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The President's Daily Brief
May 23rd, 2025: Trump Tells Europe Putin Isn't Ready For Peace & Furious Kim Jong Un Humiliated By Botched Launch Of New Warship
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Mike Baker
It's Friday, the 23rd of May. 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, President Trump reportedly told European leaders in a recent call that Russian President Putin is not ready to end the war in Ukraine, thereby dousing hopes for a near term peace deal, though the White House is now disputing those reports. Later in the show, Venezuela releases an imprisoned U.S. air Force veteran to American officials in a bid to improve bilateral ties and keep Western oil companies operating inside the country. The move comes amid reports that the Trump administration is engaged in high stakes talks with the Maduro regime to accept the return of thousands of Venezuelan migrants. Plus, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu denies reports of a rift with President Trump and sets the implementation of Trump's proposed plan to relocate Gaza's civilians as a condition for ending the war. Which is a way of saying then that the war won't be ending. And in today's back of the brief, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un suffered a major embarrassment. Oh, after his newest warship was severely damaged during a botched launch ceremony. And when was the last time you heard anybody say the words botched launch ceremony? It's not easy. Try it on Wednesday, leaving little rocket man in a fury, which means there'll be some job vacancies in Kim's navy very soon. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. We'll begin today with reports that President Trump, following his two hour call on Monday with Vladimir Putin, told European leaders that the Russian strongman is not ready to end the war in Ukraine because he feels his forces are winning now. The remarks were first disclosed on Thursday by the Wall Street Journal, citing for senior European officials familiar with the conversation. As we discussed earlier this week, following his Monday morning call with Putin, Trump got on a group call with leaders of the European Union, including France, Italy, Germany and Finland, to debrief them on where Putin stands regarding prospects for a ceasefire. While Trump publicly put a positive spin on his conversation with Putin, saying Putin had agreed to, quote, immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire. The Journal report claims his private appraisal was, well, far more pessimistic. The officials described the call with Trump as somewhat contradictory, saying the president began by stating, quote, I think Vladimir does not want peace, end quote, at least for now. He allegedly went on to say that he believes Putin ultimately desires peace. Really, but only on Russia's terms. Okay. And that he did not believe a peace deal or a temporary ceasefire was probable in the near term. Trump concluded that Putin feels he's winning the war and will, quote, therefore keep fighting. The European officials said they were left with the impression that President Trump, quote, simply doesn't want to take sides and that he's unlikely to impose fresh sanctions on the Putin regime to pressure Moscow to the negotiating table, as Ukraine and European leaders have urged him to do. Now, we should note that the White House immediately disputed the Journal's reporting. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt said that while Trump, quote, did say he believes Putin is winning the war, the president, quote, never said Putin isn't ready to end the war. He believes Putin wants peace and wants the war to be over, end quote. Regardless, European officials said the call clarified Trump's position regarding the conflict. Does it feel like it was clarified? While they don't think Trump will move to cut off US Weapons exports as long as Europe and Ukraine keep paying for them, they were left to conclude that it will largely fall to European countries to continue supporting Ukraine and shouldering the bulk of the financial burden. Indeed, Trump told reporters on Monday after his call with Putin, quote, this isn't my war. We got ourselves entangled in something we shouldn't have been involved in, end quote. With that in mind, the EU and Britain moved ahead with their own new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday, two targeting Moscow's shadow fleet of oil tankers and financial firms, which have helped the Putin regime dodge the worst impacts of sanctions imposed since the war began. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen later said that a larger package of heftier sanctions are being prepared, though she didn't elaborate on the detail. According to a report from Reuters on Thursday, Kyiv will petition the EU next week to consider taking bigger steps to isolate the Kremlin internationally, including by accelerating the seizure of Russian assets held in Europe and placing sanctions on buyers of Russian oil such as India and China. That would be a major step that Europe has so far been reluctant to take. Ukraine also wants to see the EU take steps to make its sanctions apply more forcefully beyond its own borders. Including by targeting foreign companies supplying tech components to Russia that have military applications. But it's not clear yet anyway if the EU will be able to muster the resolve to implement Kee's requests. Trump, meanwhile, feels that it's not the right time to use his economic leverage over Putin, preferring to give time for more talks to take place. Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained, quote, the President believes that right now you start threatening sanctions, the Russians will stop talking and there's value in us being able to talk and drive them to get to the table, end quote. Now the administration appears to be hanging their hopes on Putin's pledge from Monday to revive direct peace talks between officials from Moscow and Kiev, albeit without implementing the 30 day ceasefire that Trump had previously advocated. According to the Wall Street Journal report, plans are underway to hold talks at the Vatican sometime in mid June. Oh, but on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the Journal's report, saying Moscow had not yet agreed to hold peace talks with Ukraine. At the Vatican, Peskov said, quote, there are no concrete agreements on future meetings. This still needs to be worked out, end quote. It would seem that what we have here is a failure to communicate. Alright, coming up after the break, Venezuela releases an imprisoned U.S. air Force veteran to American officials in a bid to improve bilateral ties and keep Western oil companies operating inside the country. Plus, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu sets the implementation of President Trump's proposed plan to relocate Gaza's civilians as a condition for ending the war. Because, well, relocating 2.3 means million Palestinians to other countries seems entirely feasible. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Well, this July there's going to be quite the event. It's a global summit of BRICS nations being held in Rio de Janeiro. That sounds posh. The block of emerging superpowers includes China and Russia, India and Iran. And they're meeting with the goal of displacing the US Dollar as the global currency. And they're calling this effort the Rio Reset. That's a catchy name. As BRICS nations push forward with their plans, well, demand for US Dollars could decrease, bringing down of course, the value of the dollar. That's why this summit is important to pay attention to. While this transition won't happen overnight, while the real reset marks a pivotal moment when BRICS objectives move from possibility toward reality. So you ask yourself, what is it that you could do possibly to help protect your dollar savings? Right. Well, one thing I would suggest is to check in with the professionals over at Birch Gold Group. Birch Gold can help you move your hard earned dollar savings into a tax sheltered IRA and precious metals. Claim your free information kit on gold simply by texting PDB to the number 989-898 with an A rating with the Better Business Bureau and tens of thousands of happy customers. Let Birchgold arm you with a free information kit on owning Gold before July and that Rio reset. Just text PDB to 989-898 today. Hey, Mike Baker here. 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Welcome back to the pdb. Venezuela has released a detained US Air Force veteran in what officials describe as a diplomatic gesture that Caracas hopes will lead to a potential oil for migrants deal that could reshape relations with the Trump administration. Joseph St. Clair, a decorated combat veteran from Washington State, was handed over to US Envoy Rick Grenell on Tuesday in Antigua following months of back channel talks. St. Clair was flown back to the US later that day, according to people familiar with the matter. For background, the 36 year old had served four tours in Afghanistan before struggling with PTSD. After his honorable discharge in 2019, he traveled to Latin America in search of alternative therapies. He was arrested near the Venezuelan border in October, accused of entering the country illegally. Wait, you mean. You mean Venezuela as a secure border? From there, St. Clair was transported to an infamously violent prison near Caracas, known for gang control, overcrowding and allegations of torture. The U.S. state Department designated him as wrongfully detained back in March. His release comes just days before key US Oil licenses were set to expire. Now, back in February, Trump rescinded a Biden era license that had allowed Chevron to produce and export crude from Venezuela. According to multiple sources, the Trump administration now plans to extend Chevron's Venezuela license by 60 days, a move widely interpreted as a gesture toward restarting broader negotiations with the dictator Nicolas Maduro. At the core of those talks is a potential deal trading U.S. sanctions relief and access to Venezuela's energy sector for cooperation on immigration enforcement. Under the current terms being discussed, Maduro would grant expansive oil and mining concessions to foreign firms, most notably Chevron, which holds significant assets in the country but is constrained by US Sanctions. In return, Maduro would formally commit to accepting the return of potentially hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan nationals currently residing in the US without permanent legal status. That follows a recent Supreme Court ruling allowing the Trump administration to rescind temporary protected status for Venezuelans. While Caracas has already taken back around 5,000 deportees from the US and other countries, American officials say a broader commitment is needed. One U.S. official familiar with the talks told the Miami Herald, quote, returning those migrants is central to Trump's immigration agenda, and oil leverage may be the key to making it happen, end quote. But Maduro, well, he wants more than oil. According to sources in Caracas and Washington. He's also demanding. Oh, he's demanding to be removed from U.S. treasury sanctions lists, and this is interesting, wants federal drug trafficking indictments against himself and his interior minister dropped. Both men have been charged in American courts with running the Los Solas cartel. That's a drug smuggling ring embedded in Venezuela's military apparatus. While legal experts note that the White House cannot directly dismiss Justice Department prosecutions, Maduro's push appears modeled on Trump's recent foreign policy shift in Syria, where long standing US Sanctions will be lifted in exchange for regional cooperation. As we covered on last week's pdb, Trump, at the start of his Gulf state tour, announced that the US Would lift decades old sanctions on Syria, which could now serve as a precedent for the Venezuelan talks. Momentum for a deal is reportedly building, with oil executives and diplomats meeting quietly in Washington and Caracas. Bloomberg and Reuters report that Grinnell's talks included a further extension of Chevron's license, a clear sign of potentially thawing relations. Although Maduro has recently tried to downplay Chevron's possible exit. Foreign oil firms produce nearly half of Venezuela's crude, and their departure well, would deliver a devastating blow to his regime's already crippled economy. Okay, shifting to Israel. In his first press conference in five months, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for the first time declared that Implementing President Trump's plan to relocate Gaza's civilians is now a condition for ending the war. Netanyahu called the initiative brilliant and revolutionary to reporters in Jerusalem on Wednesday, asserting it could not only transform Gaza, but reshape the broader Middle East. He stated, quote, we want to ensure that Trump's plan comes to fruition, casting it as the linchpin of a safer regional future. As our listeners know, Trump first floated that idea of Palestinian relocation back in February while hosting Netanyahu at the White House. A sweeping civilian relocation plan, it would seek to transform Gaza into a U. S. Administered, quote, reconstruction zone, or so called riviera of the Middle east and involved the removal of some 2 million Palestinians to neighboring states. Fast forward to last week at a business roundtable in Doha. During his three nation Gulf swing, Trump proposed a freedom zone with American oversight, job creation and long term infrastructure projects within the enclave. Now it may well be the cornerstone of Israel's endgame. Netanyahu laid out three pillars for victory in Gaza. Defeat Hamas, recover the hostages, and ensure the enclave can no longer threaten Israel. The current military operation, codenamed Operation Gideon's Chariots, will press on, he said, until Hamas is, quote, totally defeated and all of Gaza is under Israeli security control. Asked whether he'd consider a temporary ceasefire in exchange for hostage releases, Netanyahu bluntly said, quote, we will win and it won't take another year and a half. We will reach a decisive outcome and a different future for Gaza, end quote. And that future, he made clear, depends on several the return of all hostages, Hamas's disarmament, its removal from power, the exile of its leaders, total demilitarization of the enclave, Israeli security control, and the execution of Trump's relocation plan. Netanyahu also moved to squash talk of a diplomatic rupture with Washington. As we reported on the PDB on Tuesday, the White House slammed a Washington Post article alleging Trump threatened to, quote, abandon Israel unless it ends the war, calling the claim, quote, absurd. Netanyahu echoed that denial, telling reporters he spoke to Trump just over a week ago. He quoted the President as saying, quote, bibi, I want you to know I have absolute commitment to you. I have absolute commitment to the state of Israel, end quote. Vice President J.D. vance reportedly struck the same tone. Netanyahu said Vance told him, don't pay attention to all this fake news about the rupture between us. It's all spin, end quote. Still, Trump's golf tour noticeably omitting Israel did fuel speculation of a growing chill. Netanyahu, for his part, shrugged it off, praising the president's stops in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, saying they could help expand the Abraham Accords. He added, quote, I have no objection to the US Deepening its ties in the Arab world. That's absolutely fine. End quote. All right, coming up next, in the back of the brief failure to launch, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un suffered a major embarrassment after his newest warship was severely damaged during. Oh, here's that phrase again, a botched launch ceremony on Wednesday. I'll have those details next. Hey, Mike Baker here. 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Mike Baker
Go ahead.
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Mike Baker
In today's back of the Brief we turn to North Korea, where Kim Jong Un just suffered a major military embarrassment that has reportedly left the despot steaming. And you really don't want a steaming despot. Kim and other senior officials of the Hermit Kingdom had gathered Wednesday for a major launch ceremony of the country's newest warship, a destroyer held by state media as a quote, new generation vessel that would strengthen naval readiness amid heightened tensions with South Korea and the U.S. but the ceremony quickly turned into an unmitigated disaster for the Kim regime. A serious accident reportedly occurred while North Korea was trying to launch the vessel, causing the 5000 ton destroyer to slide prematurely into the water, crushing and tearing holes in parts of the hull and leaving the bow of the vessel stuck on the launch ramp. A subsequent analysis by the South Korean military cited by CNN found that the ship was left lying on its side in the water next to the launch dock and determined that it had likely suffered catastrophic damage. A satellite image was later released of the partially capsized vessel, which North Korean officials had hastily covered with a massive blue tarp. Where'd they get a massive blue tarp anyway? Nothing to see here, folks. A furious Kim, who personally witnessed the botched launch, told state media that it was, quote, a criminal act caused by absolute carelessness and irresponsibility and that the debacle, quote, lowered the dignity and self respect of North Korea. He added that the failure would not be tolerated. Oh, there's a message to those responsible. And that those responsible would be dealt with. At a meeting of the country's Workers Party next month. Kim demanded the vessel be restored by the June meeting, calling it a, quote, political issue directly related to the prestige of the state. But experts say it will likely take much longer to fix the damage and said attempts to rush the process would likely only lead to more problems and embarrassments for the Kim regime. South Korean officials said Kim's alleged insistence to rush the launch of the vessel was likely what led to the catastrophe in the first place. It's a major setback for the Hermit Kingdom, of course, which had recently undertaken its largest military modernization efforts in decades aimed at updating its deteriorating Soviet era fleet. The damaged vessel was only the second new destroyer to be unveiled, with the first being showcased by state media back in April of this year. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Friday 23rd May. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the first tv.com now in case you somehow missed the news. If you want to listen to the show ad free, well, it's 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.
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