Today's D Brief: EU backs Ukraine peace talks; AUKUS, back on; AI in Europe; NNSA idles most staff; And a bit more.
Good morning and welcome to this Tuesday edition of The D Brief, a newsletter dedicated to developments affecting the future of U.S. national security, brought to you by Bradley Peniston and Lauren C. Williams. It’s more important than ever to stay informed, so thank you for reading. Share your tips and feedback here. And if you’re not already subscribed, you can do that here.
Blackouts loom in Ukraine as Russia shifts tactics
A swarm of Russian drones shut down the electric grid in parts of Ukraine on Tuesday, leaving hundreds of thousands without power—a sign of more blackouts to come this winter. Russia has mounted attacks on civilian infrastructure since it first invaded Ukraine in 2022, and such strikes are expected to grow more frequent as temperatures drop in coming weeks and months.
"Analysts and officials say that this year Moscow has shifted tactics, targeting specific regions and gas infrastructure," AP reports. European leaders back White House stance on Ukraine. Leaders from across Europe, including the European Union, Britain, France, Germany, and Ukraine, penned a joint statement Tuesday, calling for a ceasefire and more pressure on Russia’s economy.
"We are all united in our desire for a just and lasting peace, deserved by the people of Ukraine. We strongly support President Trump’s position that the fighting should stop immediately, and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations," leaders wrote in the statement issued by the British government.
"We must ramp up the pressure on Russia’s economy and its defence industry, until Putin is ready to make peace." Read the statement here.
AUKUS is back on after a monthslong review
President Donald Trump, who earlier this year appeared not to know about the trilateral deal, assuaged concerns about the submarine deal’s future, saying U.S. production was “full steam ahead” during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday.
"They're building magnificent holding pads for the submarines. It's going to be expensive. You wouldn't believe the level of complexity and how expensive it is," Trump said.
Australia has committed billions of dollars for the deal and its alliance is considered critical for stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Minerals deal.
The White House and Australia also signed a critical minerals deal, agreeing to put up $1 billion together in the next six months, according to a White House summary of the deal.
Albanese said Australia has $8.5 billion in the pipeline for the arrangement and about $50 billion in resources are estimated to be recovered, NBC reported.
AI in Europe: Estonia and Ukraine lead the way
The governments of Estonia and Ukraine are racing ahead to harness artificial intelligence, which they believe is crucial to building societies that can fend off Russian assaults—whether by missiles or denial-of-service attacks, Defense One’s Patrick Tucker reports.
"Estonia knows what it means to live on the digital frontline. AI gives us an advantage that size alone cannot. This is why we have an AI strategy for defense and a Force Transformation Command within the Estonian Defense Forces," Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal told an audience of international technology executives and government officials.
"Russia's war has made one thing clear: the side that can integrate technology faster has the advantage. Ukraine has shown it. So, while supporting them in every way, we also learn from them."
This means more than buying AI tools and services, he said: it means completely rethinking governmental structure and function.
NNSA idles most staff as payroll funds run out
The Trump administration furloughed 1,400 employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration on Monday as payroll funds ran out and the shutdown entered its third week.
"About 400 NNSA employees will continue working without pay to secure the nuclear stockpile and maintain minimum safety conditions," Federal News Network reported Monday.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright: "This has never happened before."
Border relocation raises questions about cyber workers
House Democrats want to know why Homeland Security moved key cyber workers to the border. The Monday letter — led by Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., and also signed by Reps. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., Eugene Vindman, D-Va., and Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, along with Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C. — argues that DHS violated the Antideficiency Act when it conducted a reduction in force during the government shutdown.
The agency has also moved to reassign Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency staff to roles within Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Protective Service and Customs and Border Protection.
China accuses NSA of hacking its systems
Beijing: Hey, the US is spying on us. China accused the National Security Agency of hacking its sensitive systems that keep standard time for defense, finance, and telecommunications sectors.
Read more here.
In other news
ICYMI: Many communications satellites don’t encrypt their traffic, study finds. Wired: “With just $800 in basic equipment, researchers found a stunning variety of data—including thousands of T-Mobile users' calls and texts and even US military communications—sent by satellites unencrypted.” Read on, here.