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PDB Afternoon Bulletin | August 26th, 2025: 'Very Angry' Trump Lashes Out At Putin After Russian Strikes & Iranian Terror in Australia
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It's Tuesday the 26th of August. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First up, we'll begin with an update on U. S. Efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine as President Trump vents his growing frustration with Vladimir Putin. Trump is accusing Putin of undermining diplomatic efforts with his relentless aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities. Well, Putin did start this whole mess by invading Ukraine. I'm really not sure he's all about diplomacy and peacemaking. Later in the show, Australian leaders have cut off diplomatic relations with Iran, expelling the Islamic regime's ambassador and designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the irgc, a terrorist organization. The move follows allegations that Iran directed two anti Semitic attacks against the local Jewish community, including the firebombing of a synagogue. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. President Trump's patience with Vladimir Putin may be wearing thin just one week after their high profile summit in Alaska. On Monday, Trump used an Oval Office signing event to vent his growing frustration with the Russian leader. The president told reporters that while his personal conversations with Putin are cordial, Moscow's actions immediately afterward undermine any goodwill. Trump said, quote, every conversation I have with him is a good conversation and then unfortunately, a bomb is loaded up into Kyiv or someplace and then I get very angry about it, end quote. It's the latest in a series of somewhat sharp criticisms that Trump has leveled at Putin since the Alaskan summit. Despite the optics of the two leaders shaking hands on American soil, that was a move that Trump touted as a signal of progress. Russia's nightly strikes on Ukrainian cities have continued, and that persistence appears to be testing Trump's willingness to play mediator. Even so, Trump insisted he remains hopeful. He does seem to have a bottomless well of patience and goodwill. He told reporters, I think we're going to get the war done. But quickly added a dose of caution, saying, you never know what's going to happen in a war. Strange things happen in the fact that Putin went to Alaska. Our country, I think was a big statement that he wants to get it done, end quote. Or it could be a big statement that he's simply playing a game with the international community. Eh, one or the other. Trump also shed light on why he thinks progress remains elusive, pointing to what he described as raw personal dislike between Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky. Asked why Putin has so far refused to sit down with Zelensky, Trump said bluntly, because he doesn't like him. He doesn't like him. They don't like each other, really, end quote. And so we hereby declare President Trump is the winner of today's PDB Statement of the Obvious award. But Trump's comments show how the stalled peace effort is not just about battlefield realities, but also about the personal animosities at the very top. And Trump seemed to warn that time is running short. Pressed on whether Russia would face consequences if Putin continues to dodge negotiations with Zelenskyy, Trump answered, there would be very big consequences, but we'll see what happens. Now. That phrasing is classic Trump. Both threatening and open ended, keeping options on the table while signaling his irritation. But at some point, well, you have to either act or get off the pot. Maybe that's not quite how the old saying goes, but you get my point. Meanwhile, as Trump tries to coax Putin toward negotiations, we Washington is simultaneously bolstering Ukraine's firepower. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the administration has approved the transfer of more than 3,300 extended range attack munitions. Now, you know there's an acronym for that, right? Eraams, and they'll be sending those to Kyiv. The eraams represent a significant addition to Ukraine's arsenal. Air launched and capable of striking targets at ranges between 150 and some 280 miles, the weapons will give Ukraine a more versatile and cost effective standoff strike capability. Delivery is expected to begin in about six weeks. There are, however, some strings attached. Unnamed US Officials told the Journal that the ERAMS would require Pentagon approval before being deployed against certain targets, especially those deep inside Russian territory. Well, that sounds like an effective way to prosecute a war. This would probably be similar to the Biden era ATACMS restrictions preventing Kyiv from using American weapons to directly hit Russia's heartland. Still, for Ukraine, the new stockpile is a meaningful boost at a time when Russian bombardments remain relentless. Kyiv hopes that better strike options can both blunt Moscow's nightly missile campaigns and strengthen Ukraine's hand at the negotiating table. So you ask, where exactly are we? One week after the Alaskan summit, Trump's experiment in personal diplomacy with Vladimir Putin is showing strain. He's publicly very angry about continued strikes, skeptical of Putin's refusal to meet Zelensky and dangling very big consequences if the Russian leader refuses to budge. At the same time, Ukraine is being armed with thousands of long range munitions, signaling that Washington isn't betting everything on diplomacy. Trump may believe that he can cut a deal with Putin still, but the battlefield realities suggest that the war may still be a long way from ending. Alright, up next, Australia cuts off diplomatic relations with Iran, expelling the Islamic regime's ambassador and designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the irgc, a terrorist organization. And 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 taken a look around out there in the big wide world and thought to yourself there seems to be a little turmoil in the economy. Well, you'd be right. Trade wars and tariffs back and forth and a US Federal Reserve that seems a bit at odds with the White House and volatile stock market. Well, you get the picture. And it's times like these when it's important to think about your assets and how to protect them. And one way to do that is through diversification. And I'm here to suggest that you consider diversifying with gold from the Birch Gold Group. They're the precious metals specialists. Look, for decades, gold has been considered a safe haven in times of economic stagnation or global uncertainty. And Birch Gold makes it incredibly easy for you to diversify some of your savings and into gold. 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Welcome back to the Afternoon Bulletin. Leaders in Australia abruptly severed ties on Tuesday with the government of Iran, accusing the mullahs of paying local criminals to carry out anti Semitic attacks in an attempt, of course, to sow discord and spread fear among the country's Jewish community. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday that Canberra is formally cutting off diplomatic relations with the Islamic regime and gave Tehran's ambassador to Australia seven days to leave the country. It's hard to overstate the significance of the move, as it marks the first time since World War II that Australia has expelled an ambassador from any country. That's according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. Aside from the ambassador, three other Iranian diplomats are also being given the boot. That's an official diplomatic term. Additionally, Australia suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran and moved its diplomats out of the country, while urging any Australians or dual Australian Iranian nationals to leave Iran as soon as possible, warning of the high risk of arbitrary detention or arrest. The diplomatic blow up followed an investigation into two anti Semitic arson attacks against the local Jewish communities that occurred last fall. One attack involved the firebombing of a synagogue in Melbourne last December, while the other involved a fire set at a kosher food business in Sydney in October. Officials said the attacks were directed by Iran's irgc, which used a complex web of proxies to hire local criminals to carry out the attacks, masking or trying to mask anyway their involvement. As a result, Australia will also formally designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. At a press conference on Tuesday, Prime Minister Albanese said, quote, these were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil. The actions of my government send a clear message, a message to all Australians that we stand against antisemitism and we stand against violence, and a message to nations like Iran who seek to interfere in our country that your aggression will not be tolerated, end quote. As we've seen in the US and across Europe, anti Semitic incidents have also surged across Australia in the wake of Hamas's seventh October attacks on Israel and, of course, the war in Gaza that the massacre ignited. According to Australia's special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, such incidents spiked by a staggering 316% between October 2023 and September of 2024, with more than 2,000 documented cases. The attacks have left Australia's Jewish community on edge in a country where such incidents are historically rare. Local Jewish leaders praised the government's diplomatic crackdown on Iran, though expressed fear that the mullahs will now attempt to intensify their destabilization efforts despite their ongoing diplomatic spat with Canberra over Australia's recognition of Palestinian statehood. Israeli officials praised the action against Iran, stressing that Tehran has posed a direct threat to Israelis and Jewish communities around the world for years. But Iran, as you can imagine, and this will come as quite a surprise, is feigning ignorance about the subversive schemes of the IRGC and lashing out at Australia over the expulsions. A spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that they absolutely rejected Australia's accusations and promised a reciprocal reaction. The official suggested Australia is taking a hard line against Iran to compensate for the limited criticism the Australian side has directed at Israel. But Australia is just the latest country to formally condemn Iran's efforts to use criminal networks in the west to target dissidents, critics and the Jewish community. As we recently covered on the PDB, at the beginning of August, the US, the UK and 12 other countries issued a joint statement denouncing the Iranian regime for engaging in an ongoing campaign to kill and kidnap people in Western countries. While critics of the Iranian regime say that such steps are important, they warn that Iran remains a flagrantly belligerent global actor and say it will take far more than strong words and warnings to contain their ongoing efforts to destabilize Western nations from within. And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon bulletin for Tuesday 26th August. Look at that. We are making our way towards the end of August. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the firsttv.com and of course, to listen to the show ad free. You can do that, and you can do it very simply. 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 tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay co.
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