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The President's Daily Brief
December 22nd, 2025: U.S. Unleashes Massive Ground and Air Assault in Syria & Another Tanker Boarded Off Venezuela
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Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. And of course, a big congratulations to Ole Miss taking down Tulane 41 to 10 in the first round of the college football playoffs. Next up, the Rebels take on Georgia on New Year's Day. As the kids say, it's gonna be a barn burner. I don't know if the kids actually say that anymore. All right, let's get briefed. First up, a major US Military response in Syria. American and coalition forces targeted ISIS positions this weekend in one of the largest strikes in years. We'll walk you through the operation and what it might tell us about the fight ahead. Later in the show, U.S. forces move on a third oil tanker in the Caribbean in the continuing effort to disrupt Venezuela's illicit crude oil operations. Plus, some good news for Ukraine as European Union leaders approve a massive 90 billion euro loan to support Kyiv's ongoing war effort and economy. And in today's Back of the Brief, well, it's return to sender. Turkey may send Russia's S400 air defense systems back to Russia in hopes of reopening the door to US F35 fighter jets. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. This weekend, the US carried out a series of large scale air and ground strikes against Islamic State targets inside Syria, one of the most significant American attacks on ISIS in years. We told you last week on the PDB about the deadly ambush that set this in motion, the killing of two US Soldiers and A US Civilian interpreter while they were operating near Palmyra in Syria. And now the Trump administration has delivered what it promised, a decisive military response. According to U.S. officials, American forces struck more than 70 ISIS targets across central Syria using fighter jets, attack helicopters, rocket artillery, and precision guided munitions. In total, more than 100 precision weapons were used, aimed squarely at ISIS weapons depots, infrastructure sites, and operational hubs. The operation has been named Operation Hawkeye Strike, honoring the Iowa National Guard soldiers who were killed and wounded in the ambush. USF 15 strike fighters and A10 attack aircraft, better known as Warthogs, were joined by Apache helicopters and Himars rocket systems. Jordanian F16s also took part in the operation, meaning this wasn't just an American response. U.S. central Command described the operation as a massive strike and made it clear it was retaliatory in nature. The attack that triggered the response took place at a fortified Syrian internal facility near Palmyra. A lone ISIS gunman at that time opened fire as American personnel were supporting a meeting with Syrian officials. Two US Soldiers were killed, three others wounded, along with a US Civilian interpreter and a Syrian officer who was also killed. All of this, of course, is unfolding at a very sensitive time for Syria. Since the fall of Bashar al Assad late last year, the country's new president, Ahmed Al Sharam, has been trying to stabilize the country and rebuild relationships with Washington and regional partners. That cooperation had already begun to pay dividends. U.S. and Syrian coordination in recent weeks led to raids in Syria and Iraq that killed several ISIS militants and detained others. Operations that produced new intelligence on ISIS weapons depots and infrastructure that US Forces had not previously identified, according to reports that intelligence directly fed into this weekend's action. Isis, for its part, appears to be deliberately testing this new arrangement. US Military assessments indicate the group is attempting to destabilize Syria's new government. Well, yeah, it didn't take expert analysis to figure that one out and disrupt its growing counterterrorism operations with the United States. And this is a critical point. While ISIS lost its territorial caliphate years ago, it never actually disappeared. It remains an active insurgent force, especially in central and eastern Syria. Pentagon assessments warn that ISIS is still capable of launching coordinated attacks and exploiting political instability. Since the ambush, U.S. central Command says it has conducted at least 10 counterterrorism operations in Syria and Iraq, resulting in the death or detention of more than 20 ISIS operatives. President Trump, speaking publicly after the strikes began, said he had ordered very serious retaliation and described the operation as highly successful. Defense Secretary or Secretary of War, Whichever you prefer. Pete Hegseth was even more blunt, saying US Forces hunted and killed ISIS fighters and would continue to do so. The US still maintains roughly 1,000 troops in Syria, primarily in the northeast, and at the Al Tanf garrison in the country's southeast, where they work with local partners to contain ISIS remnants. US Military leadership has made clear that this mission is ongoing. Coming up next, Washington's pressure on Venezuela's oil lifeline is escalating, boarding a second tanker and moving to pursue a third, while in Europe, the EU delivers a major financial boost to Ukraine. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, as the new year approaches, let me take just a moment of your time to talk about financial goals, right? That's very important now because of a great company out there called Stash, right? You don't need to overhaul your life to start investing. You just automate it. With Stash, your new year money goals can quietly run in the background while you focus on everything else, right? 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The goal is to hit Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro's regime where it hurts. And that of course would be the tanker based export lifeline that keeps cash flowing into Caracas. On Saturday, the U.S. coast Guard interdicted and boarded a tanker in international waters off Venezuela that was not under US Sanctions. Now that's an operation that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem detailed in a post on X that included video of the seizure. Noem said the Coast Guard apprehended the vessel in a pre dawn operation with support from the Department of War, identifying the tanker Centuries as the Chinese owned Panamanian flagged tanker which was carrying nearly 2 million barrels of Venezuelan crude. She framed the action as part of a broader effort to choke off oil money tied to Maduro's regime, writing, the US Will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region, end quote. Secretary of War or Defense Secretary, whichever you prefer. Pete Hegseth echoed that posture, explicitly tying enforcement to Maduro, saying President Trump has been clear the crackdown will remain in full force until Maduro's criminal enterprise returns every stolen American asset. Hmm. U.S. military sources told Axios that American forces are prepared to stop tankers hauling Venezuelan oil even if the vessel itself is not formally designated under Trump's sanctions. Now that marks a real shift in how the US Is or will be enforcing sanctions. It's the kind of move that does force ship owners and insurers and brokers to rethink whether Venezuelan oil is worth the exposure. And the pressure on Maduro's lifeline didn't stop there. According to US Officials speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters, the Coast Guard entered pursuit of another oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela Sunday evening. That would be the third tanker. The vessel is described as a part of the country's so called dark fleet, accused of sanctions evasion. So this was a sanctioned tanker flying a false flag and operating under a judicial seizure order. And it's important to note that not all interceptions look the same. They can take different forms, of course, including just sailing or flying close to vessels of concern, allowing US Forces to disrupt or deter and document listed activity without a dramatic boarding. And that was the case in Sunday's pursuit of that third tanker, according to a British maritime risk management group along with a U.S. maritime security source. The tanker has been identified as Bella 1, a carrier already on the Treasury Department sanctions list. The vessel was reportedly empty as it approached the Venezuelan coastline, unlike the Century's tanker on Saturday. That's according to TankerTrackers.com Babella One's history underscores why Washington is targeting these networks. The tanker previously transported Venezuelan oil to China, according to internal documents from Venezuela's state owned oil company Peda Vesa, and has also carried Iranian crude. Maduro's regime has predictably condemned the actions over the weekend as, quote, theft and hijacking. Now, despite holding the world's largest proven oil reserves, years of socialist corruption and mismanagement and sanctions evasion have left a country dependent on increasingly risky export schemes. Maduro and his predecessor, of course, Hugo Chavez, managed to turn the region's breadbasket, or oil basket, more appropriately, into a basket case in a matter of two and a half decades. Now, while it's certainly fair to debate the strategy and activities being undertaken against Maduro's regime by the Trump administration, it's hard to argue that the people of Venezuela wouldn't be better off under a new government. Which of course is why the people of Venezuela actually did vote for a new government during the last election. That was an election that was then stolen by Maduro and his cronies. Okay, I want to shift the focus to Europe, where EU leaders agreed to move ahead with a massive 90 billion euro. Or if my math Serves me correctly. I believe that's 106 or so billion US dollars interest free loan for UKRA Ukraine. After legal uncertainty stalled a far more ambitious plan to tap into frozen Russian assets, the Friday decision ensures Ukraine can cover its military and economic needs over the next two years. At a moment when the financial picture in Kyiv is growing increasingly tight. For Background after nearly four years of war, the International Monetary Fund, the IMF, estimates Ukraine will need roughly $160 billion in 2026 and 2027. And officials in Kyiv say the government is on the verge of bankruptcy with funds urgently needed by spring. That pressure is what initially pushed EU leaders toward a more bold solution, using frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine directly. As we've discussed here before on the PDB, roughly 210 billion euros, or about US$246 billion in Russian funds are immobilized across Europe, with most of them being held in Belgium. And the idea, at least in theory, was to use that money to finance what EU leaders described as a, quote, reparations loan, forcing Moscow to shoulder some of the cost of its own invasion. But turning that idea into reality has consistently proven to be complicated. Negotiations dragged on last week as leaders tried to reassure Belgium that it would be protected from any Russian legal retaliation. As the talks dragged on, the legal risk became harder for Brussels to ignore. Belgium's resistance ultimately proved decisive. The country's prime minister warned that directly using frozen Russian assets posed serious legal risks and could damage Euroclear. That's the Brussels based financial clearinghouse that holds roughly 226 billion of the Russian funds. Those concerns sharpened further earlier this month when Russia's central bank filed a lawsuit against Euroclear to block any loan to Ukraine backed by the frozen assets, a reminder that Moscow is already probing for legal vulnerabilities even as the war grinds on. Now, if you ponder too long, the irony of the Kremlin filing a lawsuit to block the use of their money to rebuild a country that the Kremlin invaded and has tried to conquer for the past almost four years. Well, it's almost as ironic as the UN continuing to give Russia a permanent seat on the Security Council. But I digress. Anyway, rather than let the entire package bog down, the bloc pivoted. EU leaders opted for a faster, cleaner workaround, which turned out to be borrowing on capital markets. In other words, raising money by selling debt to investors to keep aid flowing while the tougher legal questions around the frozen assets remain unresolved. European Council President Antonio Costa announced the agreement shortly Afterward, writing on social media, quote, we have a deal. A decision to provide 106 billion of support to Ukraine for 2026 and 2027 is approved. Now, if you're wondering about the remainder of the funding, well, Kiev is most likely expected to hopefully rely on Washington and other G7 partners which as you're aware, have provided substantial military and economic assistance in the past. That's a statement of the obvious. But not everyone in the EU was on board with the plan. Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic opposed providing aid to Ukraine, but ultimately agreed not to block the package after receiving assurances from other members they'd be shielded from any financial fallout. It's a compromise that allows the rest of the EU to move forward. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who routinely describes himself with a straight face, might I add, as a so called peacemaker, despite being Vladimir Putin's lackey. Well, he condemned the decision. He argued that the loan prolongs the conflict. He must have gotten that in writing from Putin. A claim that sidesteps that Russia launched the invasion in 2022. Yeah, they are responsible and shows no interest in taking a meaningful role in the peace talks. Still, the majority of capitals across the EU welcome the move. And German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz stressed that frozen Russian assets will be kept from the Kremlin the until Moscow pays war reparations, a bill that Ukrainian President Zelensky estimates at more than US$700 billion. Okay, coming up in today's back of the brief, Turkey is reportedly looking to hand Russia back its S400 air defense systems. Here, here, you can have these back things in order to clear the way for F35 sales from the US I'll have those details when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here with a message from our friends at Birch Gold Group. Now, did you know gold is up around 40% this year? That's not speculation, that's. Well, that's just reality. And if a portion of your savings isn't diversified into gold, well, you could be missing the boat. Here's the facts. Inflation, well, it's still too high. The US dollar, well, it's still too weak. And the government debt, well, that seems to be almost insurmountable. This is why central banks are flocking to gold. And they're the ones basically driving prices up to record highs. But it's not too late to diversify your savings and buy gold from the Birch Gold Group. Birch Gold can help you convert an existing IRA or 401k into a tax sheltered IRA in gold. And you don't pay a dime out of pocket. Just text PDB to 989-898 and claim your free information kit. 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Talkspace works with most major insurers, including Tricare. Match with a licensed therapist today@talkspace.com military go to talkspace.com military to get started today. That's talkspace.com military in today's back of the Brief Turkey appears to be trying to undo a costly detour toward Moscow. Ankara is looking at whether returning Russia's S400 air defense systems that it purchased could be the ticket to readmittance into the American F35 program, according to a report by Bloomberg News citing Turkish and Russian officials familiar with the matter. The idea was raised directly by Turkish President Erdogan during a meeting with Russian President Putin on the sidelines of a summit in Turkmenistan earlier this month. But Ankara isn't just looking to return Moscow's mobile long range surface to air missile systems. It's also exploring compensation if they are returned, potentially in the form of discounted Russian oil and natural gas rather than the cash refund. Moscow, however, moved quickly to shut the entire idea down. There's a surprise. The Kremlin denied the topic of returning the S400 was ever discussed, insisting the issue, quote, was not on the agenda. That's a familiar line that masks Moscow's unease as Turkey reassesses a Russian arms deal that has steadily lost its value. Now for background, Turkey has been locked out of the F35 program since its 2017 purchase of the Russian air defense systems, triggering American sanctions and their removal from the fighter jet project. That was back during President Trump's first term, when Washington formally cut Turkey, a fellow NATO member of course, from the F35 program, with a US official stressing the move was not punitive but rather protective, warning that operating a Russian air defense system alongside the F35 risked exposing sensitive fighter jet data to Moscow. Mm. Regardless of what Putin may want, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said talks between Washington and Ankara or over a potential F35 sale are in fact progressing. Posting on ex baric was explicit about the terms, quote, as laid out in the US law, Turkey must no longer operate nor possess the F400 system in order to return to the F35 program, end quote. And Barrick pointed to improve political ties at the top. He said the relationship between Trump and Erdogan has helped to reset the diplomatic atmosphere, leading to what he described as the most productive conversations on the issue in nearly a decade, as Erdogan looks to return to Washington's orbit. But Israel has raised concerns over a potential F35 sale to Turkey and other regional states, also citing the need to preserve its qualitative military edge. As you'll remember, those concerns from Jerusalem resurfaced after Trump announced the sale of F35s to Saudi Arabia last month, though administration officials stress the jets destined for Riyadh will be configured at a lower capability level. At this point, it does appear that Turkey is keeping its options open, unsure if Washington will reopen the door to the fighter jet program. So as Ankara weighs whether the S400 chapter can be closed, it has also moved to acquire 40 Eurofighter Typhoons. That's a possible stopgap measure. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Monday, 22nd December. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the firsttv.com and I hope you had the chance over the weekend to catch the latest episode of our extended weekend show, the PDB Situation Report. If not, well, don't fret. You can still catch it and past episodes on our YouTube channel. Again, check that out. That, of course, would be on YouTube at President's Daily Brief, and you can also find it on all podcast platforms throughout the podcast universe. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.