The President's Daily Brief - May 9th, 2025: Putin Embraces China's Xi, Violates His Own 'Victory Day' Ceasefire & India Trades Blows With Pakistan In Another Dangerous Escalation

Episode Date: May 9, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:    First, Vladimir Putin violates his own unilateral ceasefire with a wave of airstrikes on Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Russian strongman met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro in Moscow ahead of his big “Victory Day” celebrations. Later in the show—military tensions escalate between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan, as both sides accuse each other of launching drone and missile attacks. Plus—Israeli leaders say they are prepared to defend themselves without American support against the Iranian-backed Houthis, in the wake of the Trump administration’s surprise ceasefire with the terror group. In our 'Back of the Brief—the Catholic Church has elected a new pope, for the first time in history choosing an American to serve as the new Bishop of Rome. 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 gold TriTails Premium Beef: Visit https://TryBeef.com/PDB for 2 free Flat Iron steaks with your first box over $250. Plus, for a limited time enjoy 5% off on almost everything site-wide excluding subscriptions and B-stock. 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

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.

It's Friday, the 9th of May, 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, Vladimir Putin violates his own unilateral ceasefire with a wave of airstrikes on Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Russian strongman met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Venezuelan dictator Nicholas Maduro in Moscow ahead of the big Victory Day celebrations. Later in the show, military tensions escalate between.

nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan, as both sides accuse each other of launching drone and missile attacks. Plus, Israeli leaders say they are prepared to defend themselves without American support against the Iranian-backed Khutis in the wake of the Trump administration surprised ceasefire with the terror group. And in the back of the brief, the Catholic Church has elected a new pope, for the first time in history selecting an American to serve as the new bishop of Rome. But first, today's PDB spotlight. We'll start things off with the latest from the war in Ukraine, as Russian President Putin violates his own unilateral ceasefire just hours after it took effect.

That's quite the surprise. And by that, I mean, well, there's no surprise there at all. Launching a barrage of guided bombs on several Ukrainian cities, killing and wounding a number of civilians. As we've been tracking here on the PDB, Putin is gearing up for his big victory day celebration all day Friday, which will be attended by 29 foreign leaders, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Putin had recently announced a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire to coincide with the ceremonies,

which, in theory, took effect at midnight on Wednesday. But Ukrainian President Zelensky had rejected the ceasefire proposal as little more than a cynical public relations maneuver by Putin. and it appears, well, that he was right. Ukraine's foreign minister said Thursday that Russian forces had already violated the ceasefire hundreds of times in the hours after the Kremlin claimed all military actions in Ukraine had been suspended. While combat activity reportedly decreased, Russian forces launched a number of attacks, including in the embattled Sumi region in northeast Ukraine near the Russian border,

and that's according to a report from CNN. Ukraine's foreign minister said, quote, predictably, Putin's parade ceasefire proves to be a farce. Russian forces continue to attack across the entire front line. From midnight to midday, Russia committed 734 ceasefire violations and 63 assault operations, 23 of which are still ongoing, end quote. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to keep the pressure on the Kremlin through their drone warfare campaign, launching several towards Moscow on Wednesday for the third consecutive day. While the drones were intercepted, the attacks forced Russia to temporarily suspend flights at

13 airports, including four in Moscow. Now, it was the second time this week that the airports had to temporarily halt traffic, embarrassing the Kremlin, of course, and raising questions over their ability to protect their domestic airspace, just as world leaders began arriving in the Russian capital. As we discussed on yesterday's PDB, Putin's Victory Day celebrations will be attending by some three dozen foreign dignitaries, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, he's the guest of honor, Venezuelan dictator Nicholas Maduro voted most likely to be a really despotic dictator, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who came in second in that voting,

and Brazilian President Lula de Silva, military units from 13 countries, including China, will participate in a massive military parade in Moscow's Red Square alongside Russian troops and an array of military vehicles. Despite the threats to Russia's airspace, China's Xi arrived in Moscow on Wednesday and met with Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday. She proclaimed Russia and China, quote, friends of steel. Well, that sounds serious. And mutually pledged with Putin to expand their relations across all areas, including militarily. In a joint statement, the pair vowed to, quote, strengthen coordination in order to decisively counter Washington's course of dual containment of Russia and China. She aligned himself with Putin regarding the war in Ukraine, saying a peaceful settlement can only be achieved with a deal that addresses the, quote, root causes of the conflict. Now, that's a

phrase that's commonly used by the Kremlin to perversely place blame on Kiev for the war, which, as you may recall, started when Russian forces invaded Ukraine's territory. But their remarks should frankly come as no surprise. The pair signed a no-limits partnership just days before Putin launched his invasion in February of 2022, one that analysts say enabled Putin's aggression and has helped rebuild Russia's defense industrial complex. Frankly, the truth is that without China's assistance, Putin could not keep his war machine humming along. Throughout the war, China has provided computer chips, advanced software, and dual-use components to Russia that have military applications, including for drones. Despite China's claim of neutrality, last

month, Zelensky said Ukraine has intelligence, showing that the communist nation is now directly supplying the Putin regime with weapons and munitions and actively manufacturing certain weapons from Moscow from facilities located on Russian soil. While she will be Putin's guest of honor for the Victory Day celebrations, Putin also made time for Venezuelan dictator Nicholas Maduro. On Wednesday, the pair signed a strategic partnership agreement in a ceremony broadcast on state TV. They agreed, to pursue joint oil and gas initiatives within OPEC and expand trade. That's according to Reuters. Venezuela joins the company of China, North Korea, and Iran, which have all signed joint packs with Moscow over the past two years. As authoritarian leaders convened in Russia for Victory Day,

Zelensky derided Putin's plan celebrations in Moscow as a, quote, parade of cynicism. The Ukrainian leader said, quote, you simply cannot call it anything else. It's a parade of bile and lies. as if not dozens of allied states, but Putin personally defeated Nazism. He added that Ukraine would not be, quote, playing games to create a pleasant atmosphere to allow for Putin's exit from isolation on the 9th of May. All right, coming up after the break, military tensions escalate between nuclear-armed neighbors, India and Pakistan, and Israeli leaders say that they are prepared to defend themselves without American support against the Iranian-backed Khutis.

I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, this July, maybe you've heard about this, but this July, there's going to be a global summit of Bricks Nations in Rio de Janeiro. This is important. The block of emerging superpowers, and that includes China and Russia, Iran, and India, are meeting with the goal of displacing the U.S. dollar as the global currency. And they're calling it the Rio Reset. As Bricks Nations push forward with their plans, well, demand for U.S. dollars could decree. bringing down the value of the dollar. While this transition of course won't happen

overnight, the Rio Reset marks a pivotal moment when Brick's objectives move from possibility toward reality. So you ask yourself, what could you do to help protect your hard-earned savings? Well, I've got one answer for you and that would be Birch Gold Group. Look, Birch Gold can help you move your hard-earned savings into a tax-sheltered IRA in precious metals. You can claim your free information kit on gold. Just buy texting PDB at the number 989-89-8-98. With an A-plus rating with the Better Business Bureau

and tens of thousands of happy customers, let Perch Gold arm you with a free information kit on owning gold before July and that Rio reset. Text BDB to 989-89-8-8-day. Exema is unpredictable, but you can flare less with ebbglis, a once-monthly treatment for moderate-tissaphyr eczema. After an initial four-month or longer dosing phase, about four in seven people taking

Ebbglis achieved itch relief and clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks. And most of those people maintain skin that's still more clear at one year with monthly dosing. Ebglis, Librikizumab, LBKZ. A 250 milligram per 2-millimeter injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40 kilograms with moderate to severe eczema. Also called atopic dermatitis that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals or who cannot use topical therapies.

can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to ebbglis. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with ebbglis. Before starting, Ebglis, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Ask your doctor about ebbglis and visit ebglis.com or call 1-800-LillyRx or 100545-979.

Welcome back to the BDB. In a dangerous new escalation, India and Pakistan traded. deadly drone and missile attacks Thursday, pushing both nuclear-armed rivals closer to the point of full-scale war, with each side blaming the other for launching unprovoked strikes on military targets. Indian officials say their Air Force struck Pakistani air defense radar systems in Lahore late Thursday. A move they insist was in direct response to what they called, quote, coordinated drone and missile attacks launched by Islamabad on Indian military sites across the disputed Kashmir region. India's foreign secretary called the strikes, quote, defensive and measured

and emphasized that they were prompted by Pakistani shelling earlier this week that killed 16 Indian civilians and wounded nearly 60 others. Meanwhile, Pakistani military officials claimed that Indian drones targeted multiple major cities, including Karachi, Lahore, and Raul Pindi. That's home to Pakistan's military headquarters, killing at least three people and injuring four more. Pakistan's inter-services public relations wing said their air defenses shot down 29 Indian drones across several regions and accused India of deploying Harop drones. Now, these drones are capable of loitering for hours above high-value targets to conduct intelligence before striking.

One Harap drone reportedly struck a Pakistani military facility near Lahore, damaging key infrastructure. India, for its part, claims that the strike was deliberate and successful, part of what it described as a, quote, calibrated retaliation. India's Foreign Secretary made the government's position clear on Thursday, stating, quote, our intention has not been to escalate matters, but instead to respond proportionally to what he called original Pakistani aggression. That aggression, as we've been tracking here on the PDB, traces back to the late April massacre of 26 tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir. That terror attack is something that New Delhi blames on Islamabad-backed Islamic.

terrorists. Pakistan continues to deny any involvement. In Islamabad, Pakistan's top military spokesman, Major Genoa Ahmed Sharif Chowdh, lashed out at New Delhi's narrative, accusing India of manufacturing what he called, quote, war hysteria. Speaking to local media, Chowdry said the Indian government had, quote, lost the plot and was acting out of, quote, hubris in an already volatile environment. He added that New Delhi is escalating the crisis to satisfy. its mindset rather than choosing rationality. Meanwhile, the city of Jammu in Indian-administered Kashmir was rocked by loud explosions late Thursday night as sirens blared and red flashes lit up the sky. Indian officials described it as a Pakistani drone and missile barrage on military installations.

Five districts in the region were blasted, they said, plunging Jammu into a blackout. Indian security forces confirmed eight incoming missiles were intercepted by air defense units. The U.S. is still scrambling to pull both nations back from the brink of full-scale war. President Trump said Wednesday that New Delhi and Islamabad had gone, quote, tit for tat, so hopefully they can stop now. And added, quote, if I can do anything to help, I will be there. Secretary of State Marker Rubio spoke separately with India's foreign minister and Pakistan's prime minister on Thursday, urging calm.

That should do it. The U.S. Consulate General in Lahore has since ordered staff to show. shelter in place. Now, while both sides insist their actions are defensive, well, the scale and tempo of the attacks suggests something far more dangerous is in motion, which may soon prove difficult to contain. Okay, shifting to Israel. The Israeli government is threatening to strike Iran directly if Yemen's Houthi terrorists don't stop launching missile and drone attacks, warning that the Islamic Republic will meet the same fate as its other regional proxies. The sharp escalist, from Jerusalem follows frustration over a U.S. broker ceasefire with the Houthis this week

that excluded Israeli input. Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday was blunt, declaring the Houthis would, quote, absorb heavy blows if their assaults on Israeli territory did not stop before turning his attention to the Iranian regime. Katz reminded Iran of recent Israeli campaigns in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon, and issued a stark threat, stating, quote, what we did to Hizbollah in Beirut, Hamas in Gaza, to Assad and Damascus, and the Khutis in Yemen, will also be done to you in Tehran. The warning came on the heels of Israeli air strikes, targeting Khuti infrastructure in Yemen this week in response to Sunday's Khuti missile strike that landed in the perimeter of the Tel Aviv-Bengurian airport. That was the Khuti's most direct strike on Israel since the start of the war.

The Israeli retaliatory air strikes have blasted Khutti strongholds, including Sana'anah International airport and industrial areas in Haudida and the Bajil. But the more enduring concern, Israeli officials say, lies in Washington's diplomatic maneuvering. On Tuesday, President Trump announced a ceasefire agreement with the Houthis, under which the Iran-backed group pledged to stop targeting maritime assets in the Red Sea. Israeli leaders were not informed of the deal beforehand and were reportedly blindsided by its scope and implications. Compounding Jerusalem's frustration, a senior Khuti official confirmed the ceasefire covers only attacks on American targets, not Israeli ones. Houthi leader Muhammad Ali

Ahuti went further, declaring the agreement a, quote, victory that separates U.S. support for the temporary entity of Israel and a failure for Netanyahu, end quote. Israeli officials described the agreement as, quote, astonishing, according to the times of Israel, and privately voiced concerns that the White House is sidelining Israel in broader regional talks, including ongoing U.S. engagement with Hamas and nuclear diplomacy with Iran. The IDF, meanwhile, said it intercepted a drone likely launched from Yemen on Wednesday and confirmed another Houthi missile crashed outside Israeli territory. Both incidents came after the ceasefire,

serving as immediate proof in Israel's eyes that the U.S. deal failed to deter threats to the Jewish state. Later that day, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said simply, quote, Israel will defend itself by itself. Cats, similarly to Netanyahu, declared that Israel must rely on itself, quote, as was true in the past and will be in the future. For months, Jerusalem has relied on more than 1,000 U.S. air strikes on Houthi positions as part of Operation Rough Rider to suppress threats in the Red Sea. But now, with Washington pulling back, that's security on Burnti positions. umbrella is vanishing, and Israeli leaders are signaling that any future escalation from Yemen could lead to a direct military confrontation with Iran. All right, coming up next in the back

of the brief, the Catholic Church has elected a new pope for the first time selecting an American to serve as the new bishop of Rome. I'll have those details next. Hey, Mike Baker here. Well, let's talk about eating smart, eating healthy. Look, a big part of that effort is, well, frankly, knowing where your food comes from, how it was raised and handled. After all, if you don't take control of your food supply, well, somebody else will, and that could well be some large faceless corporation. Now, if you're a fan of beef like I am, I mean, frankly, I was raised on meat and potatoes, then I've got just the place for you. And of course, I'm talking about a place to turn to for high-quality beef, and that would be Tritails beef. Triedales is a fifth generation, Texas

ranch run by real ranchers. There's no corporate nonsense. There's no middlemen. It's just pasture-raised, grain-finished, black Angus beef that delivers tenderness, rich marbling, and great taste in every cut. This grilling season, stock up before it's too late. And right now, when you order over $349, get a free choice New York strip. Just go to trybeef.com slash PDB grill. That's tribeef.com slash PDB grill. Your family, your friends, and your grill. Well, thank you. Mike Baker here. I'd like to take just a few seconds of your time to talk about fitness, right? That's an important subject. Look, more and more Americans are making their health and fitness

a priority again, and that is great news. Look, studies show that strength training does actually more to burn fat than cardio alone. Plus, as we age and we're all aging, strength training is critical to maintain muscle mass and bone density. Plus, and this is important, you want to be consistent with your workouts and you've got to make it easy to find time to work out regularly. And, you know, what I've found over the years is the best way to do that is to work out from home. And that's what jacked up fitness is all about. This is a great company. Look, jacked up fitness, as an example, they offer their commercial grade jacked up power rack pro. It's an ultimate all-in-one home gym system that lets you get a full-body workout right in your

own spare room or garage. It's equipped with a cable crossover system and integrated 200-pound weight stack and a Smith machine, allowing you to perform hundreds of exercises. Look, everything you used to do at the gym, now you can do at home. And if you're new to strength training, well, their get-jacked-up program includes full-body video workouts led by celebrity fitness trainers, Kim Lyons, and Clark Bartram. Simply press play and follow along. Look, simple as that, no more excuses, right? I've got a power rack pro at home, and I've got to tell you something, it's fantastic.

The construction is terrific. It's solid, it's smooth. It's just like the best commercial gym systems. No more worrying about finding time to get to the gym, or whether it'll be crowded when you get there and you have to stand around waiting for benches and machines. Visit getjackedup.com for more information and to sign up for their free program.

And use promo code Baker, that's B-A-K-E-R, to save 10% at checkout. That's get-jacked up.com. Special guests. Get tickets Thursday, May 7th at Olivia Rodrigo.com. You tell yourself, no one wants your college-era band tease, but on Deepop, people are searching for exactly what you've got. You once paid a small fortune for them at merch stands. Now, a teenager who calls them vintage will offer that same small fortune back.

Sell them easily on Deepop. Just snap a few photos, and we'll take care of the rest. Who knew your questionable music taste would be a money-making machine? Your style can make you cash. Start selling on Deepop, where taste recognizes taste. In today's back of the brief, white smoke billowed from the chimney atop the Vatican Sistine Chapel on Thursday morning, signaling the end of conclave and selection of a new pope to lead the Roman Catholic Church.

For the first time in history, the body of cardinals elected an American to serve as the new bishop of Rome, giving the U.S. unprecedented new prominence in the Holy C. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old Chicago native, emerged as the 267th pontiff, selecting the papal name Leo the 14th. His election came on just the second day of conclave in Vatican City during the fourth round of ballot casting. That's according to a report from the New York Post. A visibly emotional Leo later appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to address the cheering crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square. His first word, as the new leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics was a simple quote,

Peace be with you all. Leo then paid tribute to the legacy of his predecessor, Pope Francis, before giving his first blessing and briefly outlining his own vision for the future of the Catholic Church. Pope Leo, speaking in Italian, told the gathered fateful, quote, We have to seek together to be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges and dialogue. He called on all Catholics to, quote, show our charity and be, and dialogue with love. The newly minted Pope Leo attended Villanova University, outside Philadelphia in his youth, where he received a degree in mathematics before earning his diplomacy and theology

from the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago. He later studied canon law at the Pontifical St. Thomas Aquinas University in Rome and was formerly ordained as a priest in June of 1982, according to CNN. Leo spent more than half of his career abroad as a missionary in Peru, later becoming a bishop of the Peruvian city of Chiclayal, a role that he served in from 2014 to 2023. His selection came as a bit of a surprise to church observers, beating out perceived frontrunners from Italy, Africa, and Southeast Asia. But Pope Leo had long been entrusted with various leadership positions across the world by Pope Francis, suggesting that his predecessor had favored him as a possible successor.

Since 2023, the same year that he was made a cardinal, Leo has served as the head of the Vatican's bishop vetting and appointment process, overseeing reforms instituted by Francis, including allowing women to vote on the selection of bishops. While the cardinals have historically shied away from choosing an American pope, his decades of missionary work in Peru was said to have mitigated fears among his peers that he would be too Western-focused. A Vatican analyst told CNN,

quote, he's somebody that even though he's from the West, would be very attentive to the needs of a global church. He's able to accomplish things without necessarily being authoritarian about the way he did things. He's reportedly seen in Vatican circles as a highly capable and accomplished leader, known for his reserved and balanced demeanor. Faithful will now be keenly watching to see what style of leadership

he brings to the role. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Friday the 9th of May. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And, as you may well know by now, if you'd like to listen to the show ad-free, just become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting PDB Premium.com. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Ryan Reynolds here for MintMobile.

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 assistants assistants to switch you to MintMobile 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, Seeful terms at mintmobile.com.