← The President's Daily Brief
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | October 14th, 2025: Russian Terror Plot Foiled on NATO Soil & Trump-Xi Talks Set for Korea
00:14:53
Loading summary
Transcript4 lines
- [00:00]
A
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 989898 and you'll receive a free no obligation information kit. And you'll learn how to convert a existing IRA or a 401k into a gold IRA. Just text PDB to the number 989898. Foreign 14th October welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, Polish officials say they've stopped a Russian terror plot on NATO soil. A couple working for Moscow's intelligence service allegedly tried to send a bomb through the mail. Later in the show. It's on. Despite tension between Washington and Beijing over the past week, President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are set to meet in Korea later this month. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. An apparent terror plot linked to Russian intelligence has been disrupted in Poland. Prosecutors say a Russian couple has been charged with espionage and in the husband's case, plotting to send a parcel bomb through the mail. The suspects, identified only as Igor R. And Irina R, Were arrested earlier this month. Authorities say Igor had gathered intelligence on Polish infrastructure and military logistics before attempting to assemble and ship an explosive device hidden in a package. The bomb, according to Polish investigators, contained a military grade detonator and shaped charge material designed to cause maximum damage on delivery. Poland's internal security agency, the abw, says the couple was part of a wider Russian network operating across Europe, one that combines old school espionage with modern terrorism. Authorities believe the plot may have targeted Polish defense sites or individuals aiding Ukraine's war effort. For Warsaw, this is more than just another spy bust. It's a sign that Moscow's so called active measures, its covert campaigns of sabotage, intimidation and disinformation are becoming increasingly violent. And Poland isn't alone. Just to the north in Estonia, investigators have traced what they call a GRU parcel bomb operation that may be connected to this same network. Estonian officials have arrested two individuals suspected of helping Russia's military intelligence service, the gru, coordinate a string of mail based bomb plots across Europe. According to Estonian and Lithuanian prosecutors, the network used commercial courier routes to ship explosives disguised as ordinary packages, some of which were meant to detonate inside warehouses or during transit on cargo planes. The investigation suggests Estonia served as one of the logistical hubs for the operation, with Moscow's agents moving materials and payments through multiple countries to obscure the trail. Intelligence sources in the region, say GRU units 29155 may be coordinating these European sabotage cells. Now, that's the same covert team accused of carrying out the 2018 poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in England, using the nerve agent Novichok in an attempted assassination that left one British civilian dead. If those assessments are correct, this latest plot isn't an isolated case. It's part of a broader campaign of low visibility warfare aimed at disrupting Western support for Ukraine. Last week, Estonia's foreign minister said Russia's war is no longer limited to Ukraine's front lines. It's being fought in our mailrooms and warehouses, end quote. Of course, if you're a listener to the pdb, you'll know this isn't the first time that Europe has faced Russian backed sabotage using civilian infrastructure. You might remember, earlier this year, the UK convicted three men over an arson attack on a warehouse in East London. That facility had been used to store aid shipments bound for Ukraine. Things like generators, radios and Starlink systems. British prosecutors said the men were recruited and paid by individuals linked to Russia's intelligence services and the Wagner mercenary network. In both the British and Polish cases, the tactics are remarkably similar. Use local operatives or recruited foreign nationals, exploit civilian logistics systems, and strike soft targets connected to Western support for Ukraine. It's sabotage by proxy, meant to be deniable, disruptive and demoralizing. European intelligence officials have been warning about this shift for months. What used to be quiet espionage, document theft, recruitment, surveillance, is now leaning more into hybrid warfare inside Western borders. Since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Europe has expelled more than 600 Russian diplomats, many of them suspected spies. But behind that diplomatic front, Russia's GRU and FSB have built parallel networks. Cutouts, sleeper agents, contract saboteurs, even local criminals paid in cryptocurrency to carry out attacks. A senior Polish security official told reporters that investigators have uncovered payments routed through digital wallets tied to Russian accounts, part of what they described as a, quote, clandestine payment infrastructure for sabotage. Meanwhile, Polish and Baltic authorities have been cataloging dozens of smaller incidents. Rail line fires, communications disruptions, warehouse break ins, and attempted cyber attacks on transportation systems. Taken together, they point to a coordinated campaign designed to undermine NATO's logistics chain and send a message to anyone aiding Kiev. So you ask yourself, where does this leave Europe now? Well, it's a fine question. For one, countries like Poland and Estonia are treating these incidents less as isolated crimes and more as acts of state sponsored terrorism. Legal frameworks are shifting to allow espionage cases to be prosecuted under anti terror laws. That means harsher penalties, faster trials and greater coordination between intelligence and law enforcement agencies. It also means more surveillance of commercial shipping, courier services and warehouse facilities. Some EU nations are already deploying radiation and explosive sensors at key mail hubs, the kind that were once reserved for airports and military depots. But beyond the security measures, the story raises a deeper question. How far exactly is Russia willing to go in its shadow war against the West? All right, coming up next, despite Trump's threat of tariffs over China's rare earth mineral export controls, the president is reportedly set to meet with Xi Jinping in Korea later this month. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let me take just a moment of your time to talk about personal finances. Now, the Fed, as I'm sure you know, has finally dropped interest rates and that is great news for American homeowners. Expenses, of course, have been a major burden on families. Wages are flat. Prices keep climbing. And for many, the only way to make ends meet has been to lean on credit cards. But that cycle of high interest debt, well, it makes it hard to stay ahead. If you're a homeowner, I want you to call my friends over at American Financing. Right now, interest rates have dropped. Many homeowners are seeing options in the low fives. Compare that to credit cards charging rates in the twenties or higher. Now, here's the thing. There's an easy path to see how you can finally put your hard earned equity to work for you. American Financing can help you pay off that expensive debt, free up your cash flow and keep your budget under control. Their salary based mortgage consultants are saving customers an average of $800 a month. And if you get started today, you may even be able to delay your next mortgage payment. Take control. Call American Financing today. The number 866-885-1881. Again, that's 866-885-1881. Or just visit American financing.net Mike Baker here with a great offer from our friends over at the Birch Gold Group. Right now you can buy gold and get free silver. That's right. Exactly what I said. For every $5,000 purchased from Birch Gold Group this month, in advance of Veterans Day, they'll send you a free patriotic silver round that commemorates the Gadsden and American flags. Look, gold is up over 40% since the beginning of this year. 40% hitting record highs. And Birch Gold can help you diversify into gold by converting an existing IRA or a 401k into a tax sheltered IRA and physical gold. Plus, they'll send you free silver honoring our veterans on qualifying purchases. And if you're current or former military, birchgold has a special offer just for you. They're waiving custodial fees for the first year on investments of any amount with an A rating. With a Better Business Bureau and tens of thousands of happy customers, many of whom are PDB listeners, I encourage you to talk with Birchgold about diversifying your savings into Gold. Text PDB to the number 989898 for a free information kit and to claim your eligibility for free silver with a qualifying purchase before the end of the month. Again, text PDB to 989898.
- [09:28]
B
Hey there, it's your buddy, Craig Carton. And if you're like me, you could use a timeout from the chaotic news cycle, a pause from the politics, a break from from the bedlam. I'm inviting you to join me every day on the Craig Carton show podcast where we tackle the biggest sporting events of the day and give honest, hot takes on and off the field. Sports talk should be fresh, informative and fun. And that's what we deliver every single day. So give your ears a much needed vacation. It's time to tune out the noise and take a break from the non stop news cycle. Subscribe now to the Craig Carton show podcast available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [10:13]
C
Hey, Bill 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.
- [11:02]
A
Welcome back to the Afternoon Bulletin. Just days after markets braced for what looked like a full blown return to the US China trade war, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant said President Trump remains on track to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month, a sign perhaps that cooler heads are prevailing. As we've been tracking, it seemed the world's two largest economies were standing on the edge of another economic cliff. China's expansion of its rare earth export control set off alarms on Wall street, prompting Trump to threaten triple digit tariffs on Chinese imports on top of existing levies. The threat rattled markets and pushed trade relations to the brink of collapse. Now Bessant says the temperature is coming down. He told Fox Business, quote we have substantially de escalated, adding that communication resumed after the flare up. U.S. and Chinese officials, he said, will meet in Washington this week on the sidelines of the World bank and IMF gatherings. When asked whether Trump still intends to impose those punitive tariffs, Bessant was quick to Clarify, quote, the 100% tariff does not have to happen. The relationship despite that announcement is good. Lines of communication have reopened, so we'll see where it goes, end quote. For now, the threat remains on paper. Trump has said the tariffs would not take effect until 1 November, a deadline that could easily be met if his meeting with Xi in South Korea produces progress. In a statement today, China's Commerce Ministry confirmed that lower level talks are already underway, citing similar rounds that were held this year in London, Stockholm and Madrid that produced a 90 day tariff extension. But Beijing's message carried a warning, quote, the US Cannot ask for talks while simultaneously threatening new restrictive measures, end quote. Over the weekend, both sides traded blame for endangering global growth. U.S. trade Representative Jameson Greer accused China of stalling, deferring Washington's request for a phone call after announcing its rare earth restrictions. Calling that move a, quote, power grab, Beijing fired back condemning new U.S. blacklist additions and port fees on China linked vessels. They responded by sanctioning five American linked subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean. Besson told Fox News, quote, china is a command and control economy, but they are neither going to command nor control US end quote. He added that the White House expects support from Europeans, India and democracies in Asia as Washington rallies allies to push back against Beijing's tightening grip on global supply chains. China, for its part, defended its rare earths export licensing system as a legitimate safeguard to, quote, jointly maintain the security and stability of global production and supply chains, whatever that means. And so another cycle begins. The Beijing's Commerce Ministry ended its statement with a familiar refrain, quote, china's position is consistent. If the U. S Wants to fight, China will respond to the end. If it wants to talk, China's door is open, end quote. Well, if the sit down between Trump and Xi does take place, it will be interesting to see to what degree they discuss China's weaponization of their near monopoly on rare earth minerals, refining and processing. That issue, more than any other related to US China trade relations will impact US national security interests going forward. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Tuesday. 14 October. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the first tv.com and of course to listen to the show ad free. You can do that. It is very 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 tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. It.