The President's Daily Brief - September 26th, 2025: SHOWDOWN: American Fighter Jets Intercept Russian Bombers & Beijing’s Drone Support for Moscow

Episode Date: September 26, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: American fighter jets scramble as Russian bombers approach Alaska, raising new concerns about Moscow’s probing behavior. Evidence grows of Beijing and Moscow tightening their military ties, with Chinese drone specialists reportedly aiding Russia’s arms industry despite Western sanctions. A White House peace plan for Gaza gains traction in the Middle East as President Trump assures Arab leaders he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. And in today’s Back of the Brief—former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is sentenced to five years in prison for accepting money from Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. 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 American Financing: Call American Financing today to find out how customers are saving an avg of $800/mo. NMLS 182334, https://nmlsconsumeraccess.org. APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.327% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-885-1881 for details about credit costs and terms. Visit http://www.AmericanFinancing.net/PDB.CBDistillery: Visit https://CBDistillery.com and use promo code PDB for 25% off your entire order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Alaska, another reminder of Moscow's probing, oddly aggressive behavior. It sounds like Putin's meds need to be leveled out. I'll have those details. Later in the show, new evidence of Beijing and Moscow tightening their military ties. Well, it is a no-limits bromance, after all. Chinese drone specialists are said to be helping Russia's arms industry despite Western sanctions. Plus, a White House peace plan for Gaza is finding support in the Middle East, as Trump assures regional leaders he won't let Israel annex the West Bank. And in today's back of the brief, a former French president gets a five-year jail sentence for accepting money from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

But first, today's PDB spotlight. The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, says U.S. and Canadian aircraft intercepted Russian warplanes operating just outside American airspace. On the 24th of September, radar detected two TU95 long-range bombers and two SU-35 fighters entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. And, of course, there's an acronym, and it's A-DIS. That's a stretch of international airspace where all aircraft are required to identify themselves for national security reasons. As a result, NORAD scrambled a response force, an E3 surveillance plane, 4F16 fighting falcons, and 4KC-135 refueling tankers. The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace,

never actually crossing into U.S. or Canadian territory. Now, it's important to note that this type of activity is not uncommon and is not necessarily considered a direct threat. However, The incident is now part of a familiar recent pattern that we've seen in the recent weeks. Russia probing the air defenses of its adversaries. This time, it's probing North America's defenses with nuclear-capable bombers, reminding Washington that Moscow isn't some distant antagonist. It operates right on our doorstep. I mean, after all, you can see Russia from Alaska.

For context, this was the first Russian incursion into the Alaska A-DIS since late August, when a Russian surveillance plane skirted the Aleutian Islands. In August alone, there were four such flights, and last year, Norad logged a dozen similar incidents. These flights rarely, if ever, cross into sovereign airspace, but they force Norad to launch jets, burn fuel, and signal readiness. It's a cat-and-mouse game that dates back to the Cold War, when Soviet bombers routinely tested America's northern defenses. On its own, then, this week's intercept would not be unusual.

But in the current climate, it takes on greater significance. Moscow is under mounting pressure in Ukraine, Western sanctions are biting. NATO air forces are already stretched intercepting Russian jets over the Baltics and northern Europe. And against that backdrop, Russian bombers showing up near Alaska takes on a bit more significance. That wider context is where this story sharpens a bit. As we've been tracking here, NATO members are already on edge after recent airspace and drone incidents. Just days ago, Estonia accused Russian jets of breaching its skies, prompting its government to invoke Article 4 of NATO's charter and demand emergency consultations with alliance partners. Poland did the same just days before over a dangerous Russian drone incursion.

In that case, 19 drones breached Polish airspace overnight, some entering via Belarus, and Polish and NATO fighters shot down at least three of them. And now Denmark is considering invoking Article 4 as. well after drones forced the closure of Allborg Airport for the second time this week. Danish authorities called the incidents, quote, the most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure to date, describing them as a hybrid attack carried out by a professional actor. Prime Minister Mete Fredrickson says Copenhagen isn't ruling out any suspects, though officials believe the drones were launched locally and not from Russia. Invoking Article 4 isn't symbolic. It means a NATO government believes its security is under

real threat. To have three members reach for that option in the span of weeks is extraordinary. A NATO member weighing Article 4 consultations over drone strikes on its airports, another NATO state demanding answers over Russian jets and its skies, and North America intercepting Russian bombers just off Alaska's coast. Individually, each of these may be brushed off as routine provocations, ambiguous drone swarms or tit-for-tat encounters. Taken together, they paint a picture of heightened tension across the transatlantic alliance. U.S. leaders are acutely aware of that perception. Speaking on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly earlier this week, President Trump said NATO nations should be able to shoot down Russian aircraft that violate their airspace.

It was a pointed warning that suggests the administration wants to project toughness toward Moscow, even as the Kremlin tries to remind Washington that it can still play power politics far from the battlefields of Ukraine. And speaking of NORAD, which I was just recently, before we go to break, that quick announcement, the third episode of our limited series podcast, The Day the World Almost Ended, is now available. This week's episode takes us inside NORAD's Mountain Fortress back in 1979, when America's early warning screens lit up with what looked like a massive Soviet missile strike. Fighter jets scrambled, the doomsday plane prepared for launch,

and for a few terrifying minutes. The world was on the brink of Armaged. Episode 3 of the day the world almost ended is available now exclusively for our PDB Premium members. Sign up at PDB Premium.com. It couldn't be any easier. All right, coming up next, new evidence of Chinese drone specialists helping Russia's arms makers. Plus, Trump's Gaza peace plan is reportedly winning support from Arab leaders. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here.

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you need the Intuit ERP. Upgrade to Intuit Enterprise Suite in a matter of hours. It's the AI native ERP from the makers of QuickBooks. Learn more at Intuit.com slash ERP. Welcome back to the PDB. Repeated visits by Chinese drone specialists to a sanctioned Russian weapons factory indicates their assistance in assembling and testing drones. activity that, of course, contradicts Beijing's regular denials of neutrality in Moscow's war with Ukraine.

According to European security officials and internal documents exclusively reviewed by Reuters, the paper trail points to more than casual exchanges. Records reveal Chinese engineers, training Russian staff at IEMZ Kupel, attending drone test flights, and linking their work directly to shipments of Chinese drones routed through sanctioned intermediaries. For background, Kupal is no ordinary military plant. The state-owned manufacturer, already blacklisted by the U.S. and EU for producing air defense systems and drones deployed against Ukraine, hosted Chinese specialists more than a half a dozen times since mid-20204. During those visits,

deliveries poured in from Sichuan, a Chinese drone maker whose products were funneled through TSK Vector. It's a blacklisted Russian procurement firm. If this all sounds convoluted and complex, Well, welcome to the world of gray arms marketing. A company document from Sichuan shows that A-140 and A-900 drones, known as one-way kamikaze drones, have already been delivered. And more models were queued up, A-60 and A-100 reconnaissance models, plus the A-200. That's an advanced drone equipped with anti-jamming defenses

to blunt Ukraine's electronic warfare defenses. And the financial records tell their own story. One invoice billed to TSC vector more than $700,000 in the second. quarter of 2025 for A-200 anti-jamming drones and associated gear. Procurement and test records link these drones to trials in a military range in the Chellabinsk region bordering Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, Kupel's internal logs described Chinese engineers assembling those drones on site, training staff, attending the tests, and then flying home the very next day. In one example of the now-not-so-secret partnership, flight records show the CEO of a Chinese

Chinese drone-making company seated next to TSK Vector's drone chief on a Siberian departure following a drone demonstration. That's what we would call a clue. Other paperwork references joint projects, including adapting a Chinese flight control computer and engine for a Russian-produced Iranian Shahid-style one-way kamikaze drone, whose variant payload is swapped to instead block electronic defenses. Additionally, a planned system is mentioned that European officials say directly mirrors Iran's reconnaissance drones. Now, I'd like to point out that Reuters cautioned it could not verify every detail of the documents, and European officials withheld some for sensitivity. Still, invoices, flight logs, and test reports sketch a picture that goes far beyond casual trade between Beijing and Moscow.

As one senior fellow at the Washington Base Center for a new American security told the news outlet, Chinese components and technical support are now, quote, a vital part of Russia's military supply chain, especially in aerial drones. And that supply line matters. Kupal has been tied to mass production of the Russian-produced Iranian Shahed-style one-way attack drones, which Keev says Russia's firing off at a rate of about 500 per month. Beijing's foreign ministry, when asked about the findings,

claimed ignorance, there's a surprise, repeating its line that the Chinese Communist Party, the CCP, quote, never provides lethal weapons to any part in the Ukraine conflict and keep strict controls on dual-use exports. Now, if it wasn't so seriously lethal, the Chinese regime's denials and feigned ignorance would be comical. But Beijing's official line now stands in stark contrast to the evidence, a growing body of invoices, bookings, and field tests pointing to a technology partnership that strengthens

Russia's drone arsenal and chips away at Western sanctions. All right. Turning to the U.S., President Trump rolled out his first U.S. U.S. blueprint to end the war in Gaza, a 21-point framework that Arab and Muslim leaders are apparently praising as the most serious peace push since the fighting began nearly two years ago with Hamas' attacks on Israel. The unveiling came this week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, where Trump and special envoy Steve Whitkoff presented the plan to leaders from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, and Pakistan. According to sources who were present at the meeting, Trump warned that each day of continued fighting leaves Israel more

isolated on the world stage. Whitkoff, speaking at a conference at the UN, described the talks as, quote, productive, saying the framework addressed both Israeli security concerns and those of Arab neighbors. In his conference, Whitkoff went even further, saying he was, quote, hopeful, and I might say even confident that a breakthrough for peace in the strip is within reach with the latest plan. The U.S. outline draws on proposals circulated for months by Trump's advisors, as well as earlier ideas developed by Jared Kushner and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. At its core, Trump's framework calls for the release of all remaining Israeli hostages, both living and dead, a permanent ceasefire, a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the establishment of a new governing mechanism in

the enclave that explicitly excludes Hamas. As for security, that would be maintained by a joint force of Palestinians alongside Arab and Muslim troops, while regional partners with limited involvement from the Palestinian Authority, would finance reconstruction and day-to-day administration. Arab leaders gave cautious nods. Their conditions, well, Israel must renounce annexation in the West Bank, freeze settlement expansion, and respect the status quo at the Al-Axa mosque, referencing the delicate arrangement that allows Muslims as the only ones permitted to pray, and Jews allowed to visit but not worship. The leaders also demanded an immediate increase in humanitarian aid into Gaza.

In response to the Arab leaders' conditions, Trump, in a major move, reportedly assured the group that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, despite pressure from within Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's coalition. That assurance was first reported by Politico and came just days. After France, the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal moved to formally recognize a Palestinian Indian state. At the close of the meeting, the Arab and Muslim leaders issued a rare joint statement pledging to participate in the framework saying, quote, we reaffirm our commitment to cooperate with President Trump and emphasize the importance of his leadership in order to end

the war and open horizons for a just and lasting peace, end quote. Egypt's president praised Trump's plan is, quote, an important foundation upon which we can build further, while other Arab officials described it as, quote, very good, with one remarking, quote, for the president. the first time we felt there was a serious plan on the table, end quote. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, later addressing the UN via video call, reinforce that Hamas would have, quote, no role to play in governance, and declared that the PA, the Palestinian Authority, was, quote, ready to bear responsibility for governance and security in Gaza once the fighting ends.

Well, that's all well and good, but somebody should point out that Hamas needs to agree to return all the hostages and not play any role in governing. It's also the fact that the PA is very unpopular in Gaza. Oh, and of course, Israel needs to agree to the Arab conditions. Other than that, it should be smooth sailing. Israeli officials for now acknowledge Netanyahu is aware of the principles. However, the real test comes next week when Trump presents the plan directly to the Israeli Prime Minister during his visit to the White House. As one Arab official put it, quote, the U.S. outline was good, but it will have to be sold to Netanyahu. Again, I think they'll also need Hamas to concede and agree.

Coming up next in today's back of the brief, Nicholas Sarkozy, heads to prison. Oh, the former French leader was found guilty of taking Libyan money to fuel his presidential run. Well, that sounds dodgy. More on that when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let me take just a moment to talk about your personal finances. Now, the Fed has finally dropped interest rates. You've probably noticed that. And that's great news for American homeowners. After all, expenses have been a major burden on families. Wages are flat, prices keep climbing. And for many, the only way to make ends meet has been to lean on credit cards. But that cycle of high interest debt, well, it makes it hard to stay ahead. If you're a homeowner, I want you to call my friends over an American financing. With credit cards charging rates around 20% or higher, you should look at the potential to use your home equity to save money. There's an easy path to see how you can finally put your hard-earned equity to work for you.

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Sign up for your $1 per month trial at Shopify.com slash special offer. In today's back of the brief, we turned to France, where former president Nicholas Sarkozy was just sentenced to five years in prison for engaging in a criminal conspiracy with leaders in Libya. The Paris criminal court handed down the sentence on Thursday, which also included a fine of 100,000 euros, capping off a historic trial over Sarkozy's alleged use of millions of euros elicidly obtained from the late Libyan ruler Momon Gaddafi to finances 2007 presidential campaign. Prosecutors had claimed that Sarkozy struck a deal with Gaddafi in 2005 when he was serving as France's interior minister, promising to support the isolated Libyan government on the international

stage in exchange for the campaign funds. Oh, it's a tit for tat, a barter deal. According to a report from Reuters, the harsher than expected sentence left observers stunned, now marking a shocking downfall for Sarkozy who served as France's president from 2007 to 2012. But the five-year prison term could have been much worse. The court acquitted Sarkozy of several other charges sought by the prosecution, including passive corruption. Well, that sounds like active corruption, and illegal campaign financing. Despite finding him guilty of being part of a criminal conspiracy, the court said there was not enough evidence to find Sarkozy was a beneficiary of the illegal campaign financing. Specifically, the judge stated that the prosecution did not establish any

evidence that Sarkozy made a deal with Gaddafi in 2005 or that the funds sent from Libya ever actually reached Sarkozy's campaign coffers, describing the money trail as, quote, very opaque. But the judge said prosecutors did prove that. that Sarkozy directed several close aides to get in touch with people in Libya to try and obtain campaign financing between 2005 and 2007, resulting in the criminal conspiracy charge. The corruption case also ensnared two of Sarkozy's former ministers. The pair were both found guilty of criminal association, but were likewise acquitted of other charges. Sarkozy is expected to be sent to a Paris prison within the next month,

and will now have the distinction of being the first former French president, to serve time behind bars, which for some reason surprises me. Leaving the courtroom on Thursday, a defiant Sarkozy maintained his innocence. That also surprises me. And condemn the ruling as a scandalous overreach that will shake the public's trust in France's justice system. Oh, I don't know. Maybe extorting money from a Libyan leader for your campaign, maybe that would, I don't know, shake the public's trust in France's justice system.

The disgraced leader, who has claimed the case was politically motivated, said, quote, If they absolutely want me to sleep in jail, I will sleep in jail. But with my head held high, I will not apologize for something I didn't do, end quote. Sarkozy said he plans to appeal the ruling, but it'll have to do that from prison. We should note that Sarkozy is no stranger to political scandal, having been the target of several criminal investigations since leaving office. In February 2024, he was found guilty of misusing campaign first. during his failed re-election bid in 2012, though he since appealed that ruling. And back in 2021, he was charged with attempting to bribe a judge in 2014.

This is everything you want in a politician. And was sentenced to one year in prison, though an appeals court later permitted him to serve out that sentence under house arrest with an electronic tag. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Friday the 26th of September. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at the first T. And by the way, if you love the PDB, and really, how could you not, consider becoming a premium member. You'll get every episode ad free. Just visit PDB Premium.com.

You'll also get our new podcast series the day the world almost ended and other special content. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. Ryan Reynolds here from MintMobil, the message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please for the level, everything good in this world, stop. With Mint, you can get premium

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