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PDB Afternoon Bulletin | July 15th, 2025: Is Vladimir Putin losing his grip on power?
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- [00:00]
Mike Baker
Looking to diversify and protect your hard earned assets. Well, do yourself a favor and 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 learn how to convert an existing IRA or a 401k into a gold IRA. Again, it's simple. Just text PDB to the number 989898. It's Tuesday the 15th of July. Welcome to the BDB Afternoon Bulletin. For today we have a special edition where we'll be focused on Russia's Vladimir Putin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. Today we're tackling a question that's being asked with increasing frequency in international and national security circles. That question is, is Vladimir Putin losing his grip on power? Now, this isn't about palace gossip or social media speculation. It's about connecting the dots between a number of stories that we've been covering here on the pdb. Suspicious deaths inside the Kremlin, a crumbling wartime economy, weakening global influence, and signs of dissent both at home and within Russia's elite. We may not have a direct window into Putin's inner circle, but we can examine the pressure points. And right now, well, they're starting to multiply. We're going to start with the mysterious deaths. How's that for a topic? Until recently, Roman Starovo was Russia's Transport Minister. Now, not exactly a household name, but still a high ranking official in Putin's cabinet who had held that position for a little over a year. Then just days ago, he was abruptly dismissed. And within hours of that dismissal, well, he was dead. His body discovered in his car in Moscow with a bullet wound to the head. Now the official story. Suicide, ironically, using a pistol that had been gifted to him by the Kremlin itself. There's a coincidence. Now, in most countries, that might be where the story ends, a tragic end for a disgraced government official. But this is Russia under Vladimir Putin. And Star Avoid is just the latest name on a long and growing list of Kremlin officials, oligarchs and executives who turned up dead under mysterious circumstances earlier this month. As another example, Andre Battle, of top oil executive and vice president of the state owned pipeline giant trans NEFT since 2021, was found dead beneath the windows of his Moscow home. You know, they really have to stay away from the windows. Authorities quickly ruled it a suicide. Now, some have fallen from windows, others shot themselves, Some with government issued weapons, and a few have been found with suicide notes that don't quite match their handwriting. It's become a pattern. And in a regime built on fear and loyalty, these deaths can be instructive. They send a message, step out of line, and there are consequences. And mysterious deaths aren't the only recent sign of trouble amongst Russia's ruling class. Just days ago, another figure found himself on the wrong side of the Kremlin. Billionaire mining tycoon Constantine Strukov. No. Strukov was detained by security agents on a Runway in Chelyabinsk as he tried to board his private jet out of the country. His planned destination was Turkey, but the jet never left the ground. Russian authorities pulled him off the plane and confiscated his passport, citing a court order. Now, this wasn't just a travel violation. It was another message. Strukov made his fortune in gold. His. His company is one of the largest gold producers in Russia. But now it's in the Kremlin's crosshairs. The government is moving to seize control of the business, part of a growing push to reassert state control over what it calls, quote, strategic assets. Oh, we'll have some of those, please. Here's a man once honored by Putin now being sidelined and stripped of power. And it tells us something critical about the state of Russian finances. Which brings us to our next pressure point, the Russia economy. On paper, Russia claims to be weathering Western sanctions. Official stats boast low unemployment, stable GDP figures, and rising industrial output. State media points to bustling factories and record arms productions. But those numbers don't tell the full story, and they certainly don't reflect what ordinary Russians are experiencing. In reality, the economy is far more fragile than the headlines suggest. Russia has been quietly nationalizing assets at an increasing rate. According to recent reporting, the Kremlin has seized over $50 billion worth of property from foreign firms, domestic companies, and politically inconvenient billionaires. It's a clear attempt to keep the war machine running, propping up military spending and payrolls by stripping assets wherever the Kremlin can find them. But make no mistake, this is a wartime economy cannibalizing itself to survive. Putin's financial safety net does appear to be wearing thin. Russia's National Wealth Fund, the rainy day reserve built from years of oil and gas profits, is reportedly drying up fast. Liquid assets have dropped to just $36 billion, their lowest level since 2019. That's down more than two thirds from before the invasion of Ukraine. If current trends hold, economists say the fund could be depleted entirely by the year 2026. In short, Moscow is hemorrhaging rubles, keeping the war in Ukraine going, and it's burning through its financial reserves to do it. The longer the conflict drags on, well, of course, the more the pressure mounts. And with shrinking revenues and growing costs, even Putin's war chest has a shelf life. Meanwhile, what about the average Russian? How have they been faring? Well, food prices rose by roughly 12 and a half percent year over year as of May, with staples like potatoes more than tripling in price over the past year. Meanwhile, consumer inflation hovers near 10%, largely driven by rising costs in essentials inside the household. Well, it's getting tight. In April, families spent about 34.6% of their incomes on food. That's up 6 percentage points from last year. Wages, by contrast, have barely moved. With average monthly pay hovering near 39,000 rubles. That's about US$500. There's little room to maneuver. Consumer spending is down, manufacturing growth is stalling, and the central bank has been forced to keep interest rates near 20 to 21%, trying to stem inflation while choking off recovery. The result? Russians are living under what economists usually call stagflation. Prices climbing, economic growth grinding to a halt, and wages nowhere near keeping pace. And the state's answer? Well, the Kremlin decided the answer would be cartoons. A new animated series called Sandpit is in the works. It's a trailer released just days ago, and the show features toddler versions of world leaders, including Putin and Trump, Xi Jinping and others. And I am not making this up. In the cartoons, Putin is portrayed as calm and commanding, while his Western counterparts are shown as chaotic or clueless. The creator, one of Putin's top propagandists, says the goal is to promote, quote, patriotism among Russian children. And while it's not an official Kremlin production, it fits neatly within Moscow's broader propaganda playbook, shaping loyalties early and framing Putin as the steady hand in a disorderly world. Yes, that's certainly how we would describe him. All right, coming up next, we'll look at the crumbling myth of Russian regional dominance and why the biggest threat to Putin's grip on power might not come from the streets, but from inside the palace walls. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let's take a brief moment to talk about ways to protect your hard earned savings. Now, look, I know the personal finance talk isn't everybody's favorite, but it is incredibly important, particularly in times of uncertainty. Look, one of the smartest ways to protect your savings is through diversification. Right? And one way to diversify is with gold. And one way to do that is with the Birch Gold Group. Now, look, gold is up some 40% in the past year. Central banks are buying record amounts in part because of global instability. Birch Gold Group, the precious metals specialist, can make it easy to own physical gold, either in your IRA or like a lot of folks, just stored safely at home. Just text PDB to the number 989898 and Birch Gold will send you a free information kit on gold. There's no obligation. It's just useful information with an A plus rating. With a Better Business Bureau and tens of thousands of happy customers, take control of your Savings today. Text PDB to 989-898. Mike Baker here. Let's talk personal finances, shall we? All right, let me ask you a question then. This may sound unusual. What if you could delay your next two mortgage payments? Right. That's intriguing. Now imagine putting those two payments in your pocket and finally getting a little breathing room. Well, it's possible when you call American Financing today. Look, if you're feeling stretched by everyday expenses, groceries, auto payments or various bills are piling up, you're not alone. And most Americans are putting these expenses on credit cards. And for a lot of them, there doesn't seem to be a way out. Now, American Financing can show you how to use your home's equity to pay off that debt. Look, if you're feeling stressed or stretched, call American Financing today to learn how they could help. Their salary based mortgage consultants are helping homeowners just like you restructure their loans and consolidate debt, all without upfront fees. And their customers are saving an average of $800 a month. Now, I'm no mathematician, but I believe that's something like a $10,000 raise. It's fast, it's simple and it could save your summer budget. Call now. No obligation, just possible. Helpful insight. 866-8851-881. That's the number to call 866-885-1881 or simply visit american financing.net PDB Hey, Bill.
- [10:55]
Bill O'Reilly
O'Reilly here, host of the no Spin News corporate media programs. They're often lazy and dishonest. You know that. The podcast world filled with misleading bomb throwers masking important issues that directly impact you. The no Spin News is here to counteract that. We are a fact based, honest and unaffiliated broadcast. Our purpose is to inform you and give the best assessment of the situation, whether it's political or cultural. Please listen to the no Spin News with me, Bill O'Reilly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever podcasts are found. Remember, trust is earned.
- [11:43]
Miranda Devine
Power, politics, and the people behind the headlines. I'm Miranda Devine, New York Post columnist and the host of the brand new podcast Pod Force One. Every week I'll sit down for candid conversations with Washington's most powerful disruptors, lawmakers, newsmakers, and even those President of the United States. These are the leaders shaping the future of America and the world. Listen to podpors one with me, Miranda Devine every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcast. You don't want to miss an episode.
- [12:25]
Mike Baker
Welcome back to this special edition of the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. So far we've looked at growing pressure inside Russia, from suspicious deaths among Putin's inner circle to billionaires being grounded and stripped of their assets, to an economy bleeding cash just to keep the war effort alive. We've also seen how the Kremlin is turning to propaganda cartoons to shore up its image at home while ordinary Russians struggle under rising prices, stagnant wages and shrinking purchasing power. Now for our next pressure point, we want to zoom out a bit and look at how Putin's power is holding up beyond Russia's borders. In the quote near abroad, as it's sometimes called, that would be countries like Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Georgia. Well, the normally firm grasp that Russia has held on its neighborhood is showing signs of slipping. Take Azerbaijan. In late June, Russian security forces carried out raids in Yekaterinburg targeting ethnic Azerbaijanis. Now two men died in custody as a result and prompting accusations from Baku of torture and ethnic violence. Azerbaijan responded swiftly, canceling official visits, suspending joint cultural events and even raiding the Baku office of the Russian state media outlet Sputnik seven people were detained on charges ranging from fraud to money laundering. Now this isn't just a diplomatic spat. It appears to be festering into a complete rupture between the two nations. Azerbaijan froze high level talks, expelled Russian cultural programs and summoned Moscow's ambassador. The message was loud and clear. We are not your satellite. And so far, Russia, possibly surprisingly, hasn't pushed back. Or we can take a look at Armenia, which is openly warming up to the West. Earlier this year, Armenian troops joined the US in joint military exercises, showing a stronger alignment with Washington. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nicole Pashinyan's government adopted legislation to to start the EU accession process. Now he also froze Armenia's participation in the Russian led CSTO security bloc and began Reclaiming control of borders previously managed by Russian forces. Even Central Asian allies are hedging their bets. And Kazakhstan is deepening ties with China. And Georgia is looking to Europe. The picture is clear. The image of Moscow as the regional strongman appears to be fading. And then, of course, there's Ukraine. What was supposed to be a lightning fast victory is now a grinding war of attrition. The Russian military once feared has been exposed as corrupt, inefficient, and often dependent on outdated equipment and conscripted manpower. The fact has cost Putin not just soldiers, but prestige at home. And now we come to the real wildcard. Putin's own base of support. The March election officially gave him an astounding 88% of the vote, which, if taken at face value, would make him the most beloved leader on the planet. North Korean numbers, but with a Russian twist. But no independent observers were allowed. Opposition candidates were barred. And the entire process took place under a cloud of censorship, surveillance, and staged loyalty. That 88% isn't public support. It's theater. It's what happens when the state writes the script, casts the actors and counts the ballots behind closed doors. But even under that kind of control, cracks are forming. Anti war protests, though small, have broken through in major cities. On the third anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine in February, Russians from Moscow to Yekaterina Book laid flowers and held quiet demonstrations opposing the war. Now, despite strict laws banning such expressions, it's not exactly mass uprisings, but they are small acts of defiance in a system where dissent can mean prison or worse. But perhaps most concerning for Putin, some of the regime's loudest former supporters are starting to turn hardline. Russian ultra nationalists, once the loudest boosters of his strongman image, are increasingly vocal in their criticisms of Putin. Known as, quote, angry Patriots or Z Patriots, this loose coalition of war bloggers, military commentators and paramilitary figures is calling out Putin for being weak, indecisive, and too cautious about victory in Ukraine. A leading voice in this camp is an individual named Igor Gerkin, also known as strokov, a former FSB officer and militia commander turned critic. In April 2023, he launched the Club of Angry Patriots. Well, that sounds like a fun club. Directly accusing Putin of failing to harness Russia's full war potential. By July, well, he was arrested for extremism, a clear sign that his critique had hit too close to home. But the arrest of Gherkin didn't bring the criticism to an end. The Z Patriots are openly rebuking Kremlin leadership. Now. These aren't fringe voices. They're Putin's own base, ideologically driven, heavily armed, and increasingly frustrated. So back to our original question. Is Putin losing his grip on power? Well, the truth is only those behind the Kremlin's walls know for sure. But here's what we can say. The pressure is mounting. Politically, economically, diplomatically. Putin is being squeezed. And history tells us something important. In regimes like this, collapse tends to follow a pattern. It builds quietly over years. The cracks deepen and the facade holds until suddenly it doesn't. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Tuesday the 15th of July. To listen to the show ad free. Well, you can do that. It's very simple. Just become a premium member of the President's Daily brief by visiting PDP premium.com I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.