The President's Daily Brief - August 22nd, 2025: Russia Makes ABSURD Demand That Could Scuttle Peace Talks & US’s Failing Drone Program

Episode Date: August 22, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Russia’s latest demand in the Ukraine negotiations is so outlandish, it threatens to collapse the fragile push for peace before it even has a chance to take shape. The U.S. Navy’s push for autonomous warships was billed as the future of naval warfare. But insiders say the program is falling far short. A new report reveals a covert North Korean missile base near the Chinese border, capable of striking the U.S. mainland. And in today’s Back of the Brief—the DOJ is probing claims that D.C. police cooked the books on crime numbers before Trump’s crackdown on the city. 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.YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on goldTriTails Premium Beef: Don’t Settle for shrink-wrapped "steak" Visit https://trybeef.com/PDB to get the real stuff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is California's number one entertainment destination for today's superstars. Catch the Jonas Brothers return to the Yamava Theater stage on April 30th, the powerful vocals of Demi Lovato on May 17th, and the signature Southern Country Rock of Eric Church on July 19th. Tickets on sale now at Yamavat Theater.com, only at Yamava Resort and Casino, celebrating its 40th anniversary. You in? Must be 21 to enter. Looking to diversify and protect your hard-earned assets,

well, schedule a free consultation call with the Birch Gold Group. They're the precious metals specialists. Just text PDB to the number 989-8-8-8-8-8 and you receive a free, no-obligation information kit and learn how to convert an existing IRA or a 401k into a gold IRA. Again, just text PDB to the number 989-89-898. It's Friday, the 22nd of August. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage.

All right, let's get briefed. First up, Russia's latest demand in the Ukraine negotiations is so moronic that it threatens to collapse the fragile push for peace before it even has a chance to take shape, which, of course, could be Putin's intention. We'll have the details. Later in the show, the U.S. Navy's push for autonomous warships was billed as the future of naval warfare,

But insiders say the program is falling far short. Plus, a new report reveals a covert North Korean missile base near the Chinese border capable of striking the U.S. mainland. In its day's back of the brief, the DOJ is probing claims that DC police cooked the books on crime numbers well before Trump's current crackdown on crime in the city. But first, today's PDB spotlight. I'm going to start off today with an issue that's going to be critical for the ongoing negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and that's the issue of security guarantees. Now, by security guarantees, we're talking about concrete specific assurances, whether it's through treaties or military commitments or international monitoring, that Ukraine's sovereignty will be

defended against future Russian aggression once the shooting stops. As we reported earlier this week, after the Trump-Pudon summit, in Alaska, there were signs that Moscow was softening on the matter. President Putin reportedly agreed to allow more, quote, robust security guarantees for Ukraine, a shift that many saw as one of the most notable outcomes of that meaning. President Trump's special envoy, Steve Whitkoff, described Putin's move as, quote, game-changing. According to Whitkoff, the Russian leader had signaled he would accept a framework allowing the U.S. and Europe to extend something akin to NATO's Article 5 protection, to Ukraine. But for context, Article 5 says that an attack on one alliance member is considered

an attack on all. So in theory, this would mean Ukraine could count on a collective response from the West in the event of another Russian invasion. Now, does that sound like something that Putin would agree to? Possibly not. But of course, the devil, as we know, is in the details. The sticking point now is who exactly would provide these guarantees and how binding would they be? European leaders have floated the idea of a, quote, coalition of the willing, a group of countries ready to commit troops, resources, or deterrence measures to back up Ukraine. That sounds fine on paper, as do many things, but not everyone is eager to put boots on the ground in Eastern Europe. President Trump has already said that U.S. boots on the ground would not be a part of the U.S. security plan. And then there's Russia's position, which is, let's see, what's the word I'm looking at?

for? Is it absurd? Yes, which, you know, oddly enough, in Russian is absurdna. Now, this week, Moscow's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, declared that Russia must be included in any security arrangement for Ukraine. He said, quote, seriously discussing issues of ensuring security without the Russian Federation is a utopia, a road to nowhere, end quote. Actually, Sergei, the road to nowhere is thinking that Putin actually wants to negotiate a peaceful settlement to his invasion. Think about Lavrov's comment for a moment. Russia, the country that launched the invasion in the first place, now wants a seat at the table guaranteeing Ukraine's security. It's a bit like, as the old saying goes, letting the arsonist

oversee the fire department. Lavrov even pointed back to the early days of the war in 2022, when Moscow and Kiev briefly held peace talks. Back then, Then, a draft treaty proposed barring Ukraine from joining NATO or hosting foreign troops, while a group of guarantor states, including Britain, China, the United States, France, and, yes, Russia, would pledge to defend Ukraine if it were attacked again. And, of course, it's been attacked by Russia. Look, you can't make this crap up. But the Russians tried to insert an extra clause that all guarantor states, including Moscow,

would have to unanimously approve any military intervention. Seriously, I once again say, you can't make this crap up. In practice, that would have meant Russia could invade Ukraine again and then use its veto to block any rescue effort. In other words, total control over Ukraine's security. Now, that's an obvious non-starter for Kiev, not to mention for any sane person. Fast forward to today, and Moscow seems to be reviving parts of that same old playbook.

According to reports, they're also eager to bring China into the equation. Well, why wouldn't they? But Ukrainian President Zelensky has already pushed back on that idea. Speaking to reporters, Zelensky said, quote, first, China did not help us stop this war from the start. And second, China assisted Russia by opening its drone market. We don't need guarantors who do not help Ukraine and did not help Ukraine at the time when we really needed it, end quote. Of course, he failed to mention that China is currently the number one consumer of Russian oil, which of course keeps Putin's war machine functioning. Meanwhile, Europe is wrestling with its own hesitations.

It's just like a land of dysfunction. Some officials have floated the possibility of sending European peacekeepers into Ukraine as part of a deal, but that idea has sparked fierce debate, especially in Germany. Well, as you can imagine, the country is still haunted by its past, and the prospect of deploying German soldiers into Ukraine has triggered intense political pushback.

Chancellor Friedrich Mertz has said he's open to German participation in a potential mission, but stressed that any decision would require broad coordination with European partners and careful consideration within his own coalition government. That cautious tone reflects just how difficult it will be to hammer out a consensus among European allies. So, you ask, where does that leave the talks? Well, answer is nobody knows. But on one hand, Putin's apparent willingness, if for some reason you take him at his word,

to allow stronger guarantees represents progress, as the envoy Steve Whitkoff has indicated, well, at least compared to Moscow's earlier hardline stance, I suppose that could be considered some progress. But on the other hand, Russia's demand to sit inside the guarantee system, and its push for China's involvement, well, could be, or did I mean to say should be, poison pills, that derail the whole effort. at the heart of the issue is trust or the complete lack of it. For Ukraine, any guarantee that includes Russia is, well, meaningless, because the aggressor obviously can't be the protector.

For Europe, the question is whether they're ready to commit in ways they go beyond rhetoric, potentially even putting boots on the ground to deter our future attack. And for the U.S., the challenge is balancing support for Ukraine with the risk of getting pulled deeper into Europe's security architecture at a time when Americans seem to be understandably tired of foreign entanglements. All right, coming up after the break, the U.S. Navy's high-tech drone fleet is reportedly floundering, and new evidence points to a secret North Korean missile base capable of hitting the U.S.

I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let me take just a moment of your time to talk about protecting your hard-earned assets. Now, you've probably noticed out there in the big wide world, there's a little bit of turmoil in the economy, right? Trade wars, tariffs back and forth. Well, they've got the Federal Reserve. They're a bit of odds with the White House.

You've got uncertainty over employment numbers and a volatile stock market. You're starting to get the picture. It's at times like these when it's important to think about your assets and how to protect them. And one way to do that is through diversification. And I'm here to suggest that you consider diversifying with gold from the Birch Gold Group.

They're the precious metals specials. Look for decades. Gold's been considered a safe haven in times of economic stagnation or global uncertainty. And Birch Gold makes it incredibly easy for you to diversify some of your savings into gold. If you have an IRA or maybe an old 401k, you can convert that into a tax-sheltered IRA in physical gold. Or like a lot of folks, you can just buy gold and store it safely at home. First, you want to get yourself educated. And Birch Gold can send you a free information kit on gold. Just text PDB to the number 989898.

Again, that's PDB to 989898. Consider diversifying a portion of your savings into gold. Text PDB to 98989898. 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 assistance assistants switch you to MintMobil 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. Welcome back to the PDB.

The U.S. Navy's drive to field of fleet of autonomous drone boats is hitting rough waters. See what they did there? It's a very clever pun. With crashes, software ferriers, and leadership shakeups. exposing cracks in a program once billed as critical to countering China. According to Reuters, during trials off California last month, one vessel froze mid-sea from a software glitch, only to be rammed by another sea drone before crashing into the water.

Well, that doesn't sound good. Just weeks earlier, a support boat capsized when a Black Sea technology's craft suddenly accelerated pitching its captain overboard. Several sources familiar with the incident confirmed that no injuries were reported. Still, bulk mishaps spotlight recurring failures in the Navy's attempt to synchronize onboard systems with external software meant to guide them. U.S. Navy officials insist the crashes stem from a mix of coding failures and human error. Well, that's reassuring, a reminder of just how hard it is to choreograph swarms that can move and fight

without direct human command. That vision is far more ambitious than Ukraine's $250,000 kamikaze-style sea drones, which are speedboat-like craft that have crippled Russia's Black Sea fleet at about $250,000 a pop. That's a real bargain. By contrast, the American prototypes run several million dollars apiece. What? Expensive over-budget defense projects managed by expensive defense contractors? Well, that's unheard of. But software glitches are not the Navy's only problem. The program has been plagued by leadership turmoil and growing skepticism inside the Pentagon. Rear Admiral Kevin Smith, head of the program executive office of unmanned and small combatants, of course, there is an acronym because it's the U.S. military. That would be P-E-O-U-S.C.

Was removed earlier this year following an inspector general probe. Four people familiar with the matter told Reuters, the office is now under review with possible restructuring or even shut down on the table. Those internal riffs spilled into public view this spring when P-E-O-U-S-C, that just rolls off the tongue, trumpeted a successful software demo on LinkedIn. Colin Carroll, then-chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, publicly rebuked that post, calling the program duplicative of other Pentagon efforts,

warning, quote, I have a feeling that there are changes in this program's future, end quote. That warning was quickly tied to dollars. After the California Mishap, the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit froze a $20 million contract with the defense giant L3 Harris, one of the program's software suppliers. Feinberg himself grilled Navy officials last month on the project's cost-effectiveness, according to people briefed on the exchange. Still, procurement records show that the Navy is pressing ahead with its industry partners. Black Sea Technologies has received more than $160 million to manufacture its global,

autonomous reconnaissance craft, while defense manufacturing rival, Serronic, has secured tens of millions of dollars for its corsair drones. It sounds like it's just you and me that haven't made millions of dollars off this potential program. The Trump administration has doubled down as well. President Trump's big, beautiful bill passed last month, earmarked $5 billion for maritime autonomy, wrapped inside the Pentagon's $1 billion replicator program. Yet doubts remain, even inside the administration, about whether the Navy is blazing a new path or simply chasing its own wake. Ah, I did it again. Okay, fine, I'll stop the Navy puns. And then there's Ukraine. President Zelensky has pitched Washington on a colossal $50 billion

drone co-production deal, envisioning 10 million drones churned out over five years after its war with Russia ends. He's floated an even broader $90 billion defense package covering missile defense and aviation. Now, as we've discussed, Trump has signaled America will buy Ukrainian drones once exports begin, a move that Keeb says will boost its industry and tether U.S. intelligence to Eastern Europe. But for now, America's dream of an autonomous fleet remains just that. It's a work in progress, plagued by glitches and reshuffled leadership and mounting doubts within its own ranks, as rival China continues its efforts to redefine naval. warfare. Okay, turning to North Korea, a new report reveals Kim Jong-un's regime has been

quietly operating a massive ballistic missile base near the Chinese border that could pose a nuclear threat to the U.S. mainland. The Sinpunggong missile operating base tucked at less than 20 miles from China in the regime's North Pyongan province could house as many as nine intercontinental ballistic missiles and their mobile launchers alongside thousands of troops. Researchers from the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies revealed on Wednesday. While the missiles are not believed to be currently fitted with nuclear warheads, they are designed to carry them. Satellite imagery traces construction of the complex back to 2004, with the site fully operational just a decade later and still, quote, active and being well maintained by North Korean standards, according to the report. It spans some 5,400 acres, which, for reference, is larger than New York's JFK Airport, but with fewer Starbucks.

Some entrances are camouflaged with brush and trees only for them to appear more visible in imagery during winter when, of course, foliage dies back. CSIS said weapons station there could include the nuclear-capable Wassong 15, along with a Wausong 18 or even an undisclosed new system. In wartime, launchers would likely disperse to pre-surveyed sites, rendezvous with warhead transport units, and then conduct their firing operations. The report's warning was blunt, reading, quote, These missiles pose a potential nuclear threat to East Asia and the continental U.S. The site secrecy underscores the gaps in international oversight despite sanctions and UN monitoring. Sin Kung Gong remained undetected until now,

a sobering sign of Pyongyang's unchecked missile progress. The think tank identified the base as just one piece of a broader so-called missile belt consisting of 15 to 20 facilities anchoring Kim's nuclear deterrent. North Korea, by estimates from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, has about 50 assembled nuclear warheads and enough physical material for 40 more, numbers that underscore the depth of its sanctioned arsenal. Since denuclearization talks collapsed between President Trump and Kim back in 2019, the regime has steadily advanced its arsenal in defiance, of course, of sanctions. The Hermit Kingdom has also been busy strengthening their military ties with Russia, including signing mutual defense packs, sending arms and troops to the battlefield in Ukraine, all in exchange for potential missile expertise and weapons technology.

And as we discussed earlier this week, Kim has now ordered a, quote, accelerated build. up of his nuclear arsenal, time to coincide with the ongoing U.S. South Korean Joint Military Exercises that occur every year that North Korea routinely denounces as invasion rehearsals. It's likely that Kim is emboldened in part by the American strikes on the three Iranian nuclear facilities back in June, reinforcing his view that nuclear capability is his regime's ultimate shield. Now, I, coming up next in the back of the brief, the federal investment. are asking if DC crime numbers were faked well before Trump put the city under federal control.

We'll have more on that when we go back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, you'll probably notice that just around the corner is Labor Day. And Labor Day is at that one American holiday where we celebrate hard work by, well, not working. And while no one's quite sure of what we're supposed to be doing, grilling, resting, shopping for mattresses, we do know this. Triedails Beef, a terrific company, is giving away a front of, free prime ribby when you order either their Freedom Box or the Pitmaster Grill-Out Pro, now through September 1st. Now, Triedales is a fifth-generation family-run Texas ranch. It's real people. No corporations, no middlemen, no fluff. Just pasture-raised, grain-finished, dry-aged beef

delivered straight from their Texas ranch to your home. Their amazing steaks will make your Labor Day grill the most American things since pickup trucks and porch flags. Now, one heads up. There's no shipping on September 1st or 2nd because you know what? Ranchers, well, they deserve some time off too. Head to trybeef.com. That's tribeef.com and grab your box. And by the way, you can even order the President's Daily Brief box. It's true.

It's chock full of my favorite steaks. Now, this Labor Day, don't settle for shrink-wrapped steak from some megastore. Get the real stuff. Straight from the Triedails Ranch to your home. In today's back of the brief, the Justice Department, has opened an investigation into whether Washington, D.C.,'s police department manipulated crime data to make the Capitol appear safer. The inquiry follows President Trump's accusation that leaders in the district engineered a,

quote, false illusion of safety for doctoring crime stats. In a truth social post, he warned, quote, this is a very bad and dangerous thing to do, and they are under serious investigation for so doing, end quote. And Trump went further still, declaring, quote, just days ago, Washington, D.C. was the most unsafe city in the U.S. and perhaps the world. Now, in just a short period of time, it is perhaps the safest and getting better every single hour, end quote. As our regular listeners will remember, the Department of Justice investigation takes on added significance after Trump federalized the Metropolitan Police Department, the MPD, on the 11th of August, invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia's Home Rule Act.

President Trump called that date Liberation Day in D.C. And for 30 days, has placed local police, 800 National Guard troops and federal law enforcement under his direct command. That move comes in response to a string of high-profile killings that have rocked the Capitol since 2020. But whispers of data manipulation predated Trump's takeover. Craig Pemberton, chairman of the D.C. police union, told NBC News that police commanders had for some time pressured officers to downgrade crime. in official reports. He put it bluntly stating, quote, instead of taking a report for a shooting or a

stabbing or a carjacking, they'll order that officer to take a report for a theft or an injured person to the hospital or felony assault, which is not the same type of classification. And those damning claims line up with the suspension of D.C. Police Commander Michael Pulliam in mid-May, after allegations that he falsified crime data in his district. Pulliam has denied wrongdoing. As been tracking, the Capitol's violent crime levels have long drawn national scrutiny. Washington recorded nearly 200 homicides in 2020, then a two-decade high of 274 in 2023. Killings in the district fell 31% in 2024 to 187. Yet, as I mentioned last week, if the district were treated as a state, which there are people who would like it to be a state, it would still top the nation in murder rates,

rivaling levels seen only in Mexico. And while broader crime trends show declines, the Council on Criminal Justice reported that lethality defined as the number of homicides relative to aggravated assaults and robberies rose 38% between 2018 and 2024, and an astonishing 341% since 2012. Are you keeping score because there is going to be a test after all this? And still the statistics could be higher,

given the allegations of the D.C. Police Department cooking the books. Trump seems to think so, as he dismissed the city's reported crime reductions as nothing more than, quote, phony statistics. At an Oval Office press conference earlier this month, he stated, quote, Washington, D.C. is at its worst point, and it will soon be at its best point. You're going to have a crime-free city, end quote, referencing his federalization of the police department. And just last night, Thursday, the president joined National Guard units on patrol through the Capitol. staging what he called proof of his crackdown success to rid the city of crime and signaling that there is indeed a new sheriff in the district.

And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Friday the 22nd of August. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And once again, we have made it successfully to the end of the week. And once again, your reward, of course, is a brand new episode of America's favorite weekend news show, the PDB Situation Report. The latest episode launches this evening at 10 p.m. on the first TV, and as always, you can catch it and past episodes on America's favorite YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief and podcast platforms everywhere.

We've got Ryan McBeff, Military Analyst Extraordinaire, and John Lott from the Crime Prevention Research Center. Great guests, great conversations, I hope you can tune in. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day, like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance.

With USAA, you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10%. Tap the banner to learn more and get a quote at usa.com slash bundle. Restrictions apply.