Putin prides himself on new nuclear weapons are decades ahead of his rivals

"Russia continues to say that they have nothing to do with interference in our election!" The president tweeted Thursday morning.

Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) said that Trump must address the interference of the election with Putin. "When Putin says Russia has not interfered in our election, he's lying," Graham said. "When he says that they will not do it in the future, he's lying."

Meanwhile, NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg says the Trump summit is "a sign of strength". James Randerson of POLITICO

Nevertheless, anxious American allies and Russian skeptics will be on the lookout, writes Reuters

HAPPY VENDREVICE AND WELCOME TO MORNING DEFENSE, where we are still on the lookout for advice, arguments and comments. Send us an email at [email protected], and follow on Twitter @greg_hellman @morningdefense and @politicopro .

MD TRIVIA: Today 's question comes from last week' s winner, David Morriss: The Navy has recently accepted its newest DDG – 51 destroyer, l '. USS Thomas Hudner. The Navy named the destroyer for a recipient of the Medal of Honor who deliberately crashed his plane while attempting to provide support and distraction as enemy troops approached another flier shot down .

Who was the airman shot down?

The first person to send the correct answer to Morning D ([email protected]) earns a mention in the Monday edition

FOR YOUR RADAR – POMPEO TO VISIT NORTH KOREA, reports The Financial Times: "US US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Pyongyang next week to pressure the Trump administration's efforts to force North Korea to denuclearize, according to four people familiar with his plans

"The visit will be the first one to face. US President Donald Trump met with leader Kim Jong Un at a historic summit in Singapore this month. Their joint statement was largely ridiculed for lack of concrete details, but US officials tried to take the next steps. "

In South Korea, President Moon Jae-in says his alliance with the United States is the key to recent denuclearization of the peninsula, via Reuters

and the commander of the military forces Americans says South Korea has paid 90% of the largest overseas base, also via Reuters.

The Washington Post writes: "The United States will honor its commitment to Japanese security while seeking to implement President Trump's nuclear deal with North Korea, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday. 19659005] "" We are currently negotiating with North Korea, but in this dynamic period, the long-standing alliance between Japan and the United States remains firm, "Mattis told reporters in Japan. s Ministry of Defense in Tokyo.

"We will not consider our alliance with another democratic and free nation in this separate negotiation, so it is firm," he said.

And Japan is preparing to choose an advanced American radar for its multi-billion-dollar missile defense system, adds Reuters.

HOUSE HANDILE PASSES 675 billion EXPENDITURE DEFENSE, reports our colleague Connor O & # Brien "The House easily spent $ 675 billion in defense spending Thursday after lawmakers came up with provisions to prevent the Pentagon from doing business with Chinese telecom firms. ZTE and Huawei and open the way for a dual purchase of aircraft carriers. The vote was 359-49, with 137 Democrats joining all but three Republicans to pass the 2019 Defense Finance Bill.

"The legislation would continue the efforts of the Republicans to build the government. ;army. Representative Kay Granger (R-Texas), who chairs the House Credit Subcommittee, called the law "the next critical step" in strengthening US military power.

Granger adds that she's not "afraid" She adds: "The Texas Republican also defended inclusion in the House Bill of 93 F -35 Joint Strike Fighters, to combine the defense spending bill with other bills.16 more than requested by the Pentagon, as a way to reduce production costs and stimulate sales abroad.

"Granger Fort Worth District is home to the Lockheed Martin factory that builds the next generation fighter. But companies based in 46 states contribute to the production of the plane, notes Granger, and 97 members of Congress have asked for additional funding. "We are going to sell them, and we sell them all over the world," she said. "The faster you increase, the lower they cost, so it's important." "

– AU SENATE, THE APPROPRIATORS ADVANCE THEIR DEFENSE PROJECT, reports your correspondent Morning D: "The Votes of the Senate The Committee [Thursday] advanced its bill on the defense expenditure of 675 billion dollars, 30-1, including an amendment calling for a report on a low-yield, underwater nuclear warhead launched by the government.

James Lankford (R-Okla.), The only dissident, did not explain his vote during the markup.

"The committee adopted an amendment from Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore) performance, underwater weapon launched underwater until the Department of Defense reports to the committee, as well as the package. other proposals of the director, both by unanimous consent. "

The Senate's Appropriations Committee bill is here. The committee's report is here.

MENEND LAUNCHING A KEY TO SAUDIAN WEAPONS SALE, Reuters reports: "A senior Democrat from the US Senate said Thursday that he could not support for the moment a plan Trump administration to sell high-tech ammunition to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for reasons of war in Yemen, a decision that could frustrate the sale. "Senator Bob Menendez, Democrat on the Committee of the United States external relations, said that the administration had not satisfied. its concerns regarding the sale to members of a Saudi-led coalition of thousands of precision-guided munitions, or PGM, that could be used to kill Yemeni civilians.

"His position could sink the case for Raytheon Co., the largest"

In addition, US arms sales at discounted prices to Arab Gulf countries are under The Control of Key Legislators, writes Bloomberg.

THE PENTAGON BEGINS DEMOGRAPHICALLY NBC News writes: "Four months after President Donald Trump ordered the Department of Defense to hold a military parade, planning does not only start but no budget has yet been allocated. "Pentagon officials told NBC News that they will be able to take advantage of the extravagance, but the lack of dynamism is noticeable – and can -being indicative of a low enthusiasm for the event outside the Oval Office.