Daily Strike — Morning Edition

Covering the roughly 13 hours from 11:00 UTC Tuesday to midnight UTC entering Wednesday, the desk’s lead story is Ukraine’s push for new US sanctions on Russia, running on two tracks — a targeted request on Russia’s Starlink rival and a broader wish list under the Graham sanctions law — against a backdrop of fresh nuclear rhetoric out of Moscow and signs the White House still wants an Iran deal.

Top Stories

Ukraine is urging the United States to sanction entities that support Russia’s rival to Starlink, according to Reuters. Separately, Kyiv plans to present Washington with a broader sanctions wish list under the law authored by Sen. Lindsey Graham, AP News reports. We have a full article on both reports up this morning.

Russia warned NATO it is prepared to respond with nuclear weapons if the alliance moves to cut off Kaliningrad, as tensions in the Baltic continue to rise, according to the Jerusalem Post. The warning follows this desk’s earlier coverage of a similar Kaliningrad nuclear warning and NATO’s condemnation of Moscow’s nuclear rhetoric over strikes on Kyiv.

Trump aide Sebastian Gorka told the Jerusalem Post the White House is still pushing for an Iran deal and believes an end to the war is near, adding that the president will not dilute his demands in any version of a potential agreement, according to the Jerusalem Post interview.

Markets

No specific market data points were available to this desk in the window covered. The Pentagon’s newly launched FORTRESS America program, described by Defence Industry Europe as aimed at securing military supply chains and energy independence, is worth watching for any downstream effect on defense and energy sectors, though the report reviewed does not detail specific budget figures or timelines.

Secondary Fronts

• The Pentagon has launched a program called FORTRESS America to secure military supply chains and bolster energy independence under a new homeland defense effort, per Defence Industry Europe. The report does not specify a budget figure or implementation timeline.
• Politico reports that some of Europe’s biggest defense spenders and US allies were left out of a Pentagon-led meeting of a new Trump-aligned NATO planning group, per Politico Defense. The report does not name which allies were excluded.
• Foreign Policy examines whether warmer US-China ties could harm India’s position, arguing Washington and New Delhi have more to focus on than Beijing, per Foreign Policy.
• ASPI’s The Strategist rounds up Taiwan’s arms procurement hopes, Indonesia’s carrier ambitions, and Fiji’s military leadership, per The Strategist.

What to Watch Tomorrow

1. Whether the White House, State Department, or Sen. Graham’s office responds to Ukraine’s sanctions requests, including the Starlink-rival target.
2. Whether Gorka’s claim that an Iran deal is near is followed by any formal administration statement or negotiating timeline.
3. Which allies, if any, are named as having been excluded from the Pentagon-led NATO planning group Politico reported on.

What We’re Tracking, Not Yet Published

• The specific entities Ukraine wants sanctioned in connection with Russia’s Starlink rival, which neither Reuters nor AP has named as of this writing.
• The full contents of Ukraine’s broader sanctions wish list under the Graham law, pending formal submission to Washington.
• Further detail on the Pentagon’s FORTRESS America program, including funding and scope, beyond the initial Defence Industry Europe report.

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— The America Strikes desk