By Alexander Ward, Matt Berg and Eric Bazail-Eimil

“Each decade, Russia starts a new war,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the U.N. General Assembly. “Many seats in the General Assembly hall may become empty if Russia succeeds with its treachery and aggression.” | Mary Altaffer/AP Photo

With help from Joseph Gedeon, Maggie Miller, Joe Gould and Daniel Lippman

Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt

The world’s eyes are on the U.N. General Assembly today, but they focused the most on speeches by President JOE BIDEN and Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY.

Biden’s address was unusually focused on the needs of developing countries, a striking departure from his speech last year which, understandably, centered on the war in Ukraine and the West’s response to it. Today the president vowed to reform global institutions like the World Bank and the U.N. to better reflect a changing world, one that sees nations like India and Nigeria gaining power and influence with surging economies and bursting population growth.

He cited the stronger relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam, once warring enemies; the need to address Haiti’s political and humanitarian crisis; and why countries should choose American-led institutions for their development needs, not China. “We're creating a race to the top of projects that have high standards for workers, the environment and intellectual property while avoiding the trap of unsustainable debt,” Biden said.

The speech is the latest administration pitch to billions of people in Africa, South America, the Middle East and beyond that the war in Ukraine and the global competition with China won’t distract Washington from their needs. It’s a fight for influence Biden and his team have chosen to contest in recent months, noting the failure of previous administrations to take such matters seriously.

Underscoring Biden’s focus on the rest of the world was his Ukraine section starting more than 20 minutes into his remarks. There, he offered the usual paeans to Ukraine’s defense of its sovereignty and for the world to stand by Kyiv. “We have to stand up to this naked aggression today and deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow,” Biden said.

It’s a message Zelenskyy picked up in his UNGA remarks some three hours later, where he made several overtures to African, Latin American and Asian countries, as our own NAHAL TOOSI and Eric report.

Condemning Moscow’s decision to exit the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Zelenskyy said Russia’s actions amounted to a “weaponization” of food. He also criticized Russia for “using energy as a weapon” and for its efforts to “turn other countries’ power plants into real dirty bombs,” pointing to Russia’s attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

That’s par for the course for his criticism of Moscow’s aggression, but rather than focus solely on how Kyiv is being impacted by the war, Zelenskyy made one thing clear to other potentially vulnerable nations: Russia can hurt you, too, if Ukraine loses.

Zelenskyy also honed in on Russia’s history of provocations toward neighboring countries, warning the assembly that Ukraine would not be the last victim of Moscow’s aggression and urging the U.N. to rally behind Kyiv’s peace proposals.

“Each decade, Russia starts a new war,” Zelenskyy said. “Many seats in the General Assembly hall may become empty if Russia succeeds with its treachery and aggression.”

A message from Lockheed Martin:

Our mission is to prepare you for the future by engineering advanced capabilities today.

Many of today’s military systems and platforms were designed to operate independently. Through our 21st Century Security vision, Lockheed Martin is accelerating innovation, connecting defense and digital to enhance the performance of major platforms, to equip customers to stay ahead of emerging threats. Learn more.

AZERBAIJAN ATTACKS: Azerbaijan has commenced what it is describing as an “anti-terrorist operation” in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region, announcing an “evacuation” of the Armenian population there.

The incursion comes after Azerbaijan accused ethnically-Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh earlier today of subjecting Azerbaijani military positions to “intensive fire.” Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement that “only legitimate military installations and infrastructure” are being targeted, though there are reports of civilian casualties.

The military incursion has been condemned by the European Union, which has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and return to peace talks. Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN said in a statement Azerbaijan’s actions “‘are worsening an already dire humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and undermine prospects for peace.”

Armenia’s foreign ministry is going further, saying Azerbaijan is “aimed at completing its policy of ethnic cleansing.” Yerevan has called on Russian peacekeepers, who have been stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh since the end of the 2020 war there, to maintain the peace and stop Azerbaijan’s “full-scale aggression” against the local Armenian population.

Azerbaijan has been tightening a supply blockade of food and medicines into the largely ethnic Armenian enclave that lies entirely within its territory, fueling pressure on the U.S. and allies to declare the actions a genocide.

INDIA DENIES CANADA’S MURDER CLAIM: India’s government today expelled a Canadian diplomat after Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU alleged there was credible evidence linking New Delhi to the assassination of a Sikh independence advocate and also expelled an Indian diplomat from Ottawa.

Canadian authorities have been investigating the shooting in June in British Columbia of HARDEEP SINGH NIJJAR, whom New Delhi had accused of orchestrating an attack on a Hindu priest in India.

India’s foreign ministry labeled Trudeau’s comments as “absurd and motivated,” accusing Canada of harboring “terrorists and extremists.” During the G-20 summit earlier this month in New Delhi, India’s national security adviser ripped into his Canadian counterpart, accusing Ottawa of supporting the Sikh bid for autonomy.

The allegations of a potential extrajudicial killing on the soil of Washington’s northern neighbor presents an uncomfortable situation for the Biden administration, which has been trying to court India as an ally and regional bulwark against China. The U.S. has said it is “deeply concerned” about the allegations and that it is “critical that Canada’s investigation proceed and the perpetrators be brought to justice.”

FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE AID STRONG: A new Change Research poll, seen in advance by NatSec Daily, found that 63 percent of Americans want the U.S. to continue military support to Ukraine, and 59 percent want aid to continue until Russia leaves the country entirely.

The poll, published by Razom, an advocacy group “committed to advancing policy for Ukrainian victory,” also found that the majority of voters would support a 2024 presidential candidate who is in favor of continuing U.S. aid to Kyiv.

The results come as Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN and Joint Chief Chair Gen. MARK MILLEY called on international defense leaders today to continue providing aid to Ukraine, including more air defense systems, during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, The Associated Press’ LOLITA BALDOR reports.

Kyiv has “no intention whatsoever ... to stop fighting during the winter,” Milley said, according to The Washington Post’s DAN LAMOTHE.

Also today, Ukrainian officials pushed back against a New York Times investigation that suggested that Kyiv accidentally bombed a local market in its own town of Kostiantynivka killing 15 people, our own VERONIKA MELKOZEROVA reports.

The NYT reported Monday that evidence suggests a devastating missile strike on Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine was actually an accident caused by a Ukrainian system firing toward Russian forces from the nearby Ukrainian-controlled town of Druzhkivka. Ukrainian law enforcement, however, said the evidence they have about the strike points to another Russian war crime.

“No doubt, the appearance of publications in foreign media with doubts about Russia’s involvement in the attack on Kostiantynivka entails the growth of conspiracy theories, and therefore requires examination and legal assessment by the investigative authorities,” said MYKHAILO PODOLYAK, an adviser to Zelenskyy.

GERSHKOVICH DENIED APPEAL: A Moscow court denied an appeal request from jailed Wall Street Journal reporter EVAN GERSHKOVICH.

“We have stayed in close touch with the families, in close touch with the Russians, frankly, and we will find a way to work this out. I would say I am cautiously optimistic we will find a release mechanism in the coming months,” U.S. special envoy for hostage affairs ROGER CARSTENS said on CNN this morning.

IT’S TUESDAY: 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 [email protected] and [email protected], and follow us on X at @alexbward and @mattberg33.

While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @reporterjoe, @JGedeon1 and @ebazaileimil.

SIGN UP FOR CEPA FORUM 2023. Between September 26-29, the Center for European Policy Analysis hosts NATO SACEUR Gen. Christopher Cavoli, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, and other global leaders to discuss supporting Ukraine in its fight for freedom. REGISTER TODAY

‘EVIL EMPIRE’: The Biden administration may not want a Cold War, but former Vice President MIKE PENCE is reviving that era’s rhetoric when he discusses China.

In a Monday evening speech at the conservative Hudson Institute, the Republican presidential hopeful said "China may not yet be an evil empire, but it is working hard to become one.” He accused China of seeking to “sit atop a new global order, created in its own image, a world in which freedom is constrained but Beijing’s power is not.”

Pence’s proposal is that the U.S. meet the China challenge with “strength,” both economically and militarily, though he was light on specifics –– typical for a sweeping speech like his.

One other noteworthy item: Pence vowed not to issue a visa to leaders like Iran’s EBRAHIM RAISI who oversee what he described as terrorist actions by the country’s own forces. Raisi’s arrival in New York City has stoked anger among the Biden administration’s critics, mostly on the right, who argue Washington should’ve denied the Iranian president entry into the United States, even if his destination was the international territory of the United Nations for the General Assembly.

Pence didn’t mention how the Trump administration he served in never denied a visa to an Iranian president attending UNGA.

NEW CONCERNS IN TAIWAN: Rep. MIKE GALLAGHER (R-Wis.), chair of the Select Committee on China, is concerned that Beijing could turn to blockading Taiwan and launching destructive cyberattacks against the island instead of an outright invasion in the case of conflict, our own MAGGIE MILLER writes in.

Speaking at an event on Capitol Hill hosted by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies today, Gallagher said during his most recent trip to Taiwan, he was warned by officials of a “blockade scenario” or a scenario in which China “expands the cyber war that I would suggest has already begun for Taiwan.”

“You can’t swallow a porcupine, but you can starve it,” Gallagher said.

Gallagher’s committee earlier this year put out a report detailing findings and recommendations in regards to a potential conflict in Taiwan. It included a section warning that the Chinese government has “trained its cyberattack capabilities” on Taiwan’s critical systems, which if taken down would make it difficult for Taiwan to win a war.

The House-passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act included language that would require the U.S. to provide cyber assistance to Taiwan. This is something Gallagher said he’s watching closely as the House and Senate work to compromise their versions of the annual defense bills, vowing he would help “jam it through” and get it signed into law.

DEAL SEALED: Drone maker AeroVironment announced it closed its deal to acquire Tomahawk Robotics, which builds artificial intelligence-enabled robotic control systems. The purchase was valued at $120 million, a mix of cash and stock, our friends at Morning Defense report (for Pros!).

Tomahawk will become part of AeroVironment’s Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems business unit. The purchase will "accelerate our implementation of AI and autonomy into AeroVironment’s platforms," Chair, President and CEO WAHID NAWABI said.

LOST AND FOUND: By the way, the missing fighter jet was found yesterday, and it turns out it didn't stray too far from its South Carolina military base.

Yesterday, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. ERIC SMITH ordered a two-day stand down for all Marine aviation units, citing a series of deadly training mishaps and the missing fighter jet.

GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here.

NO MORE FINGER-POINTING: House Armed Services lawmakers quizzed administration officials today on the $19 billion backlog of Taipei’s defense purchases from the U.S. But the State Department’s MIRA RESNICK had a comeback, our own JOE GOULD writes in.

Resnick, who is State’s deputy assistant secretary for regional security, doubled down on the agency’s finger-pointing at the defense industry’s lagging production capacity — not the foreign military sales process — as the “root cause” of the delays. Meanwhile, the administration in 2022 authorized the most FMS cases to Taiwan in a single year since at least the 1990s.

“When it takes over half a decade for Taiwan to receive a Patriot missile system or an F-16, the key problem is certainly not the 48-hour FMS review process nor a 15-day window for congressional notification,” Resnick said.

HASC Chair MIKE ROGERS (R-Ala.) called the foreign military sales process “clearly broken” and said more needs to be done. Last year’s NDAA authorized $1 billion in presidential drawdown authority and $2 billion for military financing for Taiwan, but the administration didn’t request and Congress didn’t appropriate matching sums.

“Taiwan is waiting for more than $18 billion in FMS aid. Some of it dates back to 2016, and that’s unacceptable,” Rogers said.

FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — MORE DOCS, PLEASE: More than two dozen Chilean officials are calling on the Biden administration to release more documents related to the country’s 1973 coup d’état.

In late August, the State Department released a pair of formerly top-secret documents that showed the Nixon administration’s possible support of events that led to the ousting of Socialist President SALVADOR ALLENDE’s democratically elected government.

The officials praised the White House for the move, but cited hate speech from AUGUSTO “PINOCHET apologists” in parliament — referring to the general who led the coup and installed a brutal dictatorship — as the reason that more declassification is needed.

“Declassifying these documents is not simply about acknowledging actions that were taken in the past but is a historic step that the United States can take, to help end the deliberate spread of misinformation and help defend Chilean democracy today,” the officials wrote in a letter dated Sept. 5 and sent on Thursday.

KISS AND TELL: An internal Chinese Communist Party investigation found that former Foreign Minister QIN GANG had an extramarital affair while serving in his post, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal’s LINGLING WEI, confirming a rumor that has circulated since Qin’s ousting.

— KEVIN HIGGINS has joined Sayari, a supply chain risk intelligence company, as an advisory board member. Higgins was the CIA’s chief of staff.

— BRUCE HOFFMAN and JACOB WARE, Foreign Affairs: American hatred goes global

— Editorial Board, The Wall Street Journal: What about the next American hostages?

— MIHIR SHARMA, Bloomberg: India needs to stop the bleeding from Canada killing

— Axios, 8 a.m.: Axios News Shapers with Sen. J.D. VANCE (R-Ohio) and deputy national security adviser MIKE PYLE

— USAID, 9 a.m.: Blinken and USAID Director SAMANTHA POWER deliver remarks on "Democracy Delivers"

— House Armed Services Committee, 9 a.m.: Industry perspectives on defense innovation and deterrence

— The Center for a New American Security, 10 a.m.: Gaining the asymmetric advantage: emerging technology and the AUKUS (Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) Pillar 2 promise

— The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 10:45 a.m.: Markup on nominations

— The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, 12 p.m.: Debating Saudi-Israeli normalization: does it advance U.S. interests?

— The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, 12 p.m.: Evaluate like we operate: why DOD should evaluate weapons systems as networked force packages, not individual platforms

— The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2 p.m.: Comprehensive and progressive agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the future of trade in the Indo-Pacific

— USAID, 3 p.m.: Power delivers remarks at the Sustainable Development Goals Forum.

Thanks to our editor, Emma Anderson, whose “treachery and aggression” is unrelenting.

We also thank our producer, Gregory Svirnovskiy, who protects us at all costs.

A message from Lockheed Martin:

Our mission is to prepare you for the future by engineering advanced capabilities today.

Many of today’s military systems and platforms were designed to operate independently. Through our 21st Century Security vision, Lockheed Martin is accelerating innovation, connecting defense and digital to enhance the performance of major platforms, to equip customers to stay ahead of emerging threats. Learn more.

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us

To change your alert settings, please log in at https://www.politico.com/_login?base=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com/settings

This email was sent to [email protected] by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA

Please click