With help from Joe Gould, Nahal Toosi, Lara Seligman and Daniel Lippman

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Lately, when President JOE BIDEN wants to make a major statement about Israel or Middle East policy, he talks to TOM FRIEDMAN.

Over and over again, the New York Times’ op-ed stalwart has been the vehicle through which the president passes messages to Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU and, of late, Saudi Crown Prince MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN. Biden is known for his old-school media diet, but it’s a surprise to see him leverage the paper of record’s column inches to bolster his high-stakes diplomatic outreach.

In February, as thousands of Israelis protested against a plan to curb the powers of the Supreme Court, Biden sent a 46-word statement to Friedman following a request for comment: “The genius of American democracy and Israeli democracy is that they are both built on strong institutions, on checks and balances, on an independent judiciary. Building consensus for fundamental changes is really important to ensure that the people buy into them so they can be sustained.”

It was a major moment, as Friedman noted it was “the first time I can recall a U.S. president has ever weighed in on an internal Israeli debate about the very character of the country’s democracy.” Biden leaned on the columnist further, inviting him to the Oval Office last week to discuss the state of Israel and the region’s politics. In that conversation, Biden said he didn’t want Netanyahu to “rush” the judicial overhaul process (Narrator: he did) and divulged his plans to broker a normalization deal between Jerusalem and Riyadh.

Friedman isn’t Biden’s only go-to, of course. The president has spoken at length with the NYT’s DAVID BROOKS, discussing everything from the role of government to U.S.-China competition. And when Biden goes on TV, it’s often ABC News’ GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS who gets to ask questions about the commander in chief’s worldview.

But no one has been chosen for such an acute task as Friedman: writing about the president’s clear statements about what the administration wants Netanyahu’s government to do.

Friedman declined to discuss why he thinks Biden chose him as a conduit, but their longtime association is well recorded. In 2002, Biden, then the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair, invited the op-ed writer along for the lawmaker’s first visit to Afghanistan following the Taliban’s fall. Friedman also landed one of Biden’s first sweeping interviews after his 2020 election win and grabbed lunch with the president at the White House.

But their pol-journalist familiarity doesn’t answer why Biden, equipped with a secure phone, plane and comms shop, offers stances on consequential Israeli and Middle East issues through the Times’ pages. He could just as easily release an official statement (or, in this era, tweet). It’s what he did in the middle of a 2021 war between Israel and Hamas-led Gaza, after all, a play the administration contends ended hostilities after just 11 days.

The White House didn’t respond to requests about the president’s Friedman Method (™). But one reason could be that offering any criticism of Israel invites a fierce reaction and a media report might receive softer blowback than an issued statement.

Another is that Friedman has regional currency. “Friedman is very well known in Israel from his time there and his close acquaintances and friendships with many prominent Israelis. He’s visited Israel frequently for decades,” said NATAN SACHS, director of the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. “I think his access to the president is now also very clear to Israeli decision makers.”

COUP DAY TWO: Gen. ABDOURAHMANE TCHIANI led the coup to oust Niger’s democratically elected president two days ago. Now he’s asking for international support to help the country move past the chaos that has ensued.

“I ask the technical and financial partners who are friends of Niger to understand the specific situation of our country in order to provide it with all the support necessary to enable it to meet the challenges,” he told state television today, the Associated Press’ SAM MEDNICK reports.

After the ousting, numerous factions in the military fought for power, an analyst and a Western military official told the AP. Tchiani’s television appearance seems to be an attempt to show he’s in charge now, though the situation remains in flux.

AMBOS SCRAMBLE IN: The Senate has confirmed more than a dozen U.S. ambassadors after the State Department negotiated through part of Sen. RAND PAUL’s (R-Ky.) blockade of diplomatic nominees.

The ambassadors confirmed late Thursday — just before the Senate left for its August recess — were among the least controversial. They include JULIE TURNER, who will serve as the first human rights envoy for North Korea in six years, as well as KATHLEEN FITZGIBBON, who, after a year of waiting, was confirmed for the post in Niger just as the country is facing a coup.

The U.S. will have four new ambassadors in the Asia-Pacific region: JOEL EHRENDREICH for Palau, JENNIFER JOHNSON for Micronesia, HUGO YUE-HO YON for Maldives and MATTHEW MURRAY as envoy for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. In Africa, aside from FitzGibbon, BRYAN HUNT will serve in Sierra Leone, WILLIAM POPP goes to Uganda, ERVIN JOSE MASSINGA goes to Ethiopia, and ERIC KNEEDLER goes to Rwanda.

The outlook is murky for other nominees. Sen. J.D. VANCE (R-Ohio) has said he’s holding some over concerns they’re too left-leaning; he has sent several nominees questionnaires to get a sense of their beliefs. Paul (R-Ky.) also appears to be maintaining some holds; he wants the administration to give him more documents related to the potential origins of the Covid virus.

“We are thankful to the Senators who worked in good faith to confirm these qualified nominees … Still, there is more work to be done,” State Department spokesperson MATTHEW MILLER said.

Punchbowl News first reported on State’s breakthrough with Paul.

PUTIN ‘LOOKING AT’ PEACE DEAL: Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN told African leaders at a summit in Moscow today that he’s considering a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine, the AP reports.

“This is an acute issue, and we aren’t evading its consideration,” said Putin, who has been pushed on the topic by African leaders. He emphasized that the Kremlin is “looking at it attentively.”

So far, Putin has shown no indication of letting up in his invasion of Ukraine, and it’s unlikely Moscow and Kyiv will have discussions anytime soon — much less come to an agreement — as Ukraine demands its territory be returned while its counteroffensive intensifies.

Also today, Moscow said it shot down two missiles over southwestern Russian cities, one which fell and exploded in a city center, the New York Times’ ANTON TROIANOVSKI and MARC SANTORA report. Ukrainian officials publicly denied responsibility for one of the strikes which injured several people, but have taken credit in recent days for drone attacks targeting Moscow.

TANK ME UP WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS: U.S. Abrams tanks are likely to arrive in Germany in August before they are transferred to Ukraine in September, Alex reports with LARA SELIGMAN, PAUL McLEARY and JOE GOULD.

“The arrival of the tanks in the coming weeks will add a new, lethal dimension to Ukraine’s inventory as its forces struggle to break through entrenched Russian defenses along a front line that stretches for hundreds of miles,” they wrote.

The initial batch will involve six to eight tanks, said an industry official and a congressional aide. In total the U.S. is planning to send 31 tanks, a Ukrainian battalion’s worth.

The Biden administration had said only that the tanks would arrive on the Ukrainian battlefield in the “fall.” The planned timeline shows the deliveries will begin in the earlier part of that season.

“We’re definitely working to get them to Ukraine as fast as we can,” said Pentagon spokesperson Col. MARTIN O’DONNELL, though he refused to comment on the reported timeline.

DRINKS WITH NATSEC DAILY: At the end of every long, hard week, we like to highlight how a prominent member of Washington’s national security scene prefers to unwind with a drink.

Today, we’re featuring Rep. GREGORY MEEKS (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. When he’s not legislating, the lawmaker kicks back with straight vodka on ice with lime. His favorite place to have it is not in the sweltering heat of Washington, but on the back deck of his home in St. Albans, Queens.

Meeks offered this information up to Joe during an interview about far more serious matters. Said Joe: “We both enjoyed that part of the convo.”

Cheers, sir, and maybe you and Joe should sip on the vodka-and-lime the next time you get into a natsec conversation.

IT’S FRIDAY. WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND: 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 Twitter 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.

‘DECLARATION OF ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE’: Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS believes the United States should completely decouple its economy from China’s.

In a Thursday interview with JOHN SOLOMON, the Republican presidential candidate said that today’s China challenge isn’t like the one from the Soviet Union in the Cold War. Beijing’s economy is strong and too intertwined with ours, causing all kinds of complications. That requires a wholesale shift in strategy, he argues.

“Now we’re in a situation, we’ve got an almost peer competitor who very well may pass us economically in the next decade if we don’t get our act together with a strong military, but one in which we are dependent on,” DeSantis said. “What we need to do is we need a declaration of economic independence from China. And that’s something that will need to be done methodically, and need to be done thoughtfully.”

One way to do that is to encourage companies not to do business in China, he said. DeSantis added that a way to deter China from invading Taiwan is to bolster U.S. military strength in the Indo-Pacific, as well as a hardening of American allies in the region.

DeSantis, however, didn’t explain how he would untether the U.S. and Chinese economies and what military investments he would prioritize. The Stimson Center’s ROBERT MANNING, upon reading the governor’s comments, simply tweeted “good luck with that.”

TRUMP’S NEW CHARGES: Special counsel JACK SMITH brought three new felony charges against former President DONALD TRUMP Thursday night, including explosive claims that he asked an employee of his Mar-a-Lago club to delete security camera footage sought by investigators probing his handling of classified documents, our own KYLE CHENEY and JOSH GERSTEIN report.

EEK MIL: British authorities have launched an investigation after officials mistakenly sent emails meant for U.S. military intelligence to the government in Mali, a Russian ally, our own CLAUDIA CHIAPPA reports.

Officials from the U.K. Ministry of Defense were supposed to be sending emails to the Pentagon, but accidentally sent them to Mali’s government instead, the Times reported Thursday. The mistake was the result of a typo, as the Pentagon’s domain name is “.mil,” while Mali’s is “.ml.”

However, some of the Times’ claims were misleading, the Ministry of Defense said today.

“This report misleadingly claims state secrets were sent to Mali’s email domain. We assess fewer than 20 routine emails were sent to an incorrect domain & are confident there was no breach of operational security or disclosure of technical data,” the ministry tweeted. “An investigation is ongoing. Emails of this kind are not classified at secret or above.”

MILITARY JUSTICE REFORM: Biden signed an executive order today to implement military justice reforms aimed at strengthening how the military handles sexual assault cases, Matt reports.

The executive order gives decision-making powers to independent military prosecutors in serious cases, including sexual assault, instead of their victims’ commanders, the White House said in a statement. In the past, victims have often been at the mercy of their commanders to decide whether to take their assault claims seriously.

Biden’s signature formally implements legislation passed by lawmakers last year.

AID TO TAIWAN: The Pentagon is expected to unveil a new weapons package to Taiwan worth around $330 million as early as today, two U.S. officials told Reuters’ MIKE STONE and IDREES ALI.

While a list of weapons being provided isn’t expected to be in the formal announcement, four sources said it might include four unarmed MQ-9A reconnaissance drones, while stressing that the list isn’t finalized.

FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY –– NEW CIVILIAN HARM BILL: Rep. SARA JACOBS (D-Calif.) will introduce a new bill today requiring the Pentagon to review and reinvestigate certain cases of past civilian harm that resulted from American military operations that occurred over the last 12 years, and make amends if necessary, our own LARA SELIGMAN has learned.

While lawmakers and experts have applauded Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN’s efforts to overhaul the way in which the military prevents, mitigates and responds to such cases, they note that the plan does not include any commitment to reassess the many past operations that potentially harmed civilians — for instance, a 2019 raid on Islamic State leader ABU BAKR AL BAGHDADI.

“Countless families still lack answers years after instances of civilian harm,” Jacobs told Lara.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have supported legislation related to mitigating civilian harm in the past, including in the House-passed defense policy bill last year.

FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY –– AUKUS CAUCUS: Lawmakers should champion the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal and work with Australia and the U.K. to make it all a reality, 11 former national security officials wrote to senior members of Congress.

In their letter to the top two leaders of SFRC and HFAC, the former officials, including three secretaries of defense and a CIA director, say they had conversation with lawmakers who expressed “lack of confidence in Australia’s export controls and institutional security protocols to protect sensitive technology, intellectual property, or classified information.” But the group countered that “it is our experience that the U.S.-Australia security partnership is among the most successful in the world at sharing sensitive information.”

As a result, they urge members of Congress to “expedite defense technology transfer to Australia under the AUKUS framework.”

It’s unclear what specific concerns the lawmakers shared with the former officials.

YAY FOR NDAA: The Senate passed its annual Pentagon policy bill in a blowout vote Thursday, setting up battle lines with a conservative version that narrowly cleared the Republican-led House this month, our own CONNOR O’BRIEN and JOE GOULD reported.

Listen: Who will surrender in Congress’s NDAA battle? by RYAN LIZZA

WHAT’S THE PASSWORD: The White House won’t let a top Chinese official attend a major economic summit in the U.S. this fall, three U.S. officials familiar with the matter told the Washington Post’s ELLEN NAKASHIMA and SHIBANI MAHTANI.

Hong Kong Chief Executive JOHN LEE won’t be allowed to participate in the annual summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders in San Francisco, a sign of Washington testing its ability to reset the strained relations with Beijing.

A meeting between Biden and Chinese paramount leader XI JINPING at the forum has been anticipated, but some analysts say the White House’s decision could prompt Xi to skip the event altogether. On the other hand, Beijing’s officials might want to show face at the summit to bolster global investor confidence.

–– FIRST NATSEC DAILY: JENNIFER WELCH is headed to Bloomberg Economics to serve as chief geoeconomist. She spent the last three years in the VP’s office and NSC working on Asia-Pacific and China-Taiwan issues.

–– SAMUEL HEATH, director of communications at the British embassy, has been tapped to become the comms director at Interpol in France. EDWARD ROMAN, who serves as the head of news at the embassy, will take over his position.

–– CHRIS STANGL is now a managing director in Berkeley Research Group’s cybersecurity and investigations practice. He previously was a senior executive in the FBI’s science and technology branch.

— BRYAN BENDER, POLITICO: Extinction event: the disappearing nuclear expert

— SHEENA CHESTNUT GREITENS, Foreign Affairs: Xi’s security obsession

— JASON REZAIAN, The Washington Post: Can diplomacy work in today’s world? WENDY SHERMAN says we can’t stop trying

— Atlantic Council, 1 p.m.: The National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy: unleashing America’s cyber talent

— Arms Control Association and the Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction, 4 p.m.: Oppenheimer: scientists, the bomb, and the implications for today

— Women’s Foreign Policy Group, 6:30 p.m.: Afghanistan: strength in the face of suppression, highlighting the heroines of the Afghan female tactical platoon

Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, to whom we deliver our critiques directly without intermediaries.

We also thank our producer, Andy Goodwin, who we’re too starstruck to speak to in person.