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The President's Daily Brief
August 22nd, 2025: Russia Makes ABSURD Demand That Could Scuttle Peace Talks & US’s Failing Drone Program
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Looking to diversify and protect your hard earned assets? Well, schedule a free consultation call with the Birch Gold Group. They're the precious metals specialists. Just text PDB to the number 989898 and you'll receive a free no obligation information kit. And learn how to convert an existing IRA or a 401k into a gold IRA. Again, just text PDB to the number 989898. Foreign It's Friday, the 22nd of August. 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, Russia's latest demand in the Ukraine negotiations is so moronic that it threatens to collapse the fragile push for peace before it even has a chance to take shape, which, of course, could be Putin's intention. We'll have the details later in the show. The US Navy's push for autonomous warships was billed as the future of naval warfare, but insiders say the program is falling far short. Plus, a new report reveals a covert North Korean missile base near the Chinese border capable of striking the U.S. mainland. In the today's back of the brief, the DOJ is probing claims that D.C. police cooked the books on crime numbers well before Trump's current crackdown on crime in the city. But first, today's PDB spotlight. I'm going to start off today with an issue that's going to be critical for the ongoing negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and that's the issue of security guarantees. Now, by security guarantees, we're talking about concrete, specific assurances, whether it's through treaties or military commitments or international monitoring, that Ukraine's sovereignty will be defended against future Russian aggression once the shooting stops. As we reported earlier this week after the Trump Putin summit in Alaska, there were signs that Moscow was softening on the matter. President Putin reportedly agreed to allow more, quote, robust security guarantees for Ukraine, a shift that many saw as one of the most notable outcomes of that meeting. President Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, described Putin's move as, quote, game changing. According to Witkoff, the Russian leader had signaled he would accept a framework allowing the US and Europe to extend something akin to NATO's Article 5 protection to Ukraine. But for context, Article 5 says that an attack on one alliance member is considered an attack on all. So in theory, this would mean Ukraine could count on a collective response from the west in the event of another Russian invasion. Now, does that sound like something that Putin would agree to? Possibly not. But of course, the devil as we know is in the details. The sticking point now is who exactly would provide these guarantees and how binding would they be? European leaders have floated the idea of a coalition of the willing, a group of countries ready to commit troops, resources or deterrence measures to back up Ukraine. That sounds fine on paper, as do many things. But not everyone is eager to put boots on the ground in Eastern Europe. President Trump has already said that US Boots on the ground would not be a part of the US Security plan. And then there's Russia's position, which is, let's see, what's the word I'm looking for? Is it absurd? Yes. Which, you know, oddly enough in Russian is absurdna. Now, this week, Moscow's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov declared that Russia must be included in any security arrangement for Ukraine. He said, quote, seriously discussing issues of ensuring security without the Russian Federation is a utopia, a road to nowhere, end quote. Actually, Sergei, the road to nowhere is thinking that Putin actually wants to negotiate a peaceful settlement to his invasion. Think about Lavrov's comment for a moment. Russia, the country that launched the invasion in the first place, now wants a seat at the table, guaranteeing Ukraine's security. It's a bit like, as the old saying goes, letting the arsonist oversee the fire department. Lavrov even pointed back to the early days of the war in 2022, when Moscow and Kyiv briefly held peace talk talks. Back then, a draft treaty proposed barring Ukraine from joining NATO or hosting foreign troops, while a group of guarantor states, including Britain, China, the United States, France, and yes, Russia, would pledge to defend Ukraine if it were attacked again. And of course, it's been attacked by Russia. Look, you can't make this crap up. But the Russians tried to insert an extra clause that all guarantor states, including Moscow, would have to unanimously approve any military intervention. Seriously, I once again say you can't make this crap up. In practice, that would have meant Russia could invade Ukraine again and then use its veto to block any rescue effort. In other words, total control over Ukraine's security. Now, that's an obvious non starter for Kyiv, not to mention for any sane person. Fast forward to today and Moscow seems to be reviving parts of that same old playbook. According to reports, they're also eager to bring China into the equation. Well, why wouldn't they? But Ukrainian President Zelensky has already pushed back on that idea. Speaking to reporters, Zelenskyy said, quote, first, China did not help us stop this war from the start. And second, China assisted Russia by opening its drone market we don't need guarantors who do not help Ukraine and did not help Ukraine at the time when we really needed it, end quote. Of course, he failed to mention that China is currently the number one consumer of Russian oil, which of course keeps Putin's war machine functioning. Meanwhile, Europe is wrestling with its own hesitations. It's just like a land of dysfunction. Some officials have floated the possibility of sending European peacekeepers into Ukraine as part of a deal. But that idea has sparked fierce debate, especially in Germany. Well, as you can imagine, the country is still haunted by its past. And the prospect of deploying German soldiers into Ukraine has triggered intense political pushback. Chancellor Friedrich Mertz has said he's open to German participation in a potential mission, but stressed that any decision would require broad coordination with European partners and careful consideration within his own coalition government. That cautious tone reflects just how difficult it will be to hammer out a consensus among European allies. So you ask, where does that leave the talks? Well, answer is, nobody knows. But on one hand, Putin's apparent willingness, if for some reason you take him at his word, to allow stronger guarantees represents progress, as the envoy Steve Witkoff has indicated. Well, that at least compared to Moscow's earlier hardline stance, I suppose that could be considered some progress. But on the other hand, Russia's demand to sit inside the guarantee system and its push for China's involvement well, could be or did, I mean to say should be poison pills that derail the whole effort. At the heart of the issue is trust or the complete lack of it. For Ukraine, any guarantee that includes Russia is, well, meaningless because the aggressor obviously can't be the protector. For Europe, the question is whether they're ready to commit in ways that go beyond rhetoric, potentially even putting boots on the ground to deter a future attack. And for the US the challenge is balancing support for Ukraine with the risk of getting pulled deeper into Europe's security architecture at a time when Americans seem to be understandably tired of foreign entanglements. All right, coming up after the break, the US Navy's high tech drone fleet is reportedly floundering, and new evidence points to a secret North Korean missile base capable of hitting the US I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let me take just a moment of your time to talk about protecting your hard earned assets. Now, you've probably noticed out there in the big wide world, there's a little bit of turmoil in the economy, right? Trade wars, tariffs, back and forth. Well, they've got the Federal Reserve. They're a big at odds with the White House. You've got uncertainty over employment numbers and then a volatile stock market. You're starting to get the picture. It's at times like these when it's important to think about your assets and how to protect them. 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Welcome back to the PDB. The U. S. Navy's drive to field a fleet of autonomous drone boats is hitting rough waters. See what I did there? It's very clever pun with crashes, software failures and leadership shakeups exposing cracks in a program once billed as critical to countering China. According to Reuters, during trials off California last month, one vessel froze mid sea from a software glitch, only to be rammed by another sea drone before crashing into the water. Well, that doesn't sound good. Just weeks earlier, a support boat capsized when a Black Sea Technologies craft suddenly accelerated, pitching its captain overboard. Several sources familiar with the incident confirmed that no injuries were reported. Still, both mishaps spotlight recurring failures in the Navy's attempt to synchronize onboard systems with external software meant to guide them. U.S. navy officials insist the crashes stem from a mix of coding failures and human error. Well, that's reassuring, a reminder of just how hard it is to choreograph swarms that can move and fight without direct human command. That vision is far more ambitious than Ukraine's $250,000 Kamikaze style sea drones, which are SPE rainbow light craft that have crippled Russia's Black Sea fleet at about $250,000 a pop. That's a real bargain. By contrast, the American prototypes run several million dollars apiece. What, expensive, over budget defense projects managed by expensive defense contractors? Well, that's unheard of. But software glitches are not the Navy's only problem. The program has been plagued by leadership turmoil and growing skepticism inside the Pentagon. Rear Admiral Kevin Smith, head of the Program Executive Office of Unmanned and Small Combatants. Of course there is an acronym because it's the US Military. That would be peow. USC was removed earlier this year following an inspector general probe. Four people familiar with the matter told Reuters the office is now under review with possible restructuring or even shutdown on the table. Those internal rifts spilled into public view this spring when PEO usc that just rolls off the tongue, trumpeted a successful software demo on link LinkedIn. Colin Carroll, then chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Steven Feinberg, publicly rebuked that post, calling the program duplicative of other Pentagon efforts. Warning I have a feeling that there are changes in this program's future. That warning was quickly tied to dollars. After the California mishap, the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit froze a $20 million contract with the defense giant L3Harris, one of the program software suppliers. Feinberg himself grilled Navy officials last month on the project's cost effectiveness, according to people briefed on the exchange. Still, procurement records show that the Navy is pressing ahead with its industry partners. Black Sea Technologies has received more than $160 million to manufacture its global autonomous reconnaissance craft, while defense manufacturing rival Saronic has secured tens of millions of dollars for its Corsair drones. It sounds like it's just me that haven't made millions of dollars off this potential program. The Trump administration has doubled down as well. President Trump's big beautiful bill passed last month, earmarked $5 billion for maritime autonomy wrapped inside the Pentagon's $1 billion replicator program. Yet doubts remain even inside the administration about whether the Navy is blazing a new path or simply chasing its own wake. Ah, I did it again. Okay, fine, I'll stop the Navy puns. And then there's Ukraine. President Zele Zelensky has pitched Washington on a colossal $50 billion Drone Co production deal, envisioning 10 million drones churned out over five years after its war with Russia ends. He's floated an even broader $90 billion defense package covering missile defense and aviation. Now, as we've discussed, Trump has signaled America will buy Ukrainian drones once exports begin, a move that Kyiv says will boost its industry and tether US Intelligence to Eastern Europe. But for now, America's dream of an autonomous fleet remains just that. It's a work in progress, plagued by glitches and reshuffled leadership and mounting doubts within its own ranks as rival China continues its efforts to redefine naval warfare. Okay, turning to North Korea, a new report reveals Kim Jong Un's regime has been quietly operating a massive ballistic missile base near the Chinese border that could pose a nuclear threat to the US Mainland. The Sinpungong missile operating base, tucked at less than 20 miles from China in the regime's North Byongan Province, could house as many as nine intercontinental ballistic missiles and their mobile launchers alongside thousands of troops, researchers from the Washington based Center for Strategic and International Studies revealed on Wednesday. While the missiles are not believed to be currently fitted with nuclear warheads, they are designed to carry them. Satellite imagery traces construction of the complex back to 2004, with the site fully operational just a decade later and still active and being well maintained by North Korean standards. According to the report, it spans some 5,400 acres, which for reference is larger than New York's JFK Airport. But with fewer Starbucks. Some entrances are camouflaged with brush and trees only for them to appear more visible in imagery during winter, when, of course, foliage dies back. CSIS said weapons stationed there could include the nuclear capable Hwasong 15 along with a Hwasong 18 or even an undisclosed new system. In wartime, launchers would likely disperse to pre surveyed sites, rendezvous with warhead transport units and then conduct their firing operations. The report's warning was blunt reading. These missiles pose a potential nuclear threat to east Asia and the continental U.S. the site's secrecy underscores the gaps in international oversight. Despite sanctions and UN Monitoring, Sinpungong remained undetected until now, a sobering sign of Pyongyang's unchecked missile progress. The think tank identified the base as just one piece of a broader so called missile belt consisting of 15 to 20 facilities anchoring Kim's nuclear deterrent. North Korea, by estimates from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, has about 50 assembled nuclear warheads and enough physical material for 40 more numbers that underscore the depth of its sanctioned arsenal. Since denuclearization talks collapsed between President Trump and Kim back in 2019, the regime has steadily advanced its arsenal in defiance, of course, of sanctions. The Hermit kingdom has also been busy strengthening their military ties with Russia, including signing mutual defense pacts, sending arms and troops to the battlefield in Ukraine, all in exchange for potential missile expertise in weapons technology. And as we discussed earlier this week, Kim has now ordered a accelerated build up of his nuclear arsenal timed to coincide with the ongoing U. S. South Korean joint military exercises that occur every year that North Korea routinely denounces as invasion rehearsals. It's likely that Kim is emboldened in part by the American strikes on the three Iranian nuclear facilities back in June, reinforcing his view that nuclear capability is his regime's ultimate shield. All right, coming up next in the back of the brief, the federal investigators are asking if D.C. crime numbers were faked well before Trump put the city under federal control. We'll have more on that when we go back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, you probably noticed that just around the corner is Labor Day. And Labor Day is that one American holiday where we celebrate hard work by, well, not working. And while no one's quite sure what we're supposed to be doing, grilling, resting, shopping for mattresses, we do know this Tritails beef, a terrific company, is giving away a free prime ribeye when you order either their freedom box or the Pitmaster grill Out Pro now through September 1st. Now, Tritails is a fifth generation family run Texas Ranch. It's real people. No corporations, no middlemen, no fluff. Just pasture raised grain, finished dry aged beef delivered straight from their Texas ranch to your home. Their amazing steaks will make your Labor Day grill the most American thing since pickup trucks and porch flags. Now one heads up, there's no shipping on September 1st or 2nd because you know what, ranchers, well, they deserve some time off too. Head to tribe.com that's tribe.com and grab your box. And by the way, you can even order the President's daily brief box. It's true. It's chock full of my favorite steaks. Now this Labor Day, don't settle for shrink wrapped steak from some megastore. Get the real stuff straight from the Tritails Ranch to your home. In today's Back of the Brief, the Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether Washington, DC's police department manipulated crime data to make the Capitol appear safer. The inquiry follows President Trump's accusation that leaders in the District engineered a, quote, false illusion of safety for doctoring crime stats. In a truth social post, he warned, quote, this is a very bad and dangerous thing to do and they are under serious investigation litigation for so doing, end quote. And Trump went further still, declaring, quote, just days ago Washington, D.C. was the most unsafe city in the U. S and perhaps the world. Now, in just a short period of time, it is perhaps the safest and getting better every single hour, end quote. As our regular listeners will remember, the Department of Justice investigation takes on added significance after Trump federalized the Metropolitan police department, the MPD, on 11 August, invoking section 740 of the District of Columbia's Home Rule Act. President Trump called that date Liberation Day in D.C. and for 30 days has placed local police, 800 National Guard troops and federal law enforcement under his direct command. That move comes in response to a string of high profile killings that have rocked the Capitol since 2020. But whispers of data manipulation predated Trump's takeover. Craig Pemberton, chairman of the D.C. police Union, told NBC News that police commanders had for some time pressured officers to downgr crimes. In official reports. He put it bluntly, stating, quote, instead of taking a report for a shooting or stabbing or a carjacking, they'll order that officer to take a report for a theft or an injured person to the hospital or felony assault, which is not the same type of classification. And those damning claims line up with the suspension of D.C. police Commander Michael Pulliam in mid May after allegations that he falsified crime data in his District Straight Pulliam has denied wrongdoing. As we've been tracking, the Capitol's violent crime levels have long drawn national scrutiny. Washington recorded nearly 200 homicides in 2020, then a two decade high of 274 in 2023. Killings in the District fell 31% in 2024 to 187. Yet as I mentioned last week, if the District were treated as a state, which there are people who would like it to be a state, it would still top the rates rivaling levels seen only in Mexico. And while broader crime trends show declines, the Council on Criminal justice reported that lethality, defined as the number of homicides relative to aggravated assaults and robberies, rose 38% between 2018 and 2024 and an astonishing 341% since 2012. Are you keeping score? Because there is going to be a test after all this. And still the statistics could be higher given the allegations of the D.C. police Department Cooking the books. Trump seems to think so as he dismissed the city's reported crime reductions as nothing more than phony statistics. At an Oval Office press conference earlier this month, he stated, quote, Washington, D.C. is at its worst point and it will soon be at its best point. You're going to have a crime free city, end quote, referencing his federalization of the Police department. And just last night, Thursday, the president joined National Guard units on patrol through the Capitol, staging what he called proof of his crackdown success to rid the city of crime and signaling that there is indeed a new sheriff in the District. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Friday, 22nd August. Now if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me@pdbhefirsttv.com and once again, we have made it successfully to the end of the week. And once again, your reward, of course, is a brand new episode of America's favorite weekend news show, the PDB Situation Report. The latest episode launches this evening at 10:00pm on the first TV. And as always, you can catch it. And past episodes on America's favorite YouTube channel, Presidence Daily brief and podcast platforms everywhere. We've got Ryan Macbeth, military analyst extraordinaire, and John Lott from the Crime Prevention Research Center. Great guests, great conversations. I hope you can tune in. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.