The President's Daily Brief - June 28th, 2024: North Korean Troops In Ukraine, Israel's Major Warning On Iran's Nuclear Program, & China's Leadership Purge

Episode Date: June 28, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:     In a sign of the rapidly deepening ties between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, North Korea will send military construction and engineering troops to the Russian occupied areas of the Donetsk region of Ukraine. Israel is renewing their focus on Iran’s nuclear ambitions following reports the Islamic regime may try to build an atomic bomb sometime before the next U.S. president takes office. Just days after kicking off membership talks with Ukraine, the European Union has signed a major new security agreement pledging long term military, financial, and diplomatic support to Kyiv. In our 'Back of the Brief' segment, China has expelled two former defense ministers from the ruling Communist Party in a major purge that is reportedly part of a broader, secretive crackdown on the country’s elite. 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

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american company it's family owned they're all about premium coffee fresh roasted and shipped out within 48 hours of roasting go to blackout coffee dot com promo code pdb for 20% off your first time purchase it's friday 28 june welcome to the president's daily brief i'm mike baker your eyes and ears on the world stage let's get briefed We'll start today with the ever-blossoming affair between Russia and North Korea, and it really is an affair to remember. It's a timeless story of romance between these two nations, albeit born out of necessity. As the Hermit Kingdom prepares to deploy engineering troops to occupied Ukraine, to aid Moscow's efforts to rebuild their wartime infrastructure in Russian-occupied territory of Ukraine, yes, I'm not making that up. North Korean troops will be in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine working to rebuild infrastructure

that was destroyed by Putin's invasion. Later, Israel is renewing their focus on Iran's nuclear ambitions following reports that the Islamic regime may try to build an atomic bomb sometime before the next U.S. president takes office. Now, if you think Iran is difficult to deal with now, well, wait till they become a member of the nuclear club. Plus, just days after kicking off membership talks with Ukraine, the European Union has signed a major new security agreement pledging long-term military, financial, and diplomatic support to Kiev. And in today's back of the brief, China has expelled two former defense ministers from the ruling communist party in a major purge that is reportedly part of a broader secretive crackdown on the

country's elite. And as we've said here on the PDB in the past, you'd have to go back to Mao or Deng Xiaoping's era to find a time comparable to Xi Jinping's lock on power. But first, today's PDB spotlight. We'll kick things off today in the Far East, where North Korea's dictator Kim Jong-un is still making noise on the international stage in the wake of his summit meeting in Pyongyang last week with Russian President Putin. In a sign of the deepening ties between the two despots, North Korea will send military construction and engineering troops to the Russian-occupied areas of the Denezka region of Ukraine. The large-scale engineering forces will allegedly aid Moscow in rebuilding infrastructure in the region

as Putin tries to press forward against Keeves' frontline forces, according to an exclusive report from the Institute for the Study of War. The report stated, quote, Russia appears to be pursuing a coalition of friendly states with historically warm ties to the social Union, including North Korea and Vietnam, to form the basis of an alternative world order. Now, three or four of the North Korean military's 10 engineering brigades will reportedly be deployed, with Russia prepared to fork over the equivalent of $115 million annually for their efforts. If the assessment is correct, the units could begin arriving in occupied Ukraine as early as July. The move marks a major expansion of North Korea's role in the conflict. As we know, Kim Jong-un has been working from the shadows for many months to resupply Russia with various munitions,

including ballistic missiles for use in Ukraine. Now, apparently feeling a confidence boost from Putin, the Kim regime is ready to step out of the shadows and back Russia for all the world to see. We should note, there's no indication that North Korean troops will participate in combat operations, operations, but analysts at the Institute for the Study of War said it will provide much-needed relief for Putin's beleaguered military. And frankly, the likelihood that they will be drawn into combat, either deliberately or inadvertently, is very high. The report states, quote, direct North Korean engineering support can free up Russian combat power for operations along the front line and aid Russian efforts to expand military infrastructure and defensive fortifications in occupied Ukraine.

reacting to the news, Major General Pat Ryder, a spokesman for the Pentagon, warned that, regardless of what capacity they are serving in, North Korea is taking a major risk by sending troops to the front lines of the war. Writers said, quote, I think that if I were North Korean military personnel management, I would be questioning my choices on sending my forces to be cannon fodder in an illegal war against Ukraine, end quote. Now, the obvious point here, though, is that it doesn't matter what North Korean military leaders may think. If Kim Jong-un says, send troops to help my BFF Putin, well, that's what the military will do. You don't want to question the dear leader, as he's referred to in North Korea. That tends not to end well.

The move seems to be a direct result of the Defense Act signed last week by Putin and Kim. The unprecedented agreement requires that each nation defend the other in war situations, quote, without delay and by mobilizing all means in its possession. Amid that activity, officials in South Korea, increasingly unnerved by the deepening ties between Russia and the North, warned Russia against making further, quote, mistakes that could irreparably damage Moscow's relationship with South Korea. Earlier this week, leaders in South Korea summoned Moscow's envoy to lodge an official complaint regarding their defensive pact with the North, and nothing works better in this world.

today that we live in than to lodge an official complaint with an envoy. At a press conference in Seoul on Thursday, a representative for the South Korean Foreign Ministry said, quote, we hope that Russia gives up its dependency on North Korea and acts like a permanent member of the UN Security Council, end quote. Okay, well, not to sound cynical, but that's not happening. By signing the defensive pact last week, Putin has ensured that North Korea will play a more active and public role in the war in Ukraine, as well as in any future plans that Putin might have regarding territory in Eastern Europe. Earlier this week, the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, issued a joint statement condemning the move,

saying the treaty, quote, should be of grave concern to anyone with an interest in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. All right, coming up after the break, Israel is growing increasingly concerned about Iran's nuclear ambitions following reports that the Islamic regime could build a nuclear device as early as January. Plus, the European Union has signed a major new security agreement pledging long-term support to Ukraine in the face of Putin's ongoing aggression. I'll have those stories when we come back. 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

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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. Welcome back. Turning our attention to Israel, the country's leaders are renewing their focus on Iran's nuclear program amid intelligence that the Islamic regime could seek to build an atomic bomb sometime before the next U.S. president takes office. An exclusive report from Axios revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu quietly revived a series of working groups just two weeks ago to dig into

the issue. A total of six teams have been assembled and will be made up of officials from the defense establishment, foreign ministry, and the intelligence community. The groups had been frozen for the last year and a half, and critics of Netanyahu said his government has failed to prioritize the issue of Iran's nuclear program since he returned to office in December of 2022. The report from Axios noted that Netanyahu was initially distracted by his attempts at a judicial overhaul and subsequently, of course, by the war in Gaza. Recent intelligence, however, appears to have prompted a significant reassessment inside Jerusalem's halls of power. An unnamed Israeli official told Axios, quote, the penny finally dropped, and they started addressing the issue seriously, and it's a good thing,

end quote. As we discussed last week, U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies recently discovered that Iran has acquired and employed a computer modeling program that can be used for the research and development of nuclear weapons. Unnamed intelligence officials have noted that such a program could play a critical role in weaponizing enriched uranium stores and ultimately assembling a bomb. Now, we should note that we don't know exactly what Iran's scientists are up to with this technology, and U.S. officials continue to state that they have no evidence that Iran is actively pursuing weaponization. I'm sure they wouldn't do that. Okay, now look, setting aside the Polyanish view of those U.S. officials, here on planet Earth, pragmatic folks assume that the Iranian regime is engaged

in an effort to become a member of the nuclear club. Yaakov Nagel, a former Israeli national security advisor, who remains close to the prime minister, said that the indication is that the computer modeling program will allow Iran to significantly shorten the timetable required to build a bomb. Nagel told Axios that experiments with the computer modeling program are currently being conducted, quote, under an academic umbrella, but added that the work is, quote, pushing the envelope of what can be reasonably claimed for civilian purposes. Iran is, as we know, has long claimed that their continued enrichment of uranium is for civilian purposes only.

As to when Iran might try to make a move on their nuclear program, unnamed Israeli intelligence officials said that they are concerned they could try to advance weaponization efforts in the weeks leading up to the U.S. presidential election in November. They added the Islamic regime may also break towards a nuclear weapon during the post-election transition period when they feel American leaders might struggle to quickly respond to developments in Iran. As a reminder, Iran has large stores of 60% enriched uranium, which can be further enriched to weapons-grade levels in just a few weeks. And the UN's nuclear watchdog estimates Iran has enough near-weapons-grade uranium to build at least three nuclear weapons. Okay, I want to shift our focus to the European Union, where in a steadfast commitment to

Ukraine, the bloc formalized a security pact, ensuring long-term military, financial, diplomatic, and humanitarian assistance for the war-torn country. This agreement, sealed during a summit in Brussels on Thursday, also sets the stage for Ukraine's future admittance to the EU. Since Russia's 2022 invasion, the EU has been a steadfast ally of Ukraine, providing various forms of aid in response to President Zelensky's calls for support. The new pact will now lock in that support for years to come. Central to this new agreement is the establishment of a robust Ukraine assistance fund, starting with over $5 billion in funding for 2024 and potential annual increases until 2007. According to a report from Euro News, the agreement prioritizes continued training,

for Ukrainian forces, as well as fostering deeper cooperation between Ukrainian and European defense industries, and enhancing collaboration to combat the growing threat of cyber attacks and foreign information manipulation. Zelensky has been vocal about Ukraine's critical need for air defense systems and long-range missiles, urging Western nations to make good on their promises regarding military aid. While the EU provides substantial assistance, it has lagged in meeting Zelensky's demands, notably falling short of its pledge to provide one million rounds of ammunition last year and delaying decisions on critical equipment like tanks and fighter jets. In a bit to fulfill Ukraine's military needs, however, the EU recently intensified its economic

pressure on Russia and will start using Russian assets to their advantage. Last month, the bloc approved a fresh package of sanctions targeting lukified natural gas for the first time. The sanctions will utilize the interest from Russia's immobilized assets in the EU, estimated at some 250 billion, to assist Ukraine and military and industrial aid. The first tranche of funds worth roughly $1.5 billion is set to be released to Kiev soon. Beyond military assistance, the Comprehensive Agreement bolsters Ukraine's security on multiple fronts, outlining the pathway to EU acceptance, as well as a commitment to continued sanctions against Russia. Regarding EU accession, Zelensky said, quote, Ukraine is ready to go through all the necessary steps.

In addition to the EU pact, Zelensky also signed bilateral security agreements with Lithuania and Estonia on Thursday, similar to existing packs with countries such as the U.S., Britain, France, and Germany. EU leaders are hoping the agreement will serve as a rallying cry that makes it clear to Moscow that the EU will not abandon Ukraine. All right. Coming up next, China has expelled two former defense ministers from the ruling communist party in a major purge that is reportedly part of a broader secretive crackdown on the country's elite. We'll have the details on that in today's back of the brief. I'll be right back. 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.

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in a move punctuating a sweeping and secretive corruption crackdown on the country's elites. The expulsion of Wei Feng, who served as defense minister from 2018 to 2023, and Li Shang Fu, who held the position for seven months before his abrupt removal in October, was approved by the CCP's 24-member Politburo for, quote, serious violations of party discipline and the law, end quote. According to stay-run media, military investigations concluded that both officials had accepted massive bribes. they had already been stripped of their roles as delegates to the 20th National Congress of the CCP before the announcement. The corruption crackdown has led to the removal of over a dozen senior PLA generals and defense industry executives over the past year for alleged graph-related offenses. This shake-up has raised concerns about the effectiveness of President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption measures and their impact on the military's operational capabilities. That's according to a report from

NBC News. Prosecutors have been directed to file charges against the officials, though the fates of Li and Wei remain uncertain, as little is known about their current whereabouts were the responses to the allegations. China's purge of its military intensified as President Xi began his third term in office in March of 2023. The crackdown aims to eliminate corruption within the People's Liberation Army and enforce loyalty with a particular focus on high-ranking officials. This effort is part of a broader strategy to modernize the PLA amid rising regional tensions, particularly with Taiwan. Earlier this month, Xi criticized the Chinese military for, quote, deep-seated problems in its politics, ideology, work style, and discipline. She also recently emphasized the need for

loyalty and strict discipline within the PLA at a high-level military conference, identifying corruption and ideological slippage as if, how about that? ideological slippage as key impediments to military modernization. The ongoing purge underscores the persistent challenges facing the CCP in their quest to eradicate corruption within China's military establishment and on another level and in Xi's quest to maintain a firm grip on power and remove any potential dissent or challenges to his authority. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Friday 28 June. If you have any questions or comments, please, reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And don't forget, to listen to the show

ad-free, well, you can become a premium member of the president's daily brief by visiting PDB premium.com. And of course, if it's Friday, which it is, that means a new episode of the PDB Situation Report drops this evening at 10 p.m. on the first TV. This week, we've got two excellent guests talking the Israel-Hesbolah conflict and Iran's influence in the current Middle East crisis, as well as the potential infiltration of America via the poorest U.S. southern border by individuals with links to ISIS. You can also catch the Situation Report on our YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief, as well as on all the major podcast platforms. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the BDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe.

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