The President's Daily Brief - May 20th, 2025: Putin Signals ‘Compromise’ After Trump Call & A Cartel Ambush In Mexico

Episode Date: May 20, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:   President Trump says Russia and Ukraine will begin “immediate” ceasefire negotiations after a two-hour call with Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin confirms Putin is open to discussing “compromises” following what it described as a frank conversation.   Two security consultants—one of them a former U.S. State Department contractor—are gunned down in what appears to be a cartel ambush at a restaurant in Guadalajara, Mexico.   Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, unleashes a blistering attack on President Trump following his Middle East visit, accusing him of lying and calling for the destruction of Israel.   And in today’s Back of the Brief: Australia begins loading nearly 50 decommissioned Abrams tanks for shipment to Ukraine, despite quiet objections from U.S. officials.   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 TriTails Premium Beef: Visit https://TryBeef.com/PDB for 2 free Flat Iron steaks with your first box over $250 Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold Jacked Up Fitness: Go to https://GetJackedUp.com and use code BAKER at checkout to save 10% off your entire purchase Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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after a two-hour call with Vladimir Putin, with the Kremlin confirming confirming that Putin is prepared to discuss, quote, compromises following the candid conversation. We'll have those details. Later in the show, a deadly cartel ambush in Mexico, two security experts, including a former U.S. State Department contractor, are gunned down while dining at a restaurant in Guadalajara. Plus, fresh threats from the Iranian regime, ooh, they're threatening again. Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini blasts President Trump in a fiery speech and calls for the destruction of Israel following Trump's visit to the region. And in today's back of the brief, Australia moves ahead with shipping nearly 50 decommissioned

Abrams tanks to Ukraine, despite quiet objections from some in Washington. But first, today's BDB spotlight. We'll begin with President Trump's latest push to get momentum for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, despite what appears to be ongoing efforts by the Kremlin to undermine efforts to end the war. Trump held a roughly two-hour-long call on Monday, with Russian President Putin, which, as we discussed on yesterday's PDB, the President had hoped would yield a concrete path for a lasting ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev. But while the President and Putin put a positive spin on the call,

describing it as, quote, frank and, quote, useful, it does not appear that any major progress was made towards securing a lasting peace. That's according to a report from Fox News. By the way, the words frank and useful, oh, not to mention constructive, while their Washington speak for nothing of value was accomplished. Still, the conversation is keeping hopes alive, at least for some folks, that a diplomatic off-ram to the more than three-year-long war is still possible. Taking to Truth Social following the call, Trump said, quote, I believe it went very well.

Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire, and more importantly, an end to the war. He added, however, the, quote, the conditions for that will be negotiated between the parties, as it can only be because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of, end quote. Trump said he immediately relayed the plans for revived peace talks directly between Moscow and Kiev to Ukrainian President Zelensky, along with leaders of the EU, France, Italy, Germany, and Finland. Zelensky later said that he would pursue a high-level meeting among Ukraine, Russia, the U.S., Britain, and EU countries, perhaps hosted by Turkey,

the Vatican or Switzerland, though a timeline for peace talks was not immediately clear. In his post on truth social, Trump had also suggested that the Vatican, now under the leadership of the First American Pope, could play a role in mediating the discussions. Trump said, quote, the Vatican has stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations, let the process begin. But Putin once again appears to be complicating these efforts. Well, that's shocking, as our regular listeners know, European leaders in Ukraine have been demanding that Russia agree to an immediate 30-day ceasefire, which would allow time for more substantive negotiations to begin. But Putin has consistently rebuffed those calls, insisting that Ukraine agree to its rather

lengthy list of concessions before any break in battlefield hostilities. European leaders have encouraged Trump to impose fresh sanctions on the Putin regime in order to pressure the Kremlin and to take negotiations more seriously. The president suggested last Friday that he is open to using sanctions as leverage on Putin if needed, but for now he's keeping the economic powder dry. Vice President J.D. Vance, meanwhile, reiterated Monday that the U.S. may walk away from the peace process entirely if talks don't progress, saying the, quote, one open question is whether Vladimir Putin is serious about negotiating peace, end quote, I'm sorry for sounding churley. but how exactly is that still an open question? So how did Putin react to the call? Well, the Russian

strongman told reporters that, quote, a ceasefire with Ukraine is possible. And that, quote, Russia and Ukraine must find compromises that suit both sides. Looks like Vladimir just snagged today's PDB statement of the obvious award. I'm sure he'll be disappointed, though, to learn that the award doesn't come with any territory. But for now, instead of a ceasefire, Putin said Russia is, quote, ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum, oh good, a memo, on a possible future peace accord, which would define the principles of settlement and the timing of a possible peace agreement. He added that, quote, the main thing for us is to eliminate, oh, the root causes of this crisis. There's that phrase again. Now, the mention of root causes is telling,

as it's a phrase commonly used by the Kremlin to place blame on Kiv for the war, which, of course, started when Russian forces invaded Ukraine. The Trump-Pooten call comes on the heels of the failed effort to have a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelensky in Turkey last Thursday. Now Putin, of course, kept the world guessing about his attendance there at that meeting for days, before ultimately opting as a no-show, instead sending a junior-level delegation in what was viewed as a major snub to both Kiev and Washington. Russia's delegation stuck to Putin's maximalist demands, calling for Ukraine to end their pursuit of NATO membership, officially cede Crimea and four occupied regions in eastern Ukraine to Russia and withdraw their military from the front lines.

Moscow also continues to demand a halt to all-Western military aid to Kiev as a condition for a ceasefire. Now, given that most of these terms remain as non-starters for leaders in Kiev, Putin's claim on Monday that Russia is willing to compromise, well, it rings a little hollow, or a lot hollow, maybe even fully hollow. In the meantime, the bloodshed on the battlefields of Ukraine will continue. All right, coming up after the break, a cartel-linked ambush leaves two security consultants dead in Mexico, and Iran's Ayatollah Harmony issues fresh threats following Trump's Middle East visit.

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Cesar Guzman, a longtime counter-narcotics trainer, was gunned down Friday night while dining at a restaurant in the Halisco Capitol. He had just wrapped up a security and intelligence training session for state police alongside two fellow instructors when unidentified gunmen stormed in and opened fire before fleeing the scene by car. Yeah, I would say that does have all the earmarks of a cartel ambush. Also killed was Carlos Amador, the former Undersecretary of Security for Hidalgo State. A third man, the former public security secretary in Chihuahua, was critically wounded. Six people in total were hit by gunfire, including bystanders. It was, as I said, an attack with all the markings of a targeted hit. All three men had conducted counter-drug and intelligence training for the State Department's

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement. That's part of a long-standing U.S.-Mexico partnership aimed at cracking down on the cartels. Guzman's resume also included work with Interpol, Mexico's Attorney General's office and the Halisco State Police. According to retired FBI agent Arturo Fonters, the group had spent the past two years delivering high-level instruction to Mexican officers in Mexico City. In a LinkedIn post, Fontez who once worked alongside the victims called them, quote, true heroes and some of the bravest individuals I've ever known. He described the ambush as a gut punch to those on the front lines of Mexico's drug war. So far, there's no official word on motive,

but the location alone sends a message. The restaurant sits in a district controlled by the cartel Halisco New Generation, one of Mexico's deadliest and most brazen criminal organizations, now designated by the U.S. government as a terrorist group under the Trump administration. The U.S. consulate in Guadalajara confirmed the men were not employed by the diplomatic mission at the time, but issued a statement expressing condolences, saying, quote, we are deeply concerned about any act of violence and express our condolences, to the victims and their families.

This latest killing fits a grim pattern in Halisco, where violence has spiked recently. Just last week, a Mexican social media influencer was gunned down during a live stream. In April, a mayoral candidate was shot dead while eating at a restaurant. Days later, a mother, searching for her missing relatives, was murdered alongside her son.

And earlier that same month, the state's municipal police chief was assassinated. with no arrests announced and little public detail from Mexican authorities, the investigation into Friday's ambush remains ongoing. Okay, shifting to the Iranian regime. Hours after President Trump concluded his historic Gulf State tour, Supreme Leader Naitola Ali Khomeini unleashed an angry tirade. Is there any other kind of tirade other than angry?

Accusing the president of deceit and calling for Israel's destruction. Well, there's a surprise. In opposed to X, the cleric dismissed. missed Trump's pledge to use American power for peace as a lie, calling the president's remarks in the Gulf a, quote, source of shame for the American nation. He didn't stop there. Khomeini labeled Israel a, quote, cancerous tumor that in his words must be uprooted. The Trump administration, for its part, did not hesitate to reiterate that Iran remains the world's foremost state sponsor of terrorism and anti-Semitism, arming and funding proxy groups, including Hamas, Chasbullah, and the Houtis.

his visit to Riyadh, Doha and Abu Dhabi, Trump was unflinching in his indictment of the Islamic regime, telling Gulf leaders, quote, the biggest and most destructive of these forces is the regime in Iran, adding that Tehran, quote, has caused unthinkable suffering in the region. But Hamini's fury wasn't just reserved for the U.S. and Israel. Well, I mean, he does actually have gobs of fury, so he's spreading it around. He also lashed out at Sunni Arab states, aligned with Washington, mainly Saudi Arabia and Qatar, accusing them of being little more than Western client states propped up by American muscle. Chominee warned, quote, the U.S. wants these countries unable to function without it,

predicting the alliance will soon collapse. Now, this saber-rattling comes as nuclear talks between Washington and the mullahs remain mired and stale-made, chiefly over the issue of uranium enrichment. President Trump has repeatedly insisted that any deal must include Iran's full abandonment of enrichment activities, an outcome that Iran's leadership continues to reject. On Monday, Iran's deputy foreign minister took to state media to deliver a curt assessment, talks, quote, will lead nowhere if the U.S. sticks to its demand of zero enrichment. Special Envoy, Steve Whitkoff, echoed the administration's hard line in a Sunday interview with ABC News, stating, quote,

we cannot allow even one percent of an enrichment capability. That red line, he added, is non-negotiable. As we've been tracking here on the PDB, Iran is enriching uranium to 60% purity, well beyond what's needed for civilian energy and dangerously close to weapons grade. The Mullahs maintain that the program is peaceful. Of course, they've also just reissued their call to destroy Israel, which honestly doesn't seem like something that a peace-loving regime would do. Western intelligence calls their claims laughable. In addition, Tehran has for years limited access to international inspectors, of course, fueling deeper suspicion in Washington and elsewhere. Iranian foreign minister Abbasarachi struck a familiar pose,

opened the diplomacy, but only on the Iranian regime's terms. He said, quote, if the U.S. is interested in ensuring that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, a deal is within reach, end quote. But he left no ambiguity on enrichment, stressing that the Islamic regime will continue, quote, with or without a deal. Now, that posture might have flown. earlier this year when the Trump administration signaled a potential willingness to allow limited enrichment under stringent conditions. But that flexibility has since vanished. Now Trump is warning

of a possible military action if Tehran refuses to stand down. Israel is even more direct. Prime Minister Netanyahu has vowed that Iran will never be allowed to reacquire nuclear weapons full stop. Citing Tehran's repeated threats to wipe Israel off the map, Netanyahu warned that Jerusalem is prepared to act alone if needed. So, where does that leave things? Trump's tour through the Gulf and harmonies blistering response have widened the rift, of course, between Washington and Tehran. And with neither side blinking on enrichment, well, a breakthrough really doesn't seem all that likely. Okay, coming up next in the back of the brief. Australia is sending U.S.-made tanks to Ukraine, whether Washington likes it or not. The first batch of 49 decommissioned Abrams is now en route.

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On Monday, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, or ABC, reported that Australia has begun loading nearly 50 decommissioned Abrams tanks for shipment to Ukraine, despite ongoing, albeit quiet, objections from U.S. officials. The confirmation came after a meeting between Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ukrainian President Zelensky in Rome on Sunday, after which Zelensky said he welcomed the commitment of military support from the land down under. On the surface, the situation seems innocuous enough, just another military package for Ukraine from an ally committed to helping the besieged nation defend itself from Putin's aggression. But this specific package has concerned U.S. defense officials who have questioned the usefulness of Abrams tanks on the Ukrainian battlefields and whether Kiev is even interested in using the retired

tanks on their front lines. Notably, the U.S. objections precede the Trump administration. One U.S. defense official, speaking anonymously to ABC, said, quote, last year, even before Trump returned his president, we warned the Australians that sending these Abrams tanks would be complicated, and once they finally get to the battlefield, the Ukrainians will find them difficult to sustain, end quote. For some background. Originally, Australia pledged to send Kiev 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks as part of a broader military aid package announced last October, but the shipments faced immediate delays as the transfer of the U.S. made tanks to a third country required approval from the Pentagon, which was reluctant to Greenlight the donation. While the U.S. ultimately relented and approved the arrangement,

officials continue to express concerns about the logistical difficulties of transferring Abrams' tanks to Ukraine and the challenges of maintaining the dated equipment once they arrive on the front lines. Essentially, U.S. officials feel there are better, more effective ways for the Australian government to provide aid to the war-torn country. The Australian government had already faced widespread criticism from Western allies over their refusal to do that. donate their retired fleet of advanced Taipan helicopters to Ukraine last year. U.S. officials argue the tanks amount more to a symbolic gesture of support rather than something that would actually give Ukraine a practical edge on the battlefield. Ukraine had previously received 31 Abrams

tanks from the Biden administration back in late 2023, but their vulnerabilities quickly became clear. The tanks reportedly have a particularly weak roof, making them easier to destroy by drone attacks than other types of military vehicles. A report from AP in April 2024 said the Ukrainian forces were already pulling the tanks from the front lines due to their easy detection by Russian drones, although officials in Kiev denied the reports at the time. The U.S. defense official told ABC, quote, we're starting to doubt if the Ukrainians actually want these vehicles. The tank roof is the weakest point of the Abrams, and this is a drone war, end quote. Whether or not they are an effective battlefield tool, the tanks have now begun their long sea journey to Ukraine. Their exact arrival

date is, of course, being withheld for security reasons. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Tuesday, the 20th of May. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And if you've got a hankering to listen to the show ad-free, well, that is certainly possible. Just become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting PDB Premium.com. Finally, when you have a moment, and I hope you get a moment, check out our YouTube channel. You can find that at President's Daily Brief. As YouTube channels go, it's a humdinger. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.

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