The President's Daily Brief - April 4th, 2024: Putin’s Blame Game, NATO’s Next Moves, & Biden Calls Xi

Episode Date: April 4, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We begin with Vladimir Putin's continued efforts to pin the blame for the Moscow terror attack on Ukraine and the West, challenging the assertion by American officials who say they had forewarned Russia about the exact location targeted. We then pivot to a crucial conversation in NATO about taking a more direct role in the Ukraine conflict, which may include managing security aid and military training, marking a potential shift in the alliance's level of engagement. We discuss President Joe Biden’s recent call with China’s President Xi Jinping, where they tackled significant issues such as cyberattacks, election interference, and the battle against illegal drugs. In our Back of the Brief segment, we spotlight the involvement of Catholic Bishops in national security through their unprecedented initiative to mediate peace talks with cartel leaders, aiming to quell the escalating violence south of the U.S. border. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kayak gets my flight, hotel, and rental car right, so I can tune out travel advice that's just plain wrong. Bro, Skycoin, way better than points. Never fly during a Scorpio full moon. Just tell the manager you'll sue. Instant room upgrade. Stop taking bad travel advice. Start comparing hundreds of sites with kayak and get your trip right. Bad advice? You talking to me? Kayak, got that right.

It's Thursday for April. to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. We'll begin today's show with a look into Vladimir Putin's ongoing campaign to blame Ukraine and Western countries for the recent terror attack in Moscow, despite emerging information that American officials had alerted Russian authorities about their precise sight of the deadly massacre. But as Putin always says, never let a massacre go to waste when there's a disinformation campaign to be had. Coming up later in the show, we'll examine NATO's pivotal discussions on assuming a more active role in the conflict in Ukraine, a move that could redefine the alliance's

involvement by potentially overseeing the coordination of security support and military training for the embattled nation. Plus, President Biden held a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday morning to address a number of U.S. concerns, including recent cyber attacks, selection interference, and efforts to counter-elicit narcotics trafficking. Apparently, she was so pleased with the call that shortly after he hung up, he had his Navy and Air Force ramp up further incursions into Taiwanese territory.

We'll have the details. And in today's back of the brief, with the surge in violence across the U.S. southern border and in Mexico, we'll examine how Catholic bishops are stepping into the fray, taking on an unprecedented role in national security. Well, that sounds like a Monte-Mati. Python sketch. Anyway, their mission is to broker peace by engaging with cartel leaders in an

attempt to stem the tide of violence. But first, today's PDB spotlight. We're learning more about the advanced warnings that Moscow received in the lead-up to the terrorist attack that claimed the lives of approximately 144 people last month. According to our report in the Washington Post, the U.S. government gave very specific details to Russian officials, including that Crocus City Hall, where the attack ultimately took place, was a potential target. The heads-up was part of the U.S. duty to warn policy, and if you're not familiar with that policy, it basically obligates intelligence agencies to warn individuals, including both U.S. citizens and non-citizens, if they collect information indicating that they are at serious and imminent risk of being harmed,

and this duty extends across various threats, including kidnapping, assassinations, and terrorism. The policy doesn't obligate the intelligence community to intervene and stop it, but requires them to take steps to notify the potential victims or those who could mitigate the threat. The report from the Post directly contradicts claims from Russia's spy chief, Sergei Noryushkin, who said on Tuesday that U.S. warnings were too broad to have prevented the deadly concert hall attack. How many details do you need, Sergey? Narushkin told Russian state news that, quote, the information was too general and did not allow us to fully identify those who committed this terrible crime, end quote. As we've previously reported,

warnings from the U.S. were publicly dismissed by President Putin just days before the attacker struck. Putin called the alerts provocative and outright blackmail intended to destabilize Russian society. Now, the U.S. wasn't the only country trying to warn Russia of an impending attack, According to a report in Reuters, Iran tipped off Moscow about the possibility of a major terrorist operation on its soil shortly before the attack as well. So, how many mornings did Putin actually need before he thought it worthwhile taking some sort of action? One source told Reuters, quote, days before the attack in Russia, Tehran shared information with Moscow about a possible big terrorist attack inside Russia that was acquired during interrogations of those arrested in connection

with deadly bombings in Iran, end quote. He was referring to the deadly bombings of the Memorial Service for IRGC Commander Kasem Soleimani back in January in Iran. ISIS K, the group which took responsibility for the Moscow attack, was also behind the Iranian bombing. Despite all evidence to the contrary, the Kremlin is still attempting to blame Ukraine and Western nations for the Moscow massacre. Yesterday, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Petrushchev directly blamed Ukrainian security services and also hinted at Western involvement, saying it was important to identify the, quote, masterminds and sponsors of the Krokas City Hall attack. While Putin and his minions are, in part, attempting to spin the Ukraine in the West narrative

in order to rally the Russian population to continue supporting Putin's war effort, they're also doing their ridiculous spin to avoid taking blame, obviously, for not acting on the actionable intelligence that they received from multiple sources ahead of the attack. All right, coming up after the break. A closer look at NATO's debate on taking a more hands-on approach in Ukraine, which could lead to direct control of security and training support. And we'll cover President Biden's latest dialogue with China's Xi Jinping, tackling pressing issues or attempting to from cyber attacks and election interference to the war on drugs.

I'll be right back. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money. Because behind every headline is a bottom line. Whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings, there's a money side to every story. And when you see the money side, you understand what others miss. Get the money side of the story.

Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com. Welcome back. I want to turn now to. the war in Ukraine, as NATO considers taking on a larger role in the conflict amid fears about future U.S. support. Jan Stoltenberg, the NATO Secretary General, revealed Wednesday that the Alliance is holding high-level talks about taking over control of a U.S.-led multinational group that oversees coordination of weapons shipments to Ukraine. The idea is partially reflective of concerns among NATO members that former President Trump could win re-election in November

and significantly restrict U.S. involvement in the conflict, and that's according to a report from Politico. Stoltenberg said foreign ministers will discuss several proposals to give the military alliance a greater oversight role at a series of meetings in Brussels this week. At the center of the discussions is the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. That's an alliance of 56 countries organized by the U.S. following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The group meets monthly to coordinate deliveries of material, munitions, hardware and other resources. The tens of billions of dollars in equipment weapons and other aid that it has brought to Ukraine, of course, has been credited with helping to hold off Putin's invasion after more than two years of fighting. The group is currently led by the United States,

but NATO members are increasingly anxious, given wavering support for the war in Congress and the prospect of a second Trump presidency. Officials want to insulate Ukraine for many shifts in domestic U.S. politics, formalize NATO's position in arming the Ukrainian military, and create a system that can support leaders in Kiev for years to come. Stoltenberg said Wednesday, quote, the Ukrainians are not running out of courage, they're running out of ammunition. We need to step up now and ensure our support is built to last, end quote. It's unclear, however, if the U.S. is willing to give up their dominant oversight position, and a Pentagon spokesperson stressed that no formal decision regarding NATO's current structure has been made.

There will also likely be pushed back from some NATO members, particularly Hungary, which maintains close ties with the Putin regime. Some U.S. officials have reportedly floated a compromise that would give NATO a more formalized seat at the table within the Ukraine group, but leave the U.S. in charge. NATO officials hope to finalize their plans by the time of the NATO Leaders Summit in Washington in July. Now, it's worth noting that if the plans to move control of weapons oversight is given to NATO, it would mark a significant shift in a policy that would pull NATO closer to direct conflict with Russia and risk further agitating and already agitated in defense of Putin. And who needs that? Still, with U.S. supporting question and a potential Trump presidency looming on the horizon, many in the alliance feel there is no other choice.

Jim Townsend, a former Pentagon and NATO official, told Politico, quote, there's a feeling among not the whole group, but a part of the NATO group that thinks it's better to institutionalize the process just in case of a Trump re-election. And that's something that the U.S. is going to have to get used to hearing, because that is a fear, and a legitimate one, end quote. All right, shifting our focus to China. President Biden spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping over the phone on Tuesday, as the communist regime increases their aggression in the South China Sea. The check-in conversation, I was just a conversation to check in.

How you doing? Was the first between the two leaders since their face-to-face summit in San Francisco in November and reportedly covered a host of issues, including Taiwan, cyber attacks on critical infrastructure, election interference, and efforts to counter the global drug trade. And that's according to a report by NBC News. The pair also reportedly discussed U.S. concerns over China's ongoing trade with Russia. Now, as we've previously discussed on the PDB, China has maintained close financial ties with the Putin regime as he wages his war on Ukraine, and that's providing some level of economic security by supporting Russia's industrial base.

The White House has yet to offer specific details on the conversation. However, it comes amidstrained U.S.-China relations, as Xi's Communist Party continues to make googly eyes at Taiwan. A senior administration official who brief reporters said that while the U.S. and China are significantly divided on any number of policy issues, both powers want to ensure that any disagreements between the two are responsibly managed. The official said, quote, intense competition requires intense diplomacy to manage tensions, address misperceptions, and prevent unintended conflict, and this call is one way to do that."

Now, any hopes that the call between the two leaders would quell the current tensions in the South China Sea, well, they were quickly kicked to the curb. Just hours after the call, the Taiwanese military detected at least 30 planes and nine naval ships in Taiwan's air defense identification zone. That's the largest military display by China in the region so far this year, according to a Fox News report. Do you think they were trying to send a message? Over the past few months, China has been increasing the number of military ships and aircraft

that they send to the waters near Taiwan for drills. Observers say the military exercises, which are now taking place almost on a near daily basis, are meant to test Taiwan's defenses and simulate a potential invasion. During Tuesday's call, Biden did reportedly reaffirm his commitment to the long-held one-China policy, which recognizes Beijing as China's only legal government. Biden has, however, repeatedly said in the past that the U.S. will intervene if China invades Taiwan, only for the White House to then have to walk back his remarks. The call reportedly concluded with both sides pledging to keep diplomatic communication channels open in the weeks and months ahead. In the words of Carl Spackler from the classic film

Caddyshack, so we've got that going for us, which is nice. Coming up in the back of the brief, as violence escalates across the southern border, we'll explore the Catholic bishop's bold intervention in national security. They're on a peace mission negotiating with feuding cartels to try and halt the bloodshed. I'll be right back. If data management is slowing down your business, you need the Intuit ERP. If one entity is here and one here and one here and one here, you need the Intuit ERP. If scaling your business feels like start starting over, you need the Intuit ERP. Intuit Enterprise Suite is the AI-native ERP solution that consolidates, migrates, and automates, all in one place.

Learn more at intuit.com slash ERP. Starting a business can seem like a daunting task, unless you have a partner like Shopify. They have the tools you need to start and grow your business, from designing a website to marketing, to selling and beyond. Shopify can help with everything you need. There's a reason millions of companies like Mattel, Heinz, and all birds continue to trust and use them. With Shopify on your side, turn your big business idea into, sign up for your $1 per month trial at Shopify.com slash special offer. In today's back of the brief, I want to turn our attention south of the border, where an estimated 200 armed groups continue fighting a deadly turf war across Mexico. Now, we talk a lot about the

impact the cartels are having in the United States with the influx of dangerous narcotics and synthetic opioids, but the illicit drug trade is having a similarly deadly impact on Mexico. For six years running now, Mexico has registered over 30,000 murders due in large part to the activities of the cartels, and that's triple the homicide rate of the United States. In addition to killing Mexican civilians, cartels are increasingly targeting government officials as well. In 2023, at least 355, elected officials, candidates, and political party members were murdered at the hands of drug gangs. As we've reported on the PDB previously, the current government in Mexico, well, they seem content to placate the cartels in a misguided effort, they claim, to minimize violence and solve

the drug problem. Amlo, the Mexican president, has chosen a policy of hugs, not bullets, which avoids direct confrontation with the cartels, instead focusing on so-called root causes of violence, including education and poverty. Hmm, how's that been going? The government's policy, just to answer my own question, has been a failure for Mexico. It's also left a vacuum into which an unlikely group of men are now stepping, Catholic bishops. With more than 91 million practicing Catholics, Mexico is the world's second most populous Catholic country. And while the church holds some cloud in the country, it's long been sidelined by anti-clerical policies. As an example, until the 1890s, it was illegal for priests even to wear their vestments in public. However, in the face of

spiraling violence, Catholic leaders are staking out a more aggressive role and have begun mediating between the cartels. For example, in late February, bishops in Guerrero managed to broker a lasting truce between two rival organizations, the familiar Micho Khan and Flacco's crime groups. Bishop Ramon Castro of Guernivaca told the Washington Post, quote, We are witnessing incredible violence against our people. This has moved the hearts of the pastors to do something, to not just stand there with our arms crossed, end quote. In addition to stepping in to stop the violence where they can, church officials have begun to openly criticize the Mexican president, calling on Amlo to strengthen local police forces and adopt long-term security strategies.

Now, of course, there's no guarantee, obviously, that the church's efforts will be successful, but it might be one of the few institutions in Mexico with the credibility to make any significant change at this point. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Thursday, 4 April. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb at thefirsttv.com. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe.

Stay cool. Ryan Reynolds here for MintMobil. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistants assistants to switch you to MintMobile today. I'm told it's super easy to do at mintmobile.com slash switch. Up front payment of $45 for three-month plan equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available.

Taxes and fees extra. See full terms at mintmobile.com.