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Looking to diversify and protect your hard earned assets. Well, schedule a free consultation 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 you'll learn how to convert an existing IRA or 401k into a gold IRA. Again, text PDB to 989-898. Foreign 23rd December. Look at that you've got. Let me see if my math is correct. Two more shopping days until Christmas. 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, alarming new intelligence from the Pentagon. Is there, is there any other kind? China is rapidly filling missile silos with intercontinental ballistic missiles, signaling a nuclear buildup moving faster than anyone expected. Happy holidays. Later in the show, Ukraine continues to take the fight deep inside Russia, striking energy, infrastructure, aircraft and naval targets in a coordinated wave of attacks. Plus, despite happy talk out of Washington following talks with Russia in Miami, the Kremlin says no progress has been made as negotiations fail to move the needle. But don't worry, US Envoy Steve Witkoff says Putin is fully committed to achieving peace in Ukraine. Oh, and in today's back of the brief, the fighting drags into a third week as Cambodia and Thailand agree to new talks aimed at reviving a ceasefire previously brokered by the Trump administration. But first, today's PDB spotlight. New intelligence from the Pentagon suggests China may have quietly crossed a major nuclear threshold. According to a draft Defense Department report obtained by Reuters, Beijing has likely loaded more than 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles into newly constructed silo fields, marking a significant escalation in China's nuclear posture. These silo fields were already known to US Intelligence. What's new, and obviously far more concerning, is the assessment that the missiles are now operationally loaded. That distinction, of course, is important. Building silos is one thing. Loading them with solid fueled ICBM's is another entirely. The report says the missiles involved are likely DF31 intercontinental ballistic missiles deployed across three silo fields near China's northern border with Mongolia. Solid fueled missiles can be launched far more quickly than older liquid fueled systems, reducing warning time and increasing survivability. In plain terms, this shifts China's nuclear force from potential to ready. The Pentagon had previously disclosed the existence of these silo fields, but not the number of missiles and not their status. This new assessment suggests Beijing is no longer preparing for some distant future. It's building a force designed to operate now. The same Pentagon report states flatly that Beijing shows no appetite for arms control talks, even as President Trump has said he wants to pursue denuclearization discussions with both China and Russia. U.S. officials say they've seen no indication that Beijing is willing to engage in meaningful negotiations, bilateral or otherwise. In less than two months, the New START treaty that's the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the US And Russia, is set to expire. Once it does, there will be no formal limits on deployed strategic nuclear weapons among the world's three largest nuclear powers. Happy holidays. No caps, no inspections, no guardrails. The Pentagon estimates China's nuclear warhead stockpile was still in the low 600s as of last year, but it's on track to exceed 1,000 warheads by 2030. That would represent the fastest nuclear expansion by any nuclear armed state in modern history. And of course, prior to modern history there were no nuclear armed states, so admittedly that was an odd statement. Beijing insists it adheres to a no first use policy. Well, that's good, and claims its nuclear strategy is purely defensive. But actions tend to speak well louder than doctrine, and the scale and speed of this buildup suggests something far more ambitious than deterrence. The report doesn't stop at nuclear weapons. It also concludes that China expects to be capable of fighting and winning a war over Taiwan by the end of 2027. That includes options involving brute force mass missile strikes, long range attacks reaching up to 2,000 nautical miles, and sustained efforts to disrupt US forces across the Indo Pacific. The nuclear buildup in that context begins to look less like an abstract strategic hedge and more like a stabilizing backst or conventional aggression designed to deter US intervention while Beijing moves on Taiwan. There is also an internal contradiction at play here. The report notes that President Xi Jinping's sweeping anti corruption purges, particularly within the People's Liberation army and state owned defense firms, may temporarily degrade readiness in some areas. But over the long term, US Analysts believe those purges could actually strengthen the PLA by consolidating control and eliminating rival power centers. China disputes the Pentagon's conclusions. Of course they do, calling reports of a military buildup an effort to smear Beijing and mislead the international community. The Defense Department declined to comment on the draft report, and officials note that its contents could still change before being delivered to Congress. But even with caveats, the trajectory appears to be clear. China is modernizing its nuclear forces and as of right now, it has little interest in talking about limits as one arms control expert put it, more nuclear weapons and less diplomacy does not make anyone safer. Ah, in case you were confused over that concept. Coming up next, Ukrainian attacks hit targets inside Russia while diplomatic talks continue without any real indications of progress. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, as the new year approaches, let me take a minute to talk about your financial goals because of a great company out there called Stash. Well, you don't have 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 going on in your busy life. 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I usually ask potential criminals to have a seat, but now I'm asking you to join me, Chris Hansen, for my new series, have a Seat with Chris Hansen. Guests each week are fascinating personalities who are grabbing headlines, making waves, or changing our lives for the better. Have a Seat with Chris Hansen, available wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to the pdb. If Russia insists on projecting military strength rather than sitting down at the negotiating table, Ukraine is, well, testing the reality behind that. On Monday, Ukrainian forces carried out several coordinated strikes, including on an oil terminal, two parked fighter jets and two ships, all in Russian territory. This latest round of strikes fits a familiar pattern. With Ukrainian forces under heavy pressure along the front lines, Kyiv has increasingly taken to fight deep into Russia, targeting the infrastructure that keeps Moscow's war machine running and challenging the idea of that the Kremlin holds the upper hand militarily at the negotiating table. It's a way for Kyiv to shift the balance without massed formations and of signaling that even areas Moscow once treated as secure are now within striking distance. According to Ukraine's General Staff, the operations extended beyond energy infrastructure. Ukrainian forces also struck an ammunition depot and launch site used for Russian and Iranian made drones in southern Russia's Krasnodar region. Two docks and two ships were damaged triggering a large fire. I'd like to point out that Ukrainian officials did not specify what weapons were used in those attacks. Ukraine's General Staff did confirm however that a Ukrainian made missile struck a temporary base belonging to Russia's 92nd Riverboat Brigade in occupied Crimea. In Russian controlled Donetsk, Ukrainian forces hit another ammunition depot in what Kyiv said was a strike aimed at slowing Russian advances in the region. The campaign also relied on unconventional tactics. On Sunday, Ukrainian partisans set fire to two Russian fighter jets at an air base in western Russia. That's according to Ukraine's military intelligence service, underscoring a growing trend in Ukraine's use of sabotage and precision strikes to stretch Russian defenses. And the pressure campaign isn't limited to land. There's also been a significant development at sea. That brings me to an update on a story that we brought to you last week. At the time, Ukraine's Security Service said Ukrainian forces carried out an underwater drone attack on the night of 14th of December targeting a Russian Kilo class submarine while it was docked at Novorossiysk Naval Base on the eastern edge of the Black Sea. Last week Kyiv released blast footage claiming the strike critically damaged the submarine, though the assessment had not yet been independently confirmed. Now UK Defense Intelligence has weighed in and in doing so provided the clearest confirmation yet of what Ukraine actually pulled off. In an assessment dated 20 December, UK Defense Intelligence said the strike used what is called a subsea baby, otherwise known as an uncrewed underwater vehicle, to penetrate the port's multi layered defenses and detonate beneath the waterline. The assessment concludes that the submarine likely suffered significant damage, leaving it unable to deploy or sail under its own power. That conclusion is reinforced by what happened next. UK Defense Intelligence noted that the damaged submarine remained docked in Novorozhiysk at the time other Russian naval vessels dispersed from the base in what was a precautionary move aimed at reducing their exposure to potential follow up Ukrainian strikes. And that reaction speaks volumes. As I previously mentioned, Novorzhiysk was intended to function as a fallback port located deeper inside Russian territory and shielded by layered defenses. But the implications stretch further than just a single submarine. The targeted sub was also a missile platform for long range strikes against Ukraine. Disabling even one of those represents a tangible degradation of Moscow's strike capacity and sharpens a point that Kyiv has been pressing. No Russian energy infrastructure, base or port can be assumed secure. Sticking with the war in Ukraine. A weekend of diplomacy in Miami between US Russian and Ukrainian officials produced familiar language and familiar limits. Upbeat readouts from the US team, no breakthrough toward a ceasefire and the same unresolved gaps between Kyiv and Moscow. From Washington's vantage point, the weekend was framed as proof that diplomacy is still alive. Huzzah. Even if it remains slow moving. White House envoy Steve Woodkoff said the talks were productive and constructive, emphasizing that Ukraine remains committed to what he described as a just and sustainable peace. He pointed to shared priorities between Washington and Kyiv of stopping the killing, restoring security and creating conditions for recovery. All language meant to signal progress. Even as the meetings ended without any concrete movement toward a ceasefire. The talks capped three days of shuttle style diplomacy in Florida with Ukrainian and Russian delegations meeting separately with U.S. officials. I want to emphasize that there were no direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, underscoring how wide the gap between the two sides still is despite repeated efforts to keep channels open. Ukrainian National Security Adviser Rustem Umarov said in a statement that Ukrainian officials spent the three days in meetings with American counterparts to advance The Ukrainian backed 20 point peace plan. That proposal, as you'll remember, was introduced earlier this month and is widely viewed as a non starter by Moscow. It was drafted in response to a U. S authored framework backed by President Trump that would require or would have required Ukraine to cede additional territory. That detail ultimately led to its rejection by Kyiv and most European capitals. On the Russian side, state media Tass reported that Kirill Dmitriev met with Witkoff and Jared Kushner. And even there in the immediate aftermath of talks, the messaging from the US remained upbeat. Witkoff issued a statement saying Russia remains fully committed to achieving peace in Ukraine. Oh, and that Moscow highly values the efforts in support of the US to resolve the Ukrainian conflict. What? It's unclear if Wykoff was medicated when he made these bizarre statements. Dmitriev, a sophisticated individual well versed in stringing along the US and allies, described the talks as constructive, according to Russian state media. And then after schmoozing the U.S. negotiating team, he returned to Moscow. And the following day, Yuri Ushakov, a senior foreign policy adviser to Russian President Putin, openly undercut the positive readouts, saying the proposals discussed with U.S. negotiators were largely advanced by Ukraine and Europe and were, quote, rather unconstructive. The remark amounted to a blunt statement from the Kremlin itself, that the talks failed to produce meaningful progress toward ending the war. That's because, I don't know, perhaps Putin doesn't see any upside to ending the war. And that disconnect emphasizes just how far apart both sides remain and highlights the U.S. negotiating team's tendency to not address the real issue here, which is that Putin has no interest in peace. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said, quote, the most difficult issues were and remain Ukrainian territories, adding that control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, postwar reconstruction, funding and security guarantees all remain unresolved. Other US Officials, for their part, acknowledge that progress is likely to be slow. Really? And for that, the entire gaggle of other U.S. officials are awarded today's PDP statement of the obvious award. Secretary of State Marco Rubio kept expectations more grounded, telling reporters that, quote, we have a ways to go, cautioning that talks could stretch on for months. Now, that's a far more measured assessment than even President Trump's most recent claim that the parties are closer now than. Than we have ever been. Not to mention Witkoff's bizarre, unwarranted continued optimism. Look, I, I don't want to sound overly cynical here. Hope and optimism, very nice, right? You, you want to be hopeful and you want to be optimistic. But hope is not a national security strategy. An appeasement of an invading army has never, ever resulted in long term peace and stability. It might be time for the White House's negotiating team to stop pretending that Putin is part of the peace solution and realize that he's actually the problem. All right, coming up in today's Back of the Brief, after weeks of border fighting and dozens of deaths, Cambodia and Thailand head back to the negotiating table to try and secure a truce. I'll have those details when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here with a message from our friends at Birch Gold Group. 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Get that early Booking deal@vrbo.com In today's back of the brief Southeast Asia's latest border war is grinding on into its third week, and regional leaders are now racing to pull Thailand and Cambodia back from the brink. Foreign ministers from across Southeast Asia convened in Kuala Lumpur on Monday for emergency talks aimed at salvaging a ceasefire that has effectively collapsed since fighting reignited between the two countries on 8 December. While the conflict shows few signs of slowing, Monday's meeting yielded a narrow but notable step forward. Thailand and Cambodia agreed to send defense officials to a Dec. 24 meeting of their General Border Committee. That's a long standing bilateral military channel meant to manage precisely this kind of crisis. Until the Christmas Eve session convenes, top diplomats of the 11 member association of Southeast Asian Nation, or ASEAN, urged both countries to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps to halt fighting. That's according to a report from Reuters. Officials from Malaysia, ASEAN's current chair, added that the discussions will focus on ceasefire implementation and verification. The potential breakthrough comes as clashes along the roughly 500 mile disputed border have intensified, spreading well beyond isolated flashpoints. At least 80 people have now been killed since fighting reignited on 8 December, marked by daily exchanges of artillery, rockets and drone attacks, with clashes stretching from forested areas near Laos all the way down to the coastal provinces along the Gulf of Thailand. Both capitals continue to insist the other side is responsible. That makes sense. Thailand accuses Cambodian forces of launching repeated attacks and also of laying new landmines in contested areas. That's a claim that Cambodian leaders firmly deny. Cambodia, meanwhile, says the Thai military has repeatedly violated its sovereignty and has vowed to defend what it claims is its own territory at any cost. What's clear is that the ceasefire framework agreed to on 28th July of this year has fallen apart. You remember a previous similar flare up was defused after direct intervention by President Trump working alongside malicious prime minister. The July truce included commitments to pull back troops, remove explosives and avoid escalation. But this time, despite renewed diplomatic outreach by both Malaysia's prime minister and President Trump, including phone calls and statements urging calm, the fighting has continued unabated. China has also attempted to insert itself into the diplomatic efforts, reportedly dispatching their special envoy for Asian affairs to Bangkok and Phnom Penh in recent days. But leaders in Thailand said Monday that neither the US Or China were involved in the decision to revive bilateral talks, saying Thailand and Cambodia needed to work things out on their own. Thailand, for its part, made clear at once what officials described as a genuine ceasefire. Thailand's foreign minister said Monday a ceasefire cannot just be declared. It needs a discussion underscoring that firm enforcement mechanisms must be implemented for the association of Southeast Asian Nations. Wednesday's meeting will be a major test of whether the bloc can manage open conflict between its own members through diplomacy without the need for intervention by major global powers. Malaysia's foreign minister said Monday, quote, our goal goes beyond de escalating the tension. We must intensify trust building among the conflicting parties and provide the horizons for dialogue despite the prevailing differences, end quote. But for now, there are a few signs that there will be an immediate de escalation. Fighting continues along multiple stretches of the disputed border, with both Thailand and Cambodia reinforcing their positions even as diplomatic efforts intensify. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Tuesday 23rd December. Now if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me@bdbhefirsttv.com finally, if you're jonesing for an ad free PDB experience, it is simple. Just become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting PDB premium.com I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. It.