The President's Daily Brief - November 28th, 2025: Putin Speaks Out On Trump’s Ukraine Peace Plan & Taiwan’s $40B Defense Plan

Episode Date: November 28, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Moscow declares it won’t make major concessions in any Ukraine peace agreement, setting a firm tone ahead of renewed diplomatic efforts. Taiwan unveils a $40 billion defense package and a new island-wide air-defense system as the United States urges the island to harden its posture against China. Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau say they have seized power, marking the latest coup in a region already shaken by political upheaval. And in today’s Back of the Brief—a major legal win for President Trump as Georgia drops its 2020 election interference case. 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 Nobl Travel: Protect your gear and travel smarter—NOBL’s zipper-free carry-on is up to 58% off at https://NOBLTravel.com TriTails Premium Beef: Feed your family and your legacy. Grab your Black Friday gift before it’s gone! Visit https://trybeef.com/pdb Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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I'm Mike Baker. on the world stage. And yes, I am on the road. All right, let's get briefed. First up, Moscow is drawing a hard line announcing it won't offer significant concessions in any Ukraine peace deal. Now, there should be a total of, let's see, zero people who are surprised at Moscow's position. I'll have the details. Later in the show, Taiwan rolls out a $40 billion defense package with a new island-wide air defense network, responding to U.S. pressure to strengthen its posture against China. Plus, soldiers in Guinea-Bissau announced that they've seized control of the government, adding to the number of coups sweeping across West Africa. And in today's back of the brief,

a victory for President Trump as one of his highest profile legal battles comes to an end in Georgia. But first, today's BDB spotlight. Russian President Vladimir Putin is drawing a red line around the emerging peace plan for Ukraine. The Kremlin says it will not make what it calls, quote, big concessions under any circumstances. That statement came from a senior Russian diplomat in Moscow and is the firmest public signaled yet of where Russia stands regarding the current efforts by the U.S. and Ukraine to hammer out a peace plan. For weeks now, Washington and Kiev have been working through a revised version of the U.S. backed peace proposal.

Ukrainian officials have said the new draft resolves some, but not all, of their concerns about earlier language that was much more favorable to Russia. American officials, meanwhile, have been pushing for direct talks between the White House and the Kremlin, believing that leader-to-leader contact could help break the deadlock. Okay, well, here's a pro tip for Steve Whitkoff and the White House's negotiating team. Putin isn't looking to break some imaginary deadlock. Unless Putin feels more pain. from sanctions and he sees his economy collapsing, he doesn't care what the U.S. and Ukraine put

together, unless, of course, it gives him what he wants. Russia's message this week makes it clear that no matter how many draft agreements circulate, Moscow does not intend to step back from its core territorial demands. When asked whether Russia was prepared to make significant concessions, the diplomat simply said, quote, no, adding that Moscow expects any final agreement, to reflect what it calls, quote, the realities on the ground. In other words, the land that Russia currently occupies and more. That stance is not new.

Putin hasn't strayed from his maximalist demands since almost the beginning of his war against Ukraine. But the timing is notable. It comes just as the U.S. is launching a new round of diplomatic outreach to both Ukraine and Russia, and just as expectations have been rising, mostly because of a narrative from the White House that some kind of framework could be established in the coming weeks. It also arrives as President Trump prepares to send his envoy, Steve Whitkoff, to Moscow for meetings with senior Russian officials, including potentially Putin himself. And speaking of Steve Whitkoff, that leads us to the other major development in this

peace process, a leaked transcript of a phone call between Whitkoff and one of Putin's top aides published this week by Bloomberg and verified by the Associated Press. In that recording, Whitkoff has heard coaching the Russian official on how to frame the peace plan in a way that he believed would resonate most with President Trump. He suggested that Putin called Trump directly, praise him for his recent diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, and present the Russian proposal as something that would strengthen Trump's reputation as, quote, a man of peace. Or, well, frankly, a man of appeasement, if Putin has his way. Sorry to sound cynical.

Whitkoff also walked the official through elements of the draft proposal, making tactical suggestions about what to highlight and how to present Moscow's position. The transcript does not show Whitkoff agreeing with Russia's demands, but it does show him advising the Kremlin on how to pitch the plan effectively, something the critics say undermines the idea that the U.S. is acting as a neutral broker. The leak has set off reactions on all sides. In Moscow, the Kremlin called the disclosure, quote, unacceptable. sorry about that, and said the timing appeared designed to sabotage the diplomatic track. One senior aide suggested the recording itself was a form of hybrid warfare meant to disrupt the new round of talks. Russia says that Whitkoff and the official, who was recorded, remain in contact and will meet again when the U.S. envoy arrives in Moscow next week. In Washington, President Trump

is openly defending his envoy. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he said Steve Whitkoff had been meeting with both Russian and Ukrainian officials as part of the administration's broader effort to end the conflict. Asked about the leaked conversation, Trump said he had not listened to the recording, but described the call as, quote, a standard thing, adding, that's what a dealmaker does. He also confirmed that Wikoff will return to Moscow for another round of talks with President Putin. As for Ukraine, officials have not addressed the leak directly, but they have made clear they will not accept a plan that freezes Russia's gains or locks in the current front lines. Ukrainian negotiators have repeatedly stated that they're willing to discuss sequencing and timelines,

but not permanent territorial concessions. And that's the core tension driving this entire process. Russia is signaling that it expects to keep much of what it has taken, while Ukraine says that outcome is unacceptable. So, you ask, where does that leave the peace effort? On one hand, the U.S. continues putting, pushing for progress and talking optimistically, with envoy-level talks scheduled in Moscow and additional meetings planned with Ukrainian officials in the coming days. On the other hand, Russia's firm rejection of concessions and the fallout from the Whitkoff leak introduced new complications at a moment when the diplomatic track was beginning, apparently, to gain momentum.

Okay, to be fair, it wasn't really gaining momentum. It was a series of discussions between Ukraine and the U.S. nothing really matters here unless they can get Putin to the table to actually compromise and negotiate in good faith. Over the next week, we'll be watching three things closely. How Moscow frames its position once Whitkoff arrives, how Ukraine responds to Russia's public refusal to compromise, and whether the U.S. can keep the process moving in any meaningful way. Now, I realize I've said this numerous times during the past three years, but if all you're looking to do here is obtain a ceasefire and something resembling peace,

well, that's fairly simple, as long as you're willing to give Putin what he wants. But if your goal is something other than appeasement, you've got to create an environment where Putin feels that his grip on power is threatened. To do that, you need to squeeze his economy effectively. The White House appeared to be on that track recently when they placed sanctions on the oil companies Ross Neft and Luke oil, further constricting the Kremlin's ability, of course, to make bank on their energy sector and continue to fuel their war machine. And then, it seems, something happened.

And the White House began pushing their 28-point peace plan that heavily favored Putin's demands. So the question is, what caused the change in strategy? All right. Coming up next, Taiwan unveils a $40 billion defense package with a new island-wide air defense system. And soldiers in Guinea-Bissau claim they've been. seized power in the latest coup to hit West Africa.

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Tickets on sale now at Yamavat Theater.com, only at Yamava Resort and Casino, celebrating its 40th anniversary. You in? Must be 21 to enter. Welcome back to the PDB. Taiwan is finally making the kind of move that Washington has spent years nudging it toward. Taiwanese president, La Chingda, just rolled out a sweeping $40 billion defense buildup, the Democratic Islands biggest in years, as China's military pressure continues to build. It seems that China is giving Taipei little choice.

The People's Liberation Army isn't just probing Taiwan's defense anymore. It's normalizing the pressure. Warplanes and naval patrols and troops. drones skimming the Taiwan straight, all of it now happens so routinely that Taiwan's military barely has time to reset before the next wave hits. And it's not just Taiwan. Beijing's gray zone playbook is hitting U.S. allies like Japan and the Philippines the same way. So when Lai says, quote, China's threats to Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific region are escalating, well, it isn't just diplomatic posturing. It's the lived reality for every government in the first island chain.

The new funding package spread across eight years from 2026 to 233 will kickstart construction of what's being called the Taiwan Dome. That's modeled after Israel's Iron Dome, but built for the longer-range strike environment that China may be preparing for. Now, Taiwan's defense minister described the $40 billion as a ceiling for the supplemental program, with the bulk going toward precision strike missiles and joint Taiwan-U.S. development of key systems. Washington sees that collaboration as essential to keeping Beijing in check. Lai said the buildup reflects Taiwan's role as the anchor of the first island chain, the defensive arc that Washington considers central to containing China's aggressive expansionism. Taiwan, he said, must, quote, demonstrate our determination and take on a greater responsibility towards self-defense.

And Taipei is moving in that direction. The Democratic government has already set its regular 2026 defense budget at more than $31 billion. which is roughly 3% of the GDP, and Lai has pledged to raise that share to 5% by 2030. President Trump has urged Taiwan to go even further, advising defense spending, quote, as high as 10% of GDP, to match what he calls the true scale of the threat from Beijing. Now, Washington did welcome the new budget without hesitation.

The State Department said the U.S. quote, supports Taiwan's acquisition of critical defense capabilities, commensurate with the threat that it faces, and praised Lai's commitment to lift spending toward 5% GDP as evidence of, quote, resolve to strengthen Taiwan's self-defense. But the challenge isn't just military hardware. Lai warned that China is ramping up its, quote, psychological warfare, too, from coordinated disinformation campaigns to deeper influence operations

aimed at weakening public unity, especially during elections. Lai said his government will expand monitoring and public awareness programs to blunt Beijing's interference. For Washington, the takeaway is clear. China is appearing increasingly aggressive, and Taiwan is finally matching the scale of the threat. Okay, shifting gears. The countdown to Guinea-Bissau's provisional election results

was interrupted in a big way Wednesday when army officers jumped on state television claiming that they ousted the president. That's a move that sent the nation, long-scarred by coups, back into the turmoil that the country is unfortunately very familiar with. The officers, speaking through their spokesmen who delivered their announcement, said that they seized power and formed a governing junta that they called the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order,

enabling them to suspend the electoral process, seal the country's borders, and impose a nationwide curfew. Hours later, President Umarro and Balo confirmed to France 24 that he had been deposed. The junta officers in their state television address offered no details on if the president had been detained, and Nabilo's whereabouts remain unknown. Gunfire had already rattled the capital earlier in the day, long before the junta went on television. Shots rang out near the Electoral Commission, the presidential palace, and the Interior Ministry. The kind of scattered bursts that Bissal's residents have learned to read as a warning sign. Witnesses said the volleys lasted about an hour.

By the time the shooting ended, residents were unsure whether the day's violence was a skirmish or the start of something far larger. The Army officers insisted that the gunfire was not a power grab, but instead of rescue mission, claiming they stepped in to stop a destabilization plot involving national politicians and well-known drug barons. Now, the West African country has long been used as a cocaine corridor to Europe, and politics and drug trafficking have overlapped for years. A report last year by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime warned that profits from the trade were hitting new highs. That report was backed up near the end of 2024 when local police seized more than two and a half tons of cocaine from a plane arriving from Venezuela. Well, would you look at that?

Mbolo, meanwhile, had been seeking a second term after winning a disputed 2019 runoff. He faced challenger Fernando Diaz in last weekend's first round of voting, and both camps, claimed victory even before any numbers were released. A spokesman for Amballo accused Armandling to Diaz of attacking the Election Commission to block the announcement of vote tallies, though he provided no evidence. Allies of Diaz pushed back, saying the candidate was in a meeting with election observers at the time

and had no connection to the gunman. Guinea-Bissau's political history is a case study in turmoil and coup plotting. The country has endured at least nine coups or attempted coups since gaining independence in 1974 from Portugal. Imbalo has said he survived three coup attempts, though critics argue he exaggerates threats and uses them to justify his grip on power. Last December, violence prompted Imbalo to dissolve parliament, leaving the country without a functioning legislature still to this day.

And then in late October, authorities arrested several senior officers accused of plotting to topple the government, and that's a move that opposition groups, say, fed public frustration, and heightened tensions ahead of last weekend's vote. Now, with the military and open revolt and the electoral process frozen in place, Guinea-Bissau enters yet another stretch of uncertainty. All right, coming up in the back of the brief, a victory for President Trump after Georgia formally drops its 2020 election interference case. I'll have those details when we come back.

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bringing one of the most high-profile legal battles of the past five years to an abrupt end. A Fulton County judge signed off on the state's request dismissing the charges against Trump and every remaining co-defendant. The move came after Georgia's prosecutors filed a motion saying they could no longer pursue the case. According to the filing, the state determined that continuing the prosecution would not, quote, serve the interests of justice. That conclusion followed months of internal complications inside the district. attorney's office, dramatic personnel shifts, and the disqualification of the original lead prosecutor earlier in the year. At the heart of the case were accusations that Trump and several allies worked to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. Prosecutors had charged the group under the

state's racketeering law, alleging a coordinated effort to pressure state officials, submit false electors, and push claims of widespread election fraud. The charges produced some of the most memorable images of Trump's legal entanglements, including his now infamous mugshot, taken during his 2023 surrender in Fulton County. But the case never made it to trial. Key witnesses were expected to challenge the state's legal theories. Several of the alleged co-conspirators cut early plea deals, while others signaled they were prepared to fight the charges through appeals. And then came to disqualification of the special prosecutor, which led to a wholesale reassessment of the evidence and the strategy. By the time the new prosecutor reviewed the file, the state determined it could no longer

meet the standard required to move forward. The judge agreed. In a brief ruling delivered from the bench, he dismissed the case in full, clearing Trump and the remaining defendants. It marks a major legal and political victory for the president, who consistently argued that the Georgia case was a politically motivated prosecution. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Friday, 29th of November. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirstTV.com. And remember, if you get the chance, please check out our YouTube channel whenever you get the opportunity. You can find it on, of course, YouTube, that makes sense, at President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then,

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