The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | Devember 9th, 2025: How Russia Built a Spy Base Next Door to the U.S. & Ukraine’s New Peace Plan

Episode Date: December 9, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: First up — Russia is running one of its largest spy networks just across our southern border, and new reporting says Mexico has done almost nothing to stop it. We’ll explain how Moscow expanded its intelligence presence right next door. Later in the show — Ukraine is crafting a new peace plan for Washington, with President Zelensky insisting he cannot surrender land to Russia. We’ll outline what Kyiv is preparing and why it matters now. 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 Stash Financial: Don't Let your money sit around. Go to https://get.stash.com/PDB to see how you can receive $25 towards your first stock purchase. Goldbelly: Discover iconic meals from legendary restaurants delivered nationwide with Goldbelly—get 20% off your first order at https://Goldbelly.com using promo code PDB. Nobl Travel: Protect your gear and travel smarter—NOBL’s zipper-free carry-on is up to 58% off at https://NOBLTravel.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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I'm Mike Baker. your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, Russia is running one of its largest spy networks just across the U.S. southern border, and new reporting says that Mexico has, well, done almost nothing to stop it. We'll explain how Moscow expanded its intelligence presence right next door to the U.S. Later in the show, Ukraine is crafting a new peace plan for Washington, with President Zelensky making clear he will not surrender land to Russia. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. Now, during the Cold War, the Soviet Union's KGB built and maintained a very sizable Mexico presence,

using Mexico City as a hub for running agents and gathering intel in the U.S. Well, what's old is new again, as the Kremlin has again turned Mexico into one of the hottest spots in the world for Russian intelligence activity. It's a deliberate effort by Moscow to expand its influence in the Western Hemisphere. And according to new reporting from the New York Times, Mexico appears, well, largely content to let it happen. For years, U.S. officials have warned that Russia has been placing a renewed emphasis on Mexico as a major espionage base. The Times reports that the CIA compile the list of more than two dozen Russian spies operating inside Mexico while posing. as diplomats, and they provided that list to senior Mexican government officials. And you may ask yourself,

what did those Mexican authorities do with that list? Ah, essentially, nada. Nothing. No expulsions, no public acknowledgement. According to multiple American and Mexican officials who spoke with the times, the list was either ignored, denied, or, quote, lost somewhere inside the Mexican bureaucracy. And, you know, it's not a new issue. Back in 2022, when a U.S. General testified to Congress that Mexico had once again become a haven for Russian intelligence, Mexico's then-president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, or Amlo, for short, dismissed the claim outright, saying there was no information about Russian spies in his country. But the Times says that wasn't true. He'd been briefed directly, and his top aides had been warned repeatedly. But then again,

and AMLO always has had a soft spot for communists. So you ask, again, why does this matter? Well, because Mexico's proximity gives Russia something that it can't get anywhere else, and that would be the ability to run intelligence operations against the U.S. from a location that's both convenient and low visibility. U.S. officials say that Russian spies have been using Moscow as a staging ground, arriving from the U.S., meeting handlers and tourist hubs, and conducting operations under the cover of normal travel. After all, a Russian diplomat slipping into a beachfront resort in Cancun looks pretty much

like every other foreign traveler, and that, of course, is the point. Russia understands that Mexico's counterintelligence services are stretched thin, dealing with cartels and internal security targets. Foreign espionage isn't their top priority, and that gap has allowed Moscow to move some of its most capable operatives into Mexico City. General Glenn Van Herk, the head of U.S. Northern Command, said during testimony in 2022 to the Senate, quote, the largest portion of GRU members in the world is in Mexico right now. Now, think about that. Russia's biggest overseas concentration of military intelligence officers isn't in Europe or Asia or the Middle East. It's on America's doorstep. The Times also reports that Russia has stepped up disinformation

campaigns inside Mexico, targeting public opinion to erode trust in the U.S. and Europe. Those efforts have grown so concerning that the U.S. Embassy in Mexico created its first-ever Russia-watcher position. The French then followed suit, appointing a disinformation officer of their own. Meanwhile, Mexico's new president, Claudia Scheingbaum, has maintained the country's traditional policy of neutrality, which in practice means staying friendly with both Washington and Moscow. Even after taking office last fall, her administration didn't move to expel the Russian operatives already inside the country. And while Mexico has condemned the invasion of Ukraine at the UN, it has refused to impose sanctions and has maintained warm public ties with senior Russian

officials. As one former CIA officer told the Times, if you're going to handle and recruit spies, proximity is key, and that's what Mexico offers. End quote. All right, coming up next, Kyiv is finalizing a new peace plan for the White House, as President Zelenskyy rules out territorial concessions, saying that he has, quote, no right to give up Ukrainian land. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here, with a tip on improving your personal finances as the new year approaches. That sounds pretty good, right?

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Kee was willing to sign. By Monday, Ukrainian President Zelensky told reporters that his team was pulling together an alternative proposal, and that a new draft could be on Trump's desk as early as today. That urgency is what sent Zelensky straight into a whirlwind sweep through London and Brussels. It was an attempt by the Ukrainian president to line up European backing before any peace plan breakthrough that could give the advantage to the Kremlin. After meeting with British Prime Minister Kirstarmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz at 10 Downing Street in London, Zelensky kept things deliberately vague, telling reporters that, quote, some issues can only be discussed in person, a comment widely read as Europe trying to get on the same page before Washington makes a

push for what could come next. The scene unfolded much as expected, as Zelensky stressed his legal and moral boundaries in London, Trump openly signaled where he believes the hold-up in the peace process lies, the Ukrainian president himself. Trump said Moscow was reportedly, quote, fine with the U.S. Brokered peace plan. Well, of course they are. It's leaned heavily in their favor, and he added he was, quote, a little disappointed that Zelensky hasn't read it. To be fair, Putin is happy stringing this entire process along in case you haven't noticed. And of course, he would naturally be fine with a proposal that gives him a large portion of eastern Ukraine. Again, you can get a peace deal if you give into Putin's demands. That's pretty straightforward. The Ukrainian president, meanwhile,

said he was still awaiting a full briefing from his chief negotiator after days of talks with U.S. counterparts. And if Zelensky's sprint through European capitals makes it appear that the continent is now all of the same page, well, there is still division there, too. The EU has yet to agree on the tools to reach a lasting peace. As we've previously discussed, London and Paris have floated deploying international troops to Ukraine, while Germany and Italy remain skeptical of such a deployment. So even as Zelensky ran to Europe for support, there still isn't a block-wide consensus on how to establish an end to the war, all, of course, while the war grinds on. Meanwhile, the UK Prime Minister's office said several EU leaders agree Zelensky's arrival was a, quote,

critical moment to escalate support and pursue a, quote, just and lasting peace, which includes robust security guarantees. Though, what those guarantees actually look like, well, that remains unsettled. From London, Zelensky then flew to Brussels for meetings with NATO chief Mark Ruta and EU Commission President Ursula Vandalean before continuing on to Rome. And at every stop, Zelensky repeated the same message, quote, Russia is insisting that we give up territories, but we don't want to cede anything. We have no legal right to do so under Ukrainian law, our Constitution, and international law, end quote. Behind that message is the shifting blueprint itself. Zelensky confirmed that the original U.S. drafted 28-point peace plan, later revised at 19,

now stands at 20 points via Akiv's latest edit. He insisted that no, quote, pro-Ukrainian elements have been removed from the deal, which means that, of course, in all likely, Putin will have no interest in agreeing to the newish proposal. The Kremlin, they haven't budged from their long-standing demands, and at this stage it appears that the only agreement that Putin will sign up to would be one that meets those demands. He's instructed the Russian military to prepare for winter warfare, and that doesn't sound like the words of someone seeking peace. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Tuesday, the 9th of December. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com.

And, of course, if you'd like to listen to the show ad-free, well, you can do that. And it's very simple just to become a premium member of the president's daily brief by visiting pdb premium.com. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, PDB listeners know that I'm constantly traveling.

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