The President's Daily Brief - December 26th, 2025: Cuba Is On The Verge Of Total Collapse & Fighting Erupts In Syria

Episode Date: December 26, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Cuba teeters on the edge of collapse, as a U.S. oil blockade targeting Venezuela cuts off critical fuel supplies to the island, triggering widespread blackouts, shortages, and a growing wave of Cubans fleeing the country. I’ll have the details. The Trump administration orders nearly thirty U.S. ambassadors home, creating major gaps in the diplomatic corps—even as the White House pushes an aggressive diplomacy-first approach abroad. Instability grows inside Syria, with gun battles erupting in Aleppo while negotiations continue over folding Kurdish forces into the regime’s control. And in today’s Back of the Brief: Kim Jong Un cuts the ribbon on a luxury seaside resort, pitching high-end tourism in one of the most isolated countries on earth. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting https://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 gold Stash Financial: Don't Let your money sit around. Go to https://get.stash.com/PDB to see how you can receive $25 towards your first stock purchase. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Oh, happy boxing day. And welcome to the President's Daily Brief. Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. Cuba is teetering on the edge as a U.S. oil blockade aimed at Venezuela cuts fuel supplies to Havana, plunging the island into blackouts and shortages and a growing exodus. I'll have those details. Later in the show, the Trump administration orders nearly 30 Biden-appointed U.S. ambassadors home, creating major gaps in the diplomatic corps, even as the White House pushes diplomacy abroad. Plus, instability appears to be growing inside Syria, with gun battles in Aleppo,

breaking out even as talks continue over folding Kurdish forces into the regime's security apparatus. And in today's back of the brief, here's one. Kim Jong-un cuts the ribbon on a luxury resort, pitching high-end tourism in one of the most isolated countries on Earth. Yeah, I hadn't had it. that on my travel plans, but I'm going to rethink those travel plans. But first, today's PDB spotlight. Today's story comes from the Wall Street Journal, reported by the paper South American Bureau Chief Juan Ferraro, and it's a reminder that in geopolitics, pressure applied in one place often lands somewhere else entirely. As we've been tracking, the U.S. has been stepping up efforts to choke off Venezuela's illicit oil trade, targeting tankers, pressuring shipping

companies and enforcing sanctions designed to squeeze Maduro's regime. The goal is, well, fairly straightforward, cut off a major revenue stream that keeps Caracas afloat. But those efforts are having a powerful secondary effect, perhaps one the administration didn't fully intend, but also one that perhaps is somewhat welcoming. And that effect is pushing Cuba's economy and its regime to the brink of total collapse. Even in the best of times, Cuba's economy lives on a knife's edge. It produces very little energy of its own, relies heavily on imports, and has long depended on subsidized oil from allies to keep the lights on. For years, that lifeline came from Venezuela, cheap crude, shipped in exchange for Cuban doctors and intelligence and security support and political loyalty. Now, that oil from Venezuela is drying up.

As U.S. pressure tightens around Venezuela's oil exports, shipments to Cuba have fallen sharply. The tankers are being intercepted. insurance is harder to secure, fuel deliveries that once arrived regularly are now sporadic or don't arrive at all. And for Cuba, that disruption is catastrophic. Across the island, rolling blackouts have become the norm. Entire neighborhoods lose power for hours at a time, sometimes longer. Without electricity, water pumps shut down, refrigeration fails, hospitals struggle to run basic equipment. Food shortages, already severe, are reportedly getting worse. Fuel scarcity cripples transportation, of course, leaving crops rotting in fields and empty shelves in the cities.

Public transportation is unreliable. Medicine is harder to distribute. Diseases linked to poor sanitation and lack of clean water are spreading. According to reporting in the journal, roughly a quarter of Cuba's population has fled the island during this prolonged economic crisis. That's not a slow trickle, it's a mass exodus. Families are breaking apart. Professionals are leaving. young people see no future and are willing to risk dangerous journeys to escape. And this isn't just about economic mismanagement, though there's plenty of that. Cuba's system has always depended on an external benefactor or benefactors. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the island plunged into what it called the, quote, special period, marked by hunger, blackouts, and, frankly, desperation.

Venezuela later filled that void. Now, as Caracas itself is squeezed, Cuba, is once again exposed. What's notable here is how closely Havana's fate is tied to Maduro's survival. Cuba has invested deeply in Venezuela, providing intelligence assistance, internal security expertise, and political backing. That relationship helps keep Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez in power during years of unrest. Cuban officials are scrambling now to manage the fallout. They're rationing electricity, they're urging patience, they're blaming sanctions and external forces. But there's little they can do to replace the lost fuel quickly, and no obvious ally

is waiting in the wings to step in at scale. For Washington, this raises an uncomfortable question. The pressure campaign against Venezuela is meant to weaken an authoritarian regime and limit its influence in the region. But that same pressure is now accelerating a humanitarian and economic collapse just 90 miles from Florida, a collapse that could trigger even larger migration, flows, strain regional partners, and deepen instability across the Caribbean. This isn't an argument for propping up Havana, of course, or easing pressure on Maduro. It's a reminder that sanctions and blockades don't operate in isolation, in a bubble. They move through ecosystems of dependency and alliances and unintended consequences.

Cuba's economy has always survived on borrowed time and borrowed fuel. Now, it seems, both are running out. And the Wall Street Journal reports, the high island isn't just struggling, it's nearing a breaking point, caught in the cross-currents of a regional pressure campaign that may be reshaping the map faster than anyone planned. All right. Coming up next, the Trump administration orders nearly 30 U.S. ambassadors home, thinning the diplomatic ranks worldwide. And there's growing instability inside Syria, as gun battles erupt in Aleppo amid talks to absorb Kurdish forces into the regime's security

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It's a move by the White House that reflects President Trump's push to bring the diplomatic corps in line with his America First agenda. According to multiple diplomats, those ambassadors were informed that their tours would end early, with instructions to return by mid-January. All are career foreign service officers, not political appointees, who were nominated under the Biden administration and confirmed by the Senate. Usually, that wouldn't raise any eyebrows. Ambassadorial tours typically last three to four years, and career diplomats often stay on well into a new administration, providing continuity as the president sets his foreign policy direction.

From Washington's perspective, alignment matters. The State Department framed the recalls as a standard exercise of presidential authority, saying that an ambassador is a personal representative of the president and that it is his right to ensure that U.S. diplomats advance the America First agenda. Now, ambassadors generally fall into two camps, political appointees, often donors or close allies of a president, and career diplomats drawn from the Foreign Service. Political appointees are expected to resign at the start of a new administration. Career diplomats, by contrast, are usually retained, though they ultimately serve at the pleasure of the president. The union, representing career diplomats, reacted sharply.

Nikki Gamer, a spokeswoman for the American Foreign Service Association, or AFSA, said the move was unprecedented, calling it the first mass recall of career diplomats serving as ambassadors or chiefs of mission. She said those affected were notified abruptly, typically without explanation, a process that she described as highly irregular. After reviewing its archives, AFSA said it could find no precedent for such recall since the modern foreign service was established. Even now, the full scope remains unclear. AFSA said it does not have an exact count of the ambassadors that have been affected and is working to confirm details. An unofficial list circulating among diplomats appears to show recalls from every region of the world, including roughly a dozen ambassadors serving in sub-Saharan Africa.

The recalls come as the Trump administration moves to take a harder look at how U.S. diplomatic posts are staffed, and particularly in regions where ambassadorial vacancies have long persisted. Trump has not yet nominated ambassadors for a number of open posts, including in Africa, as embassies continue to operate under acting leadership, while the administration reviews its diplomatic footprint. The shake-up aligns with broader changes of the State Department under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who's framed the effort as a, quote, reorganization designed to streamline the department and bring its workforce into closer alignment with administration policy. You may remember that process included roughly 1,300 layoffs announced in July of this year,

including some 260 foreign service officers who were serving temporary rotations in Washington when their offices were eliminated. Some diplomats warn the recalls risk further damaging morale at a time when U.S. influence is already under pressure. China surpassed the U.S. in the number of diplomatic missions worldwide and maintains a steady, uninterrupted rotation of ambassadors across its network. But for the administration, the message is straightforward. U.S. diplomacy is not on autopilot. The recalls are meant to reinforce executive control over foreign policy, with U.S. diplomats serving the president and his agenda. Okay, turning to Syria. Instability resurfaced as gunfire broke out in Aleppo between Syrian forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic forces, the SDF, leaving at least three people

dead and more than 30 wounded as negotiations continue over plans to integrate the SDF into the country's state institution. The clashes erupted Monday, less than a week before a 10th of March deadline meant to steady the situation. Under that agreement, Damascus and the SDF committed to a nationwide ceasefire and to integrating civil and military institutions in northeastern Syria into the state framework. But the approach to that milestone has been marked not by de-escalation, but by fresh fighting in one of the country's most sensitive urban centers. And that timing matters. The SDF is not a peripheral force, nor an easy one to absorb. Backed by Washington and absent from their rebel alliance that overthrew dictator Bashar al-Assad, it remains the most powerful

non-governmental armed group in Syria, controlling strategically important territory across the northeast. As fighting spread through parts of Aleppo, even the basic contours of what happened became contested. Casualty figures vary depending on the source. The Damascus-run Aleppo Health Directorate said at least two civilians were killed and eight others injured after SDF shelling struck residential neighborhoods. The SDF's media chief told CNN that at least one civilian was killed and 23 others were wounded, including six security personnel, after what he described as mortar and heavy weapons attacks by, quote, factions affiliated with the new Damascus government against SDF held areas. As for who kicked off the latest clash, well, as you might imagine, each side places blame on the other.

That's a surprise. But by Monday evening, both sides confirmed that the fighting had stopped. The SDF said the pause came, quote, in response to ongoing de-escalation contacts, while Damascus issued a similar statement indicating hostilities had halted, language that suggests restraint, but perhaps not yet resolution. Behind the scenes, frustration over the stalled integration process was becoming more visible. Sirius Foreign Minister said the SDF had not shown sufficient seriousness in implementing the 10th of March agreement, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency.

The violence also coincided with a visit to Damascus by Turkey's foreign minister, adding pressure to already fragile negotiations. Speaking to reporters, he said Ankara supports the talks, but warned that integration must proceed through dialogue and reconciliation. Turkey's position looms large over this whole process. Ankara has long opposed the SDF, which the U.S. trained and armed during the fight against the Islamic State. But Turkey views the group as linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party, which Ankara, of course, labels a terror group. It's a designation that continues to shape

ongoing talks. So the latest clashes in Aleppo offer more evidence that the new Syrian government continues to face serious challenges during this post-war transition. Even as the negotiations press ahead, instability is testing just how much authority Damascus can actually exert and how easily the country's fragile calm can give way to renewed violence. Okay. Coming up in today's back of the brief, Kim Jong-un and his daughter make a public appearance to open a luxury resort in the Hermit Kingdom. Have you booked your room yet?

I'll have those details when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here with a message from our friends at Birch Gold. Now, did you know this? Gold is up around 40% this year. It's true. It's not speculation. It's reality. and if a portion of your savings isn't diversified into gold, well, you could be missing the boat.

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Rodriguez, the unraveled to North America with special guests. Get tickets Thursday, May 7th at Olivia Rodrigo.com. In today's back of the brief, well, are you dreaming of a vacation to a far-away

exotic land? Let me tell you something. Little Rocket Man has just the place for you. North Korea is getting into the luxury resort business. I kid you not. I'm not making this up. According to reports, Ken Jong-un has just cut the ribbon on a brand new high-end tourist complex near the Chinese border, complete with five luxury hotels, not just one, five luxury hotels, scenic mountain views, and all the trappings of a modern vacation destination. Joining him for the grand opening was his young daughter, Jouet, who once again, interestingly, took center stage in a carefully co-ographed public appearance. That is something worth watching. Now, if this feels a little surreal, well, that's because it is. North Korea is one of the most isolated and heavily sanctioned

countries on Earth. The economy struggles to meet basic needs. Food insecurity, malnutrition, and poverty are widespread. Electricity shortages are routine, and yet here we are, watching state media, proudly showcased luxury hotels. and leisure grounds, quote, for the people. The resort is located in Sam Jion, a remote northern city near the Chinese border, that the regime has spent years trying to rebrand as a symbol of progress in modern prosperity.

State outlets are calling the development, quote, attractive mountainous tourist resort, highlighting its upscale accommodations and natural beauty. What they're not highlighting, of course, is who this resort is actually for. Foreign tourism to North Korea remains extremely limited, tightly controlled, and of course politically sensitive. Domestic tourism exists, but access to luxury travel is reserved only for elites,

party loyalists, and those with the right connections. For the average North Korean citizen, a stay at a five-star mountain hotel is about as realistic as a ticket for a flight to the moon. So you ask why roll this out now? Well, that's a good question. Part of it is optics. Luxury resorts make for great propaganda. They project normalcy, progress, prosperity. They suggest a country moving forward, even when the fundamentals tell a very different story. And then there's the daughter. Kim Jong-un's decision to prominently feature Jue at events like this is no accident. Analysts increasingly view her appearances as part of a longer-term effort to shape public perception, softening the regime's image and quietly signaling dynastic continuity. In North Korea,

symbolism matters a lot. So, while missile launches usually dominate any stories about North Korea, this week's story is about the launch of a five-star resort, a surreal development in a country that can barely keep the lights on and feed its people. Now, of course, they're going to have to come up with a catchy tourism slogan, right? Everybody's got one. So I tell you what, send me your best suggestions to send them to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. I'm thinking maybe North Korea

come for the missile launches, stay for the rolling blackouts. Or maybe Pyongyang is for lovers. That's probably already been taken. Or what about this? What happens in North Korea stays in North Korea? Okay, you get the idea. Send me your thoughts. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Friday,

the 26th of December. Again, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. and I do hope that Santa brought you a subscription to our YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief. It is, in fact, the gift that keeps on giving. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with a special edition of the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe.

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