The President's Daily Brief - July 9th, 2024: NATO at 75, Netanyahu’s Demands, & Orban’s Beijing Visit

Episode Date: July 9, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: NATO leaders are in Washington today for the kickoff of a summit commemorating the 75th anniversary of the military alliance. With wars raging in Ukraine and Gaza, and an increasingly aggressive China, we’ll examine what’s at stake at this week’s gathering. With hostage talks restarting this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have thrown things off course by dropping a list of “nonnegotiable” demands at the last minute. Fresh off his visit to the Kremlin, Hungarian Prime Minister and EU Council President Viktor Orban is continuing his so-called “Peace Mission” in Beijing, once again shocking EU members by meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. We’ll have an update on now-tropic storm Beryl after the storm made landfall off the Central Texas coast on Monday. 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] ☕ Blackout Coffee: https://www.blackoutcoffee.com/PDB Code: PDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Redfin. You're listening to a podcast, which means you're probably multitasking, maybe even scrolling home listings on Redfin, saving homes without expecting to get them. But Redfin isn't just built for endless browsing. It's built to help you find and own a home. With agents who close twice as many deals, when you find the one, you've got a real shot at getting it. Get started at Redfin.com. Own the dream.

Start your day off with the great take. of Blackout Coffee. It's a terrific American business. Family-owned, premium coffee, fresh-roasted, and shipped out within 48 hours of roasting. Get that 48 hours of roasting, and it's on your doorstep. Go to blackout coffee.com promo code PDB for 20% off your first time purchase. It's Tuesday, 9 July. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. NATO leaders are in Washington today, and frankly so am I, for the kickoff of a summit commemorating the 75th anniversary of the military alliance.

With Putin's war still raging in Ukraine, we'll examine what's at stake at this week's gathering, and as an aside, nothing screws up traffic in Washington, D.C., like a NATO summit. Later in the show, with hostage talks restarting this week, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu may have complicated the negotiations by dropping a list of non-negotiable demands at the last minute. Seems like he's taken a page out of the Hamas playbook. Plus, fresh off his visit to the Kremlin, Hungarian Prime Minister and EU Council President Victor Orban is continuing his so-called peace mission in Beijing, of all places.

Once again, shocking EU members, that's what he does best, by meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Orban is definitely marching to his very own drummer. And finally, we'll have an update on now-tropical storm barrel after the storm made landfall off to the central Texas coast on Monday. But first, today's PDB spotlight. We'll kick things off today in Washington, D.C., where world leaders are descending for a critical NATO summit

amid fears about future U.S. and European support for Ukraine. The gathering marks the 75th anniversary of NATO, which comes as Vladimir Putin, tests the resilience of the alliance like never before with his continued aggression in Ukraine and harassment of Baltic members. It's worth noting that in the past 24 hours, Russia unleashed probably their largest missile barrage on Ukraine in the past four months, possibly sending a few months. a signal to the NATO alliance. With security concerns in Europe at an all-time high, much of the focus of the summit will be on how to protect the geopolitical interests of the alliance from

possible shifting political wins in Europe and the U.S. According to a report by the Associated Press, President Biden's, let's call it, a disastrous debate performance, is that too dramatic? Has only added to anxieties within the alliance that former President Trump, an occasional NATO skeptic will return to power in November. NATO leaders are concerned that a Trump victory, along with the rise of the populist right throughout much of Europe, could leave the alliance divided and undermine their long-term security commitments. Jeff Rathke, a veteran, Foreign Service officer, told AP, quote, the outcome of the November

election matters enormously for NATO, and pretty much all heads of state and government in the alliance feel the same way, even if they refuse to discuss it. The unpredictability of what Trump might do and how quickly in office he might do it leaves people on edge. It would be a significant joltanado if he were to win, end quote. Now, mind you, anyone who was described as a veteran foreign service officer is possibly self-identifying as a Democrat. So the angst regarding Trump, well, that could be understandable. As we touched on last week, leaders will finalize plans at the summit in D.C. to formalize NATO's position in arming Ukraine by transferring control of a U.S.-led multinational group

that oversees weapons shipments to Kiev. The U.S.-led Ramstein Group, which has coordinated military aid for Ukraine since Russia's invasion in 2022, will continue to operate as a political forum, but NATO will assume the military coordination role, ensuring more structured support for Ukraine's defense efforts in the long term. The initiative is meant to be. to quote Trump-proof NATO support for Ukraine ahead of his possible return to power. By institutionalizing NATO's role, they hope to make support for Ukraine immune to domestic political interests. But it's not just the U.S. presidential race that has NATO leaders concerned. France, which has been a leading supporter of Ukraine under President Emmanuel Macron,

is facing an uncertain political future. While Macron managed to stave off complete defrave, by an insurgent populist right wing over the weekend, his coalition failed to win a majority in Parliament. Right-wing members, skeptical of NATO, greatly increased their seats, which could dilute France's influence within NATO as time goes on. And then, of course, there's Victor Orban of NATO member Hungary, a Putin ally and a perennial thorn in the side of the alliance, who followed up a tense meeting in Kiev last week with a surprise visit to Russia to see Putin, where the pair held talks on a potential Ukrainian peace deal. Orban recently blocked Sweden's NATO membership bid for more than a year,

and he's at various times blocked the approval of aid packages. We'll have more on Orban's latest attempts to undermine NATO interests a little later in the show. Regarding Ukraine's possible inclusion into NATO, leaders will outline a, quote, bridge to membership for Ukraine this week during the summit to accelerate that effort. Though it's a process that's expected to take years, NATO officials want to begin strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities and integrating them more closely with NATO standards and procedures. And as we discussed on Friday, NATO allies have also tentatively agreed to send military aid worth $43 billion to Ukraine next year, plans which they'll finalize this week.

While NATO leaders failed to secure a multi-year pledge from member states, the agreement reportedly includes provisions to reassess contributions at future NATO summits. Despite the efforts at this week's summit, NATO officials have acknowledged that the U.S. remains the dominant power within the alliance and any future change in U.S. support, well, that would have a major impact on Europe's collective security. And to be frank, much of the press during the NATO summit in Washington, D.C. will be fixated on the issue of President Biden's abilities, his mental acuity and potential to remain the Democrat presidential nominee for the November election.

There is every chance that that coverage will overshadow key details of the NATO summit itself. Coming up next, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu issues a list of demands ahead of renewed hostage negotiations. And EU members are once again stunned. We're stunned again as rogue Hungarian president. Victor Orban unexpectedly turns up in Beijing. It's like, where's Waldo? Which despotic or authoritarian regime will Orban visit next? We'll have those stories when we come back. This is Euphoria Calvin Klein, the new elixir collection, featuring three perfume intense sense, inspired by a unique Orcid Accord, paired with vanilla, each with its own distinct attitude, each with its own universe, bold

elixir, sensual, woody, addictive, magnetic elixir, sweet and romantic like a lingering touch, solar elixir, a radiant expression of joy, ultra-concentrated for amplified impact and lasting power. Find your euphoria. Discover the Euphoria Elixir Collection by Calvin Klein. Paraday presents in the Red Corner the Undisputed Undefeated Weed Weed Weed Weed Weed Weed to guide. Champion of hurling grass and pollen everywhere. And in the blue corner, the challenger, Extra Strength, Hannity! Eye drops and work all day to prevent the release of histamines that cause itchy allergy eyes. And the winner by knockout is Padiday. Padiday. Bring it on. Welcome back to the PDB. Shifting our focus to Israel, Prime Minister Netany

Yahoo is facing accusations that he's attempting to sabotage renewed ceasefire negotiations just as hopes for a breakthrough were rekindled. As we discussed on Monday's show, reports indicate that Hamas has abandoned their demand that Israel commit up front to a complete end to the war. That's opening up a potential path to a truce that could free the remaining hostages in Gaza. Hamas, as instead indicated they are content. with written guarantees from mediators that Israel will continue to negotiate a permanent ceasefire deal

once the first phase goes into effect. But just as mediators from Israel, the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar began rushing back to the negotiating table this week, Netanyahu issued a statement Sunday evening outlining four non-negotiable Israeli demands, the most notable, being a guarantee from all parties,

that Israel can resume operations in Gaza at a later date. Netanyahu also said that Israel will not agree to the release of thousands of armed terrorists to the northern Gaza Strip. He demanded that weapons smuggling to Hamas through Egypt's border be halted, and that all sides agree to maximize the number of living hostages that are released. Officials in his office also emphasized that there were still major gaps in Hamas's response and the original proposal. While Netanyahu has made no secret about his commitment to the total eradication of Hamas, many questioned why he was underscoring these issues at such a critical juncture in

negotiations. U.S. and Israeli security officials and mediators were reportedly incensed by the statement, with some accusing Netanyahu of actively trying to sabotage a ceasefire deal. An anonymous Israeli security official told the Times of Israel, quote, Netanyahu pretends that he wants a deal, but is working to torpedo it. He's dragging out the process, trying to stretch time until his speech in Congress. Another anonymous Israeli official said there was, quote, no enthusiasm or drive by Netanyahu to secure a deal and questioned why he would emphasize the gaps between Israel and Hamas at such a delicate time. An unnamed senior

official, they're all unnamed or anonymous, aren't they, from one of the countries involved in the negotiations also expressed dismay, saying Netanyahu's statement focused on the most sensitive aspect of the ongoing negotiations, something they've worked hard in the past few weeks to overcome. The anonymous official told the Times of Israel, quote, statements like the one made by the Prime Minister severely harm efforts. One cannot help but conclude that they are being made for purely political purposes, end quote. Now, hyperbole aside, let's look at this pragmatically. Netanyahu is essentially noting in his demands that Israel be allowed to resume operations against Hamas in the future, which doesn't, frankly, seem unreasonable, given that Hamas is not being asked to give up their stated objective of destroying Israel.

No one is demanding that Hamas abandon their goal of genocide. Netanyahu is also bulking at releasing thousands of Hamas fighters. Again, not something that seems unreasonable, given that the Hamas fighters stated objective, is the destruction of Israel. He's also asking that arms smuggling to Hamas be stopped between Egypt and Gaza. Yeah, that seems totally outrageous. And finally, he wants to prioritize the release of living hostages. Okay, maybe it's just me, but perhaps the drama and hyperbole around his list of demands

is being driven by pro-Hamas supporters or persons who have an agenda separate and distinct from the survival of Israel as a free and independent nation. All right. Turning our attention to Beijing, where Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban once again shocked his EU colleagues by meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday. Seriously, the guy just suddenly appeared in China. No warnings. Hey, here I am. How you doing? Orban's visit to Beijing marked the third leg of his self-described, quote, peace mission and follows recent meetings with President Putin in Moscow and Zelenskyy in Kiev. The Prime Minister's recent travels have sparked controversy as he's essentially gone walkabout,

engaging in diplomatic efforts without the input of other EU states. He's just out there wandering around doing his Orban thing. It comes shortly after he assumed the role of presidency of the Council of the European Union, a rotating position that he'll hold for six months. And have I mentioned already that Russia, this month in July? The month of July, Russia is the head of the United Nations Security Council. Yes, we live in interesting times. The Hungarian leader, who has often been at odds with the West over his support for Russian President Putin,

labeled his arrival in China as, quote, Peace Mission 3.0 on X, formerly known as Twitter. As we discussed earlier, his trip coincides with the crucial NATO summit in Washington, where President Biden is meeting with the group's leaders, including Hungary, to reinforce their support for Ukraine. While in Beijing, Orban and Xi reportedly discussed the need for the international community to facilitate direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. She reiterated Beijing's call for a ceasefire via a six-point peace. plan, a stance criticized in the West as potentially aiding Russia's territorial gains. Orban echoed Xi's sentiment, suggesting China's pivotal role in peace efforts.

While Orban has claimed the mantle of peacemaker for himself, Ukrainian President Zelensky, well, he's not quite as enthusiastic. On Monday, the leader declared that Orban is not a suitable mediator in the Ukraine-Russia war, adding that only major powers possessing substantial economic and military capabilities, such as China, the U.S., or the entire EU, can mediate the conflict. Zelensky's statement was endorsed by German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habek and other EU leaders, clarifying that Orban does not represent the entire bloc and that Hungary's policies often diverge from core EU thinking. Orban is scheduled to arrive in Washington today to join other NATO leaders after his jaunt in Beijing. All right.

Coming up an update on now tropical storm barrel, which was downgraded after making landfall in Texas on Monday. We'll take a look at the damage that the deadly storm caused in today's back of the brief. I'll be right back.

Not loving your AT&T or T Mobile Bill? Yeah, we've been hearing that a lot. Good news. Bring your AT&T or T Mobile Bill to Verizon and we'll give you a better deal. So get away from that unfortunate phone bill and get to Verizon. Run, ride, canoe. Whatever it takes, we'll be here. Bring your AT&T or T mobile bill to a Verizon

today and we'll give you a better deal on the best network. A better deal. No surprises. That's Verizon. Best network based on root metrics, best overall mobile network performance U.S. second half 2025, all rights reserved. It must provide a recent consumer mobile bill in the name of the person regained me the deal. Additional terms, conditions, and restrictions apply. You always want the best for your family.

And that means only Egglands Best Eggs in your kitchen. Compared to ordinary eggs, Egglands Best Eggs contain six times more vitamin D, 25% less saturated fat, more than double the omega-3s, 10 times more vitamin E and more than double the vitamin B12. So why give your family less when they can have the best? Add Egglands Best Superior Nutrition to your next grocery list.

Better taste, better nutrition, better eggs. In today's back of the brief, it looks like Texas dodged the worst of Hurricane Burrow. Barrow was downgraded to a tropical storm when it made landfall on the central Texas coast on Monday morning. Now, still, the damage was significant. the storm brought a life-threatening storm surge, deadly widespread damage, and power outages affecting over 2.7 million residents. Barrel, which wrecked havoc in the Caribbean before reaching the U.S., has had a particularly devastating effect on the Houston metro area. Tarrantial rainfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour overwhelmed the drainage systems, while winds of up to 90 miles per hour

damaged infrastructure. For some perspective, Houston was hit with more. more than a month's worth of rain over the course of just a few hours. Transportation has been severely impacted, with Houston Metro suspending all bus and rail services and Bush Intercontinental Airport, reporting over 1,000 flight cancellations. As the tropical storm churned further into the Lone Star State, it left a trail of destruction in Harris County, where falling trees claimed the lives of two people. These deaths added to the then-hurricanes death toll of at least nine fatalities across the Caribbean, including Venezuela, Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines.

Over 2,000 emergency responders, including members of the Texas National Guard, are working to address the storm's aftermath. Tornado warnings have been issued for several Texas counties and parts of Louisiana, as the storm has reportedly spawned several massive twisters near the border between the two states. As a storm moves northward, it's expected to weaken, but bring heavy rain and strong winds as far north as Michigan by the end of the week. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Tuesday, 9 July. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com.

Now, to listen to the show ad-free, you can become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium.com. It's simple and quite possibly the best value in the world of news and information. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. 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.