people alongside the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI). The event featured Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) as the keynote speaker. FDD’s Behnam Ben Taleblu and NUFDI Vice President Cameron Khansarinia unpacked how maximum support can be paired with maximum pressure to ensure a comprehensive policy.

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🚨 NEED-TO-KNOW THIS WEEK

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet at the White House, April 7, 2025. (White House)

1. The U.S. and Iran will hold high-level nuclear talks in Oman’s capital tomorrow. While the format remains disputed (direct or indirect?), they could be the first direct talks between the two countries in a decade.

At the table(s?): While President Trump said the U.S. and Iran would hold “direct talks,” Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi insisted talks would be “indirect” with Omani mediators passing notes. Araghchi is expected to be Iran’s chief negotiator, and the U.S. has confirmed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will lead for America.
Trump giving diplomacy a chance: Trump said Monday that “a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious." If it wasn’t obvious what he meant, he later clarified that he “absolutely” meant military action. Araghchi meanwhile rejected a nuclear-dismantlement-for-sanctions-relief plan, saying “the U.S. can only dream” of such an outcome. The Trump admin has rightly maintained that “full dismantlement” is exactly what it is seeking.
The easy way or the hard way: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Trump met at the White House Monday. The two agreed that Tehran must either accept the destruction of its nuclear facilities “under American supervision with American execution” or face military action led by Israel. They gave Iran until June 11 to reach a deal.
There's a sense of urgency because the regime began producing 60% highly enriched uranium in April 2021 and now possesses enough to fuel nearly seven “crude” nuclear weapons. It may be able to make such crude devices within six months or more advanced nuclear weapons within a year and a half. U.S. and Israeli intelligence have observed Iran carrying out weaponization-related activities and in February, reportedly detected Iranian scientists were working to short-cut the regime’s route to nuclear weapons (h/t Andrea Stricker’s timely FAQ on the coming nuclear talks).
Parameters for a Good Deal: FDD’s Orde Kittrie, Andrea Stricker, and Behnam Ben Taleblu agree that the permanent dismantlement of Tehran’s nuclear weapons enterprise is the only acceptable option and outline the core minimum requirements of any deal that could achieve this in their new report. FDD Action also has additional analysis from Matt Zweig and Nick Stewart here.
✔ 👏 Key Congressional Support: Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-NY) is leading a letter supported by FDD Action with several other members of Congress underscoring deep congressional support for the full and verifiable dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program. The members note, “The only acceptable outcome is complete and verifiable nuclear disarmament –permanently stripping Tehran of the ability to enrich uranium, develop nuclear-capable missiles, or engage in nuclear weapons-related research."

Sec. Marco Rubio meets U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker and greets U.S. staff at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Apr. 3, 2025. (State Department photo by Freddie Everett)

2. The world has seen another week chock full of news on Ukraine’s defenses and Russia's continued aggression, even as other developments (think tariffs) draw attention away from the issue.

U.S. pullback in Europe? It’s complicated. The Pentagon is considering a proposal to withdraw up to 10,000 U.S. troops from Eastern Europe, including Poland, six U.S. and European officials briefed on the matter told NBC News. Despite reassurance from Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week, concerns remain over U.S. commitment to NATO. On Monday, President Trump fired Navy Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield, one of the top U.S. military officials at NATO. The firing came amid reports that the Pentagon was also planning to relinquish America’s long-held NATO leadership post of Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) to European partners. However, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense Katherine Thompson told Members of Congress Tuesday that the Pentagon was not considering such plans: “My definitive answer is no.”
“I have consistently recommended throughout that period to maintain the forces we surged forward, and I would continue to do so,” testified U.S. EUCOM Commander Gen. Chris Cavoli on the Hill Tuesday. Thompson, testifying alongside Cavoli, acknowledged that troop levels in Europe are under review. European officials raised concerns with the reported Pentagon force reduction proposal, saying they would reinforce fears that the U.S. is abandoning the continent. Reminder: one Russian general put it best when he said, “Ukraine is only a stepping stone” in the broader discussion of Eastern Europe.
Colby confirmed: The Senate confirmed Elbridge Colby as the Pentagon’s Under Secretary for Policy. Colby has questioned U.S. involvement in Europe and the Middle East, which he argues must not come at the expense of confronting America’s strongest adversary: China. At his confirmation hearing last month, he told lawmakers the U.S. should reconsider the national security interest of defending Taiwan too.
Axis of Aggressors unites in Ukraine: Ukrainian President Zelensky shared that his country identified 155 Chinese citizens fighting for Russia in Ukraine, another example of the growing military ties among America’s authoritarian adversaries. North Korea has also sent munitions and thousands of soldiers to fight for Russia. NSC Spox Brian Hughes said that if confirmed, the U.S. would consider the move an escalation and consider next steps. Meanwhile, INDOPACOM Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo, testifying in the Senate yesterday, said that China has provided 70% of the machine tools and 90% of the legacy chips to Russia to help Moscow “rebuild its war machine.” FDD’s Jack Burnham notes, “While it is unlikely that China directly authorized its citizens to fight on behalf of the Russian military, their appearance on the battlefield highlights the growing relationship between Moscow and Beijing, two of the senior members of the Axis of Aggressors.”
🆕 Can the U.S. continue to support our beleaguered allies? Yes, say FDD’s Ryan Brobst and Bradley Bowman. After two years of analyzing America's defense aid and industrial base, Brobst and Bowman found no material impact on the delivery of weapons systems to Israel or Taiwan because of U.S. military support to Ukraine. They caution, however, that “without prudent reforms and substantial new investments, the [defense industrial base] may not be capable of sustaining America’s role as the arsenal of democracy.” FDD Action will be sharing a deeper dive into this landmark study in the coming days, stay tuned.

3. Just as America's partners and adversaries were deciding how to respond to President Trump’s tariff plan, they welcomed the White House’s 90-day reciprocal tariff pause announced on Wednesday.

DO NOT RETALIATE AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED. The White House posted these words just hours after Trump announced the 90-day pause. The pause applies only to the reciprocal tariff rates that varied by country. The universal tariff rate of 10% effective April 5 will remain in place. Canada and Mexico, however, are still a special case; their USMCA-covered exports are tariff-free.
Everyone but China. While Trump’s Truth Social announcement Wednesday eased the pressure on the rest of the world economy, it ratcheted it up on China, raising the reciprocal tariff rate on China to 125% for a whopping 145% total. Just one week ago the tariff was set at 54%, but tit-for-tat retaliatory tariffs sent the numbers much higher.
The road ahead: FDD’s Craig Singleton breaks down the causes and consequences of the trade war spiral. “Trump sees Beijing as the architect of a rigged global order, and he isn’t angling for compromise—he’s driving for capitulation... Unless the two sides can craft an off-ramp that preserves Xi’s authority while satisfying Trump’s appetite for triumph, this trade war appears destined to escalate further if for no other reason than neither leader wanting to step back...”
The EU’s planned response: Prior to the reprieve, EU members agreed to counter-measures targeting €3.9 billion of U.S. agriculture and motorcycle exports. The EU's tariffs would have taken effect next week but were similarly paused for 90 days following Trump's announcement. EU President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed Trump’s delay and reiterated her support for a “zero-for-zero tariff agreement” with the U.S. But she added that Europe “continues to focus on diversifying its trade partnerships.”
South Korea announced it would not join China’s fight against U.S. tariffs, even as it last week confirmed it had exchanged ideas with Beijing and “shared an understanding” on economic cooperation. In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, Acting President Han Duck-soo said his nation “clearly would like to negotiate” with Washington and that he did not think “fighting back will improve the situation dramatically.” Han and Trump spoke on the phone Tuesday, discussing trade and defense issues.

🏛️ AT THE WHITE HOUSE

Treasury Building, October 20, 2009. (Official Treasury Department Photo)

1. The White House is aiming to maximize its leverage ahead of the planned nuclear talks with Iran on Saturday. The Treasury Department issued two rounds of hard-hitting sanctions targeting Iran’s nuclear weapons program and its illicit oil revenues.

Treasury’s first round designated five entities and one individual for their support of Tehran’s nuclear project. According to Treasury, the targets provided “support to key entities that manage and oversee Iran’s nuclear program.” The companies designated supported the procurement and production of Tehran’s nuclear centrifuges and reactors.
Round two was even tougher, taking aim at a network transporting hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of illicit Iranian oil. Treasury designated Jugwinder Singh Brar, the owner of multiple shipping companies, many of whose vessels are part of Iran’s “shadow fleet” that disguises oil shipments to avoid sanctions. Treasury also designated four entities that own and operate Brar’s vessels, which it said transported Iranian oil on behalf of the National Iranian Oil Company and Iranian military. The State Department concurrently designated four companies for receiving and/or transporting Iranian oil.
Establishing vital leverage: The series of sanctions are important steps to achieving diplomatic success with Tehran. FDD Action’s Tyler Stapleton explained, the U.S. must “continue to impose financial pressure on Iran’s global network of oil and illicit finance while partnering with Israel to degrade Iranian proxies such as Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.” Stapleton also warned, “Any talks that provide relief to Iran in exchange for time will fail, resulting in an emboldened Islamic Republic.”

FDD’s cyber center hosts a conversation with then CISA Director Jen Easterly on protecting critical infrastructure in the cyber age, moderated by RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Jan. 15, 2025. (Photos by Jeff Song/FDD)

2. The Trump administration’s push to improve government efficiency has set its sights on the nation’s cybersecurity personnel, with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reportedly expected to cut as much as a third of its staff.

What is CISA? CISA leads the nation’s cyber and physical infrastructure defense by detecting and mitigating critical vulnerabilities in collaboration with private and public sector partners.
Cuts made: Since Trump took office, CISA has made cuts in critical areas, terminating contracts with “red teams” hired to hack government systems to test our nation’s cyber defenses. Among those fired were some of our most talented cyber experts, a number of whom were talent poached from the private sector to address federal cyber workforce shortages. The agency has also slashed spending on cybersecurity support for state and local governments.
More cuts to come: While the agency has said cuts will help “focus CISA’s work on mission critical areas, and eliminate redundancies,” one source told Axios that the cuts are likely to impact “every single part of the agency.” CBS reported that the agency plans to cut 1,300 employees. The reduction may include 75 contract personnel who work on threat-hunting operations, which search for vulnerabilities and breaches on federal networks.
“Putting national security at risk”: Cuts to CISA will leave U.S. critical infrastructure more vulnerable to foreign attacks, warned FDD’s RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Johanna Yang. “The cuts… are in fact undercutting the agency’s core mission areas, weakening U.S. national resilience and casting doubt on America’s ability to repel, thwart and deter attacks in cyberspace. The consequences of these cuts will be felt in our schools and hospitals, in our water systems and electric grids and in many other critical areas as America’s ability to defend itself in cyberspace erodes.”
Cyber Firings at Top Echelons: Trump also fired U.S. Cyber Command Chief and National Security Agency (NSA) Director Gen. Timothy Haugh, as well as NSA Deputy Director Wendy Noble last week. Haugh had been set to testify to Congress this week. Montgomery called his dismissal an “own goal” and advised that America “cannot afford to lose first rate military officers like Tim over inappropriate political litmus tests.” Members of Congress expressed similar concerns.
China remains a major threat in cyberspace: How severe are the threats CISA defends U.S. critical and cyber infrastructure from? FDD’s Jack Burnham details a series of Chinese cyberattacks that have burrowed into our communications systems and utilities and even infiltrated the Treasury Department. He recommends Congress “require the Federal Communications Commission to issue stronger cybersecurity standards for telecommunications firms.”

3. President Trump issued three executive orders (EOs) to accelerate defense procurement and arms exports and revitalize the U.S. defense industrial base (DIB) and shipbuilding on Wednesday. The order comes just two days after FDD’s Bradley Bowman and Ryan Brobst released their recommendations for improving U.S. defense manufacturing.

(1) What’s in the DIB order? The Secretary of Defense must create a plan to reform the Pentagon’s acquisition process within 60 days and a plan to reform, right-size, and train the acquisition workforce within 120 days. The Pentagon is also ordered to review all projects that are either 15% behind schedule, 15% over budget, unable to meet key performance indicators, or unaligned with the agency’s priorities for possible cancellation.
🔍 What’s missing? “The president has emphasized that his administration will prioritize “peace through strength,” but that will be difficult without increasing defense spending by 3 to 5 percent above inflation each year,” wrote Bowman in February amid reports that the Trump administration was considering significant cuts to the Pentagon’s bottom line. While streamlining defense procurement is vital to deterring global aggression, Bowman warns that “the United States is underfunding defense” in a challenging geostrategic environment.
(2) 'Restoring America's Maritime Dominance.' Also Wednesday, Trump signed an EO to revive U.S. shipbuilding and reduce China's grip on the global shipping industry. The order vows to boost funding for the effort and directs the creation of a Maritime Action Plan designed to secure and expand the U.S. maritime industrial base by attracting private investment and enhancing supply chain security.
🚢 Addressing Beijing’s shipbuilding dominance: The EO directs the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to consider tariffing Chinese ship-to-shore cranes and cargo-handling equipment. It also directs the USTR to proceed with its proposal to charge port docking fees on ships in fleets that include Chinese-built or Chinese-flagged vessels. This proposal is based on the USTR finding that China’s growing global shipping dominance was “unreasonable” and burdensome to U.S. commerce. A CSIS study found that China’s share of global shipping increased from 5% in 1999 to over 50% in 2023. Nine Navy ship programs are between one and three years behind schedule, a White House fact sheet highlighted.
🎧 Weekend Listening: RADM (Ret.) Montgomery joined Defense One radio in the fall to break down how U.S. shipbuilding capacity has fallen so far and how it can be reborn.
(3) 'Reforming Foreign Defense Sales.' The EO aims to increase accountability and transparency; bolster U.S. arms exports by reducing regulation and increasing government-industry cooperation; and streamline the rules involved in “developing and executing” foreign defense sales. Specifically, it requires the Secretaries of State and Defense to create a list of “priority partners” for conventional weapons sales and prioritize end-items for potential transfer to them.
FDD's Center on Military and Political Power has been pushing for Washington to take action to expedite arms deliveries to our allies and partners facing down authoritarian aggression. There are still many steps Congress can take to drive these advances. CMPP's just-published Arsenal of Democracy report and other analysis contain a trove of policy recommendations.

📆 COMING DOWN THE PIKE

Saturday, April 12 –

Nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran will begin in Muscat, Oman, as both sides seek to gain leverage. Disagreement remains over whether the talks will take place directly or via Omani mediators.

Quotable: FDD Action’s Nick Stewart notes, “With Iran at its weakest point in decades, the US must recognize the leverage it holds and press that advantage. The complete and verifiable dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program is the only viable path...”

Monday, April 14 –

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele will visit the White House to meet with President Trump to discuss the use of Salvadoran prisons to detain gang members and how El Salvador’s cooperation with the U.S., “has become a model for others to work with this administration.”

Thursday, April 17 –

Italian President Giorgia Meloni travels to Washington as the first European leader to meet directly with President Trump since he announced the suspended 20% tariffs on EU exports last week. Ahead of the visit, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called for Italy to, “buy more from the United States... and to invest more in the United States,” echoing a message from Trump earlier this week.

FDD’s RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Annie Fixler will discuss persistent threats to U.S. military mobility with Bradley Bowman and Gen. (Ret.) Mike Minihan, former commander of U.S. Air Command. Interested in attending in person? Contact events@fdd.org for details.

🔍 WHAT'S MOVING ON THE HILL

✔ Endorsed E&C Bills Passed Committee: The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced two FDD Action-endorsed bills without opposition on Tuesday. The bipartisan and bicameral Defending Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency (FACT) Act (H.R. 906), led by Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publish a list of entities holding FCC authorizations that are owned by foreign adversarial governments. The bipartisan Removing Our Unsecure Technologies to Ensure Reliability and Security (ROUTERS) Act (H.R. 866) led by Committee Chairman Bob Latta (R-OH) and Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL) would require a study of the national security risks posed by foreign adversary-controlled routers and modems. (Committee Press Release)

✔ Endorsed HFAC Bills Passed Committee: The House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced three FDD Action-endorsed bills on Wednesday. The Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act of 2025 (H.R. 747) led by Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) would authorize sanctions on Chinese entities for illicit fentanyl trafficking and on complicit Chinese officials who are responsible for regulatory and law enforcement against them. The Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act (H.R. 1422), led by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), would strengthen secondary sanctions targeting foreign entities that facilitate illicit Iranian oil transactions, including financial institutions and shipping insurance providers. Finally, the No Paydays for Hostage-Takers Act (H.R. 2619), led by Reps. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), would strengthen U.S. deterrence against state-sponsored hostage-taking and the wrongful detention of U.S. nationals, with a particular focus on Iran.

✔ Endorsed HHSC Bills Headed to House Floor: The House Homeland Security Committee advanced three FDD Action-endorsed bills on Wednesday. Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee Chair August Pfluger (R-TX) led both the DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act (H.R. 881) and the Countering Transnational Repression Act of 2025 (H.R. 2158). The former bill prohibits funding from the DHS for any university that has any relationship with the Confucius Institute. The latter would create a dedicated transnational repression office in DHS to improve the response to and assessment of foreign threats against U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. The Committee also advanced the Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act (H.R. 1327) led by Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), which would require a DHS threat assessment of terror threats to the U.S. emanating from Syria, especially from individuals tied to U.S.-designated terrorist groups. (Committee Press Release)

✔ Endorsed Bill: The American-Hellenic-Israeli Eastern Mediterranean Counterterrorism and Maritime Security Partnership Act of 2025 (H.R. 2510) – Led by Reps. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Tom Kean (R-NJ), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), and Dan Goldman (D-NY), this bill seeks to enhance counterterrorism and maritime security cooperation between the U.S., Israel, and NATO allies Greece and Cyprus in a “3+1” format. It would also establish an interparliamentary working group to discuss security cooperation, eliminate restrictions on arms sales to Cyprus, create new multilateral defense initiatives, and authorize funding for upgrades to existing training infrastructure and functions at the U.S. Navy installation in Souda Bay, Greece, and the CYCLOPS security training hub in Cyprus. (In the News)

✔ Endorsed Letter: Gottheimer Letter to DOJ on the Palestinian American Community Center (PACC) – Led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), this letter urges the Department of Justice to investigate whether PACC provided material support to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-designated terror organization. On April 6, PACC hosted a conference with Wisam Rafeedie, a known PFLP associate, as a scheduled speaker. The letter also calls attention to the financial support PACC receives from American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), which is under investigation by both the Virginia Attorney General’s office and by the Senate HELP Committee for possible support of Hamas. (Press Release)

💡 HERE'S AN IDEA (OR TWO)

Reform the U.S. defense industrial base and arms transfer process to ensure the U.S. remains the global “arsenal of democracy.” After a two-year review of American military aid abroad, FDD’s Bradley Bowman and Ryan Brobst found no material delay in the delivery of 25 different weapons systems to either Israel or Taiwan because of U.S. support to Ukraine.

Nonetheless, the pair recommended vital reforms to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and arms sales process.

Authorize and fund the maximum or near-maximum quantity of key munitions and weapon systems: Refilling and expanding military stockpiles and inventories allows the U.S. to provide materiel as needed to beleaguered allies and partners. At a minimum, this approach should be applied to any munition or system currently employed or requested by both the U.S. military as well as Taiwan, Ukraine, or Israel or expected to be in high demand in a Pacific war.
Require maximum production plans from industry: The Pentagon and Congress should require prime contractors for key munitions and weapon systems to provide plans for increasing maximum production capacity as quickly as possible. The plans should detail the necessary steps, leading challenges, predicted timelines, and respective costs associated with various plans to increase maximum production levels.
Review and reform the armed services’ Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contracting processes: The delay between congressional notification of a prospective sale and the signing of a contract sometimes stretches multiple years, even for systems in active production. Congress should require a report from the administration on the time between the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announcement and a signed contract to produce major systems or munitions for Taiwan, Ukraine, and Israel. Congress should also investigate service contractor training, retention, and incentives as well as the Pentagon practice of “bundling” multiple FMS cases together before awarding a contract.
Update congressional reporting threshold values: Under current law, the president must formally notify Congress 30 calendar days (depending on the country) before the administration can conclude an FMS or issue a license for a direct commercial sale (DCS) worth at least $14 million for major defense equipment or $50 million for defense articles and services. Congress should amend the FMS and DCS reporting threshold values to adjust for inflation and allow these thresholds to increase along with inflation in the future.

📣 WINNING MESSAGES

📘 KEEPING UP W/ FDD

On Iran

Iran Nuclear Talks – Will Trump Use Force to Stop Iran’s Nuclear Development? (Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh | The Wall Street Journal | April 10, 2025)

Pressuring Iraq – Washington Must Pressure Baghdad to Disarm Iran’s Proxy Militias in Iraq (Bridget Toomey and Janatan Sayeh | FDD Policy Brief | April 9, 2025)

On Israel

Seven Front War – Israel’s Second War of Independence (Clifford D. May | The Washington Times | April 9, 2025)

Hezbollah Rearming – Iran Reportedly Smuggling Weapons to Hezbollah Via Beirut Port (David Daoud | FDD’s Long War Journal | April 9, 2025)

Turkey in Syria – Turkey’s Rising Influence in Post-Assad Syria (Ahmad Sharawi | FDD Policy Brief | April 10, 2025)

On Russia & Ukraine

China x Russia – Countering Beijing’s Denial, Kyiv Claims That More Than 150 Chinese Nationals Are Fighting for Russia in Ukraine (Jack Burnham | FDD Policy Brief | April 11, 2025)

On China

Confronting Chinese Market Dominance – Trump understands China is on its way to global domination and must be stopped (Elaine Dezenski | New York Post | April 10, 2025)

China’s Semiconductor Progress – Understanding How China Secured Its Chip Stack (Nathan Picarsic and Emily de la Bruyère | Hinrich Foundation | April 8, 2025)

Trade War – Trump and Xi Are in a Tariff Trap (Craig Singleton | Foreign Policy | April 9, 2025)

AI & National Security – To Beat China, America Must Balance AI Innovation with National Security (Johanna Yang and Jack Burnham | The Cipher Brief | April 10, 2025)

In Other News

Sinai Explainer – 10 Things to Know About Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula (FDD Insight | April 9, 2025)

Aviation Cybersecurity – Turbulence Ahead: Navigating the Challenges of Aviation Cybersecurity (Jiwon Ma | FDD Monograph | April 10, 2025)

💓 ON A LIGHTER NOTE…

Another American held hostage by Russia returned home this week.

Karelina was arrested on charges of “petty hooliganism” while visiting family in January 2024. Russian authorities then increased the charges to treason. The reason? A $51.80 donation to a Ukrainian humanitarian organization, which she made the day of the Russian invasion in 2022. Moscow sentenced her to serve 12 years in a penal colony.

Touching down at Joint Base Andrews late last night, she had a long embrace with her fiancé on the tarmac after fifteen months of separation, telling reporters, “I never felt more blessed to be an American.”

The prisoner swap also meant that the U.S. returned Russian German Artur Petrov who had been arrested in August 2023 on charges of smuggling sensitive microelectronics to Russia. The deal was brokered by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and a senior Russian intelligence official.

👋 Thanks for sticking with us! Until next week.

P.S. If you liked this and don’t want to wait another week for more, check out FDD Action’s new X account for endorsement updates and timely analysis on breaking national security news.