| IN LIKE FINLAND: Following a unanimous 276-to-0 vote in the Turkish parliament yesterday, Finland has won the support of all 30 NATO nations to join the Western alliance in time for next week's meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. "Finland will be a strong and capable ally, committed to the security of the alliance," said Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in a statement. "Finland is now ready to join NATO. We look forward to welcoming Sweden to join us as soon as possible." Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership together, but Sweden's bid remains blocked by Turkey, who says the Swedish government has not yet met commitments it made to crack down on groups that Ankara considers terrorist organizations, including militant Kurdish groups and suspects associated with a 2016 coup attempt. "Finland will formally join our alliance in the coming days," said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in a statement. "Their membership will make Finland safer and NATO stronger. Finland has highly capable forces, advanced capabilities, and strong democratic institutions." "All allies made a historic decision last year to invite Finland and Sweden to join our alliance. Since then, we have seen the fastest ratification process in NATO's modern history," said Stoltenberg. "Allies agree that a rapid conclusion of the ratification process for Sweden will be in everyone's interest." TURKEY ADMITS FINLAND TO NATO AS ERDOGAN AND ORBAN GANG UP ON SWEDEN A REBUKE TO PUTIN: In December of 2021, two months before its invasion of Ukraine, Russia released an eight-point draft "peace" treaty, which demanded, among other things, that NATO commit to no further eastern expansion of the alliance and limit the deployment of troops and weapons to the alliance's eastern flank, in effect returning NATO forces to their 1997 status. Instead, Finland's addition to NATO dramatically expands the amount of border that Russia will now share with NATO nations. Poland and Lithuania border a small chunk of Russia on the Baltic Sea. Latvia and Estonia have bigger borders on Russia's western flank, but Finland's 832-mile border will more than double the size of NATO's boundary with Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who claimed his invasion of Ukraine was in part because of Ukraine's desire to join NATO, now has a more powerful alliance on his western flank. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: For Finland to complete the process of joining NATO, a few more steps have to be taken. Under the alliance's 1949 founding treaty, the United States is a depository country for the Washington treaty. "Turkey Hungary will deposit their instruments, ratifications, with the U.S. government. And then the United States will inform the NATO secretary-general that all 30 NATO allies have deposited their instruments for Finland to join NATO, and the secretary general would issue a formal invitation to Finland to accede to the Washington treaty," said Dereck Hogan, principal deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, told reporters in a conference call. Then, Finland sends its own acceptance document, signed by Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, to be filed in the archives of the U.S. State Department. Once Finland's membership acceptance document reaches the State Department in Washington, the country officially becomes a NATO member. NATO and the U.S. have given no timeline, but in theory, the process could be completed by next week. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Good Friday 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 Conrad Hoyt. 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 us on Twitter: @dailyondefense. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE Subscribe today to the Washington Examiner magazine and get Washington Briefing: politics and policy stories that will keep you up to date with what's going on in Washington. SUBSCRIBE NOW: Just $1.00 an issue! 'ABSOLUTELY, COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE': The U.S. is protesting the arrest of American journalist Evan Gershkovich in the "strongest terms" after Russia's Federal Security Service detained the 32-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter and charged him with espionage for allegedly trying to obtain classified information. "The targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is absolutely, completely unacceptable and we condemn Mr. Gershkovich's detention and we do so in the strongest terms," said NSC spokesman John Kirby in a conference call with reporters. Gershkovich's arrest is the first of an accredited Western journalist on spy charges in Russia since the days of the former Soviet Union, and while Kirby could not say if other reporters might be at risk, he urged all Americans to leave Russia immediately. "Americans should please heed the U.S. government's warning not to travel to Russia. U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Russia should depart right away, as the State Department continues to advise," Kirby said. "The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich," the newspaper said in a statement. WHITE HOUSE SIDESTEPS ONE QUESTION ABOUT US REPORTER DETAINED IN RUSSIA RELEASE PAUL WHELAN NOW: Members of the Michigan congressional delegation have reintroduced a bipartisan, bicameral resolution calling for the immediate release of Michigander Paul Whelan from detention in Russia after receiving a classified briefing from State Department officials. It's outrageous that Russian authorities continue to keep Michigander Paul Whelan unjustly imprisoned," said Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI). "This bipartisan, bicameral resolution shows Michiganders' unified commitment to continue pressing for Paul's release." "In the nearly five years since Paul's unlawful detention by Russia, we have seen Vladimir Putin further isolate himself on the world stage as his government has dissolved into one of lawlessness, leading through threats and violence," said Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI). "We must stand up and make it clear that American citizens will not be used as political pawns by Putin." 9 DEAD IN APPARENT MID-AIR COLLISION: The Army hasn't said what caused two medical evacuation MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 101st Airborne Division to crash in southwest Kentucky, but when two helicopters go down at the same time, it is almost always the result of running into each other. "According to Army officials, the helicopters were performing planned night-training flight operations at the time of the incident," said Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder yesterday. The Army has confirmed the helicopter pilots were training with night-vision goggles. "We lost nine servicemembers in an accident during a routine training mission in Kentucky," said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a statement. "My heart goes out to the families of these servicemembers and to the members of the 101st Airborne Division who bravely and proudly serve our country each and every day. I'm saddened by this tragic loss, and I am working with Army leadership to make sure our troops and their families receive the care that they need in the wake of this accident." NINE SOLDIERS KILLED IN BLACK HAWK HELICOPTERS CRASH NEAR FORT CAMPBELL STILL NO PATRIOTS: We learned from an Associated Press interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week that despite the announcement that U.S. Patriot missile defense batteries would be sent to Ukraine, they haven't arrived yet. "We have great decisions about Patriots, but we don't have them for real," Zelensky told Associated Press reporters who accompanied him on a two-night train trip across Ukraine. But the Pentagon announced yesterday that the first group of Ukrainian soldiers are ready to operate the system after training in the U.S. "Just this week, 65 Ukrainian air defenders completed Patriot training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and have now arrived back in Europe," said Ryder at a Pentagon briefing. "They're integrating with other Ukrainian air defenders, along with donated Patriot air defense equipment from the United States, Germany and the Netherlands." All told, the U.S. European Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa, and Security Assistance Group-Ukraine have trained more than 7,000 members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ryder said, including more than 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers who have completed combined-arms training at the Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels training areas in Germany. The two brigades, one equipped with M2 Bradleys and one equipped with Strykers, have returned to Ukraine. The Rundown Washington Examiner: Turkey admits Finland to NATO as Erdogan and Orban gang up on Sweden Washington Examiner: Congressional Pentagon budget debate shows divide on preparing for war with China Washington Examiner: Pentagon says eight 'militants' killed in Syrian strikes last week Washington Examiner: US condemns Russia's arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Washington Examiner: White House sidesteps one question about US reporter detained in Russia Washington Examiner: Russia seeking new munitions from North Korea, White House alleges Washington Examiner: Top cyber general rejects Elon Musk's call for artificial intelligence pause Washington Examiner: Nine soldiers killed in Black Hawk helicopters crash near Fort Campbell Washington Examiner: Opinion: The grave stupidity of abandoning Saudi Arabia to China Washington Examiner: Opinion: Forget Russia's spy fiction, here's why US reporter Evan Gershkovich was likely arrested Washington Examiner: Opinion: Now is the time to strengthen policies and actions to counter communist China Reuters: China Stages Combat Patrols After Warning Taiwan About U.S. Speaker Meeting Reuters: China Says Australia-Britain-U.S. Nuclear Submarine Cooperation May Spark Arms Race USNI News: AUKUS Agreement Will Help Deter China From Taiwan Invasion, Says Former PACOM CO Washington Post: Taiwan, Like Ukraine, Is Fighting For Democracy, Tsai Says In New York AP: Finland says Russia spy operations weakened in Nordic nation Reuters: Sweden Less Sure It Will Join NATO By July Defense News: Marine Corps Rejects Pentagon's Pitch For New Amphibious Ship Designs Task & Purpose: The US military is getting caught up in a war on drag shows Air & Space Forces Magazine: It's Official: ARRW Is Done When All-Up Tests Conclude. What's Next? AP: US Navy deploys more chaplains for suicide prevention Washington Post: Opinion: The Biden administration barely pretends to care about Syria anymore The Cipher Brief: As Cyber Strikes Mount, What Happens in Ukraine Doesn't Stay in Ukraine The Cipher Brief: North Korea's Nuclear Weapons Are a Threat to All Nations The Cipher Brief: America Has a Military Recruitment Problem. Some Are Trying to Fix It. Forbes: Oshkosh Protest Of Joint Light Tactical Vehicle Award Focuses On Price Realism And Risk Calendar FRIDAY | MARCH 31 8:30 a.m. 1330 Maryland Ave. SW — National Review Institute 2023 Ideas Summit, with former Vice President Mike Pence; and former Attorney General Bill Barr delivering remarks on "rule of law" https://web.cvent.com/event 9:30 a.m. — Henry Stimson Center virtual discussion: "Japan's New National Security Strategy: Allies & Partners," with Ken Jimbo, professor at Keio University; Tomohiko Satake, senior fellow at the National Institute for Defense Studies; Kei Koga, associate professor at Nanyang Technological University; Yoko Iwama, professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies; and Masahiro Kurita, senior fellow at the National Institute for Defense Studies https://www.stimson.org/event/japans-new-national-security-strategy 10 a.m. — Bipartisan Policy Center virtual discussion: "Housing America's Military Families," with Shannon Razsadin, president and executive director of the Military Family Advisory Network; and Jessica Strong, senior director of applied research at Blue Star Families https://bipartisanpolicy.org/event/housing-americas-military-families 10 a.m. 37th and O Sts. NW— Georgetown University Center for Contemporary Arab Studies conference: "Iraq 2023: Twenty Years On" https://www.georgetown.edu/event/iraq-2023-twenty-years-on TUESDAY | APRIL 4 TBA Brussels, Belgium — Two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters, with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_212528.htm WEDNESDAY | APRIL 5 9 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies "Global Security Forum Focused on Transatlantic Defense," with Adm. Christopher Grady, Joint Chiefs vice chairman; William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment; Marek Magierowski, Polish ambassador to the U.S.; and German Air Force Gen. Chris Badia, deputy supreme allied commander transformation, NATO https://www.csis.org/events/2023-global-security-forum-transatlantic-defense 10 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in-person "Spacepower Security Forum," with Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman; Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt, deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber, and nuclear; Derek Tournear, director, Space Development Agency; and Lisa Costa, chief technology and innovation officer, U.S. Space Force https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/event THURSDAY | APRIL 6 10 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies "Aerospace Nation" event with Lt. Gen. Richard Moore, deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, U.S. Air Force; and Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, deputy chief of space operations, strategy, plans, programs, and requirements, U.S. Space Force https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/event/april-6 | | | "Finland will formally join our alliance in the coming days. Their membership will make Finland safer and NATO stronger. Finland has highly capable forces, advanced capabilities, and strong democratic institutions. So Finland will bring a lot to our alliance."
| NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg after Turkey became the final NATO member to approve Finland's application to join the trans-Atlantic alliance
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