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The President's Daily Brief
September 3rd, 2025: Putin’s Nightmare: A ‘Steel Porcupine’ At His Doorstep & Maduro’s Blood Warning
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Mike Baker
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Unknown Foreign Language Speaker
Foreign.
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Mike Baker
It's Wednesday 3rd September. 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, despite Vladimir Putin's best efforts, his worst nightmare might be taking shape right on his doorstep. A heavily armed Ukraine building up its own missile and air defenses, creating Europe's most formidable military as bulwark against future Russian aggression. Later in the show, a surprising struggle inside Israel's military commanders are calling up 60,000 reservists, but many are simply not showing up. After nearly two years of war, exhaustion and doubt are setting in. Plus, the U. S Stages war games in the Caribbean as Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro warns President Trump that any fight would quote, stain your hands with blood. Of course there is that 50 million dollar bounty on Maduro. I wonder if his personal security detail has heard about that. And in today's back of the brief, the US Space force is on the move with President Trump announcing a new home for the command. But first, today's PDB spotlight. There's been a lot of talk in recent weeks about so called security guarantees for Ukraine. Western leaders from Washington to Brussels are trying to piece together what the country's long term security will look like once the war settles into some kind of peace. If it does settle into some kind of peace. Ideas on the table range from a coalition of the willing to an Article 5 like pact, an Article 5 ish pact, a kind of NATO guarantee without actually admitting Ukraine into the alliance. Yeah, that sounds rock solid, but here's the truth. It appears that Ukraine has decided that they can't wait for outside guarantees. As New York Times reports, Kyiv is now pushing forward with a massive multi billion dollar military buildup designed not just to survive today's war, but to deter Russia from future aggression. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen captured it in a recent comment. She said that Ukraine must become a steel porcupine, undigestible for potential invaders, end quote. And that honestly is the first time I've heard porcupine used like that. At the center of this effort is a new NATO backed procurement system. The idea is to channel European money into American weapons for Ukraine. With President Zelensky hoping to buy up to $1 billion in arms every single month, Ukraine is focusing on building its air defenses, primarily more Patriot air defense systems, the only systems at this point capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles, along with cruise missiles, drones and precision navigation kits. Just last week, Ukraine announced its first $825 million purchase under the program. Now, this is about more than replacing American donations that President Trump has now ended. It's about putting Ukraine's military on a long term trajectory with written contracts, multi year supply deals, and predictable funding streams that can arm Kyiv well into the future. And it's also not just about what comes in from abroad. Ukraine's domestic defense industry has exploded since the start of the war, producing drones, artillery, and now something far more ambitious, long range missiles. We've already spotlighted one of these weapons here on the pdb, the so called Flamingo cruise missile. It's Ukraine's first homegrown long range cruise missile, capable of a range of more than 1800 miles, with a payload heavy enough to strike Moscow and cities far beyond. Production has already begun and Ukraine says it can ramp up to several missiles a day with Western funding. Add to that the new Sapsan ballistic missile, also rolling off the production line, and Ukraine is beginning to assemble a domestic arsenal that Western partners have been hesitant to provide. Unlike Washington, Berlin or Paris, Ukraine has no qualms about building missiles that can strike the Russian capital. So why has Ukraine chosen this path? It would appear because they learned the hard way that outside guarantees aren't worth much. The Budapest memorandum, signed in 1994, promised protection in exchange for Ukraine handing over its Soviet nuclear weapons. But when Russia invaded, obviously those promises collapsed. NATO membership, once seen as the ultimate shield, well, that's now off the table after President Trump flatly rejected it. And the new Article 5 ISH proposals from Europe, well, they sound vague and untested, a little bit too much like Budapest 2.0. That's why Kyiv insists its only real guarantee comes from building a military that can't be ignored. Or as Ukraine's ambassador to NATO put it, this is not something the Russians can really discuss. That's our advantage. Meanwhile, Europe is stepping up with Washington pulling back, European governments have come up with billions in long term pledges. Germany and Norway alone have committed some $10 billion each for next year. Altogether, Europe has now provided more military aid than the U.S. europe wants Ukraine to become a buffer state, essentially bristling with weapons, a well armed deterrent to future Kremlin actions. Which brings us to Vladimir Putin's problem. This is a mess of his own making. By invading Ukraine, by tearing up old agreements, by trying to force Kyiv back into Moscow's orbit, Putin may have guaranteed the very outcome that he's feared most, a heavily armed, hostile neighbor. Short of Ukraine's complete capitulation, which seems unlikely, Russia is going to face a Ukraine armed to the teeth for decades to come. And that's the real nightmare for the Kremlin. To the European commissioner's point, imagine a porcupine on the border, smaller than the bear, to be sure, but bristling with quills sharp enough to inflict real pain and to make the bear think twice before attacking again. All right, coming up next, Israel struggles to fill its ranks as reservists refuse to report. And Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro threatens President Trump with blood on your hands if war breaks out. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, you probably heard me talk about the terrific company Jacked Up Fitness, right? And they're amazing, all in one home gym. Look for home fitness. That home gym is a complete game changer. Well, now I've got some more news from Don and his terrific team at Jacked Up Fitness. Now, they know that many people are short on time and and also short on money, but still want to get fit. They so listen to this. Now you can start your fitness journey for under $60 and in just six minutes each day. Think about that. 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Look, the Shake Weight is no joke. It's serious training made simple. So if you're looking for a fun way to jump start or supercharge your fitness routine. Get the all new Shake Weight by Jacked Up Fitness. Just go to jackedupshakeweight.com again, that's jackedupshakeweight.Com welcome back to the PDB turning to the Middle East, Israel is reportedly struggling to muster enough reservists for its looming Gaza City offensive as fatigue deepens nearly two years into the war with Hamas, leaving troops exhausted and morale reportedly in decline. In the immediate Aftermath of Hamas 7 October terror attacks, Reservists rushed to the front without hesitation, convinced they were fighting for the Jewish state's very survival. But with the war now nearing its 700th day, that sense of urgency has faded for many. Polls show nearly 80% of Israelis favor an immediate deal to end the war and bring hostages home. As we discussed last month, the army has called up some 60,000 reservists to sustain the offensive. It's a mobilization that commanders admit has been met with far less enthusiasm than in earlier months. The Wall Street Journal spoke with more than 30 officers and soldiers. One master sergeant in the 98th Commando Division, already 400 days into rotations across Gaza and Lebanon, told the paper he believes people are, quote, dying for nothing. He went on to accuse Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu of prolonging the war for political survival. Having fought in Khan Yunis, the sergeant said, hamas cannot be rooted out entirely given its guerrilla tactics, underground networks and infiltration of fighters into Gazan society. The troop shortages are so acute that IDF commanders are resorting to unusual measures. One WhatsApp message circulated in a university student group bluntly read, quote, I'm looking for combat soldiers, mainly medics and snipers, for an operation of 70 days starting on September 11th. If there are reservists who are interested, please message me privately, end quote. Other units are experimenting with online leave forms letting soldiers rank the urgency of their requests. To ease the burden, the IDF has shifted some formations to week on week off rotations for the duration of a 90 day tour. The numbers tell the story. The army has extended the service of 20,000 reservists on top of the 60,000 that were newly called up. Many are replacing young conscripts in postings across Syria, Lebanon and the west bank, while others are still being sent to Gaza. That soldier depth reliance is baked into Israel's military system, where most serve at 18 years old, then rotate into reserves until ages 40 45, though exemptions are not uncommon. But even Israel's top brass is beginning to sound the alarm. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, skeptical of the Gaza City push since its proposal, has reportedly told the Security Cabinet that manpower struggles are one reason to avoid a full on blitz. And yet, despite fading belief in the mission, many reservists still report out of loyalty to their comrades rather than conviction in the cause. A Tel Aviv based researcher said identification with the war's aims has cratered, but solidarity and loyalty to each other remain strong enough to keep units together. In the Wall Street Journal's interviews, there was also a smaller but growing number that have stopped returning altogether, citing ideological opposition or what they describe as immoral conduct against Palestinians. So the toll of the war is no longer measured only in battlefield losses. It's etched in fatigued soldiers and a citizen army that's stretched thin. That strain risks undercutting Jerusalem's push into Gaza City and its ability to sustain the longest war in its history. Okay, shifting to the Caribbean, where US Warships and aircraft are taking part in what the Pentagon is calling a realistic training exercise. It's the latest phase of last month's naval buildup off Venezuela's coast, which has drawn warnings, of course, from dictator Nicolas Maduro. This week, the Pentagon confirmed that The North Carolina based 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit began amphibious and flight operations in southern Puerto Rico, describing the island's challenging terrain and tropical climate as an ideal environment to quote hone readiness in a not so subtle reference, perhaps to Venezuela. The unit is operating with the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima and its sister ships in San Antonio and Fort Lauderdale. Navy photos showed the Iwo Jima, the flagship of the group, outfitted with attack jets and ospreys, gunships and landing craft, underscoring the ability to launch onshore assaults. These drills are not isolated, as our regular listeners will know. They stem directly from the naval surge we reported on last month when the White House ordered the deployment of three destroyers off Venezuela's coast, joined by the Iwo Jima and its sister ships, carrying 4500 sailors and some 2200 marines. That fleet was later reinforced by the USS Lake Erie and the nuclear powered submarine USS Newport News. Military analysts say the Puerto Rico exercise this week is both routine training and a clear demonstration of how quickly Washington's Caribbean buildup could pivot into a strike force. As we've been tracking, the Trump administration insists the deployment is part of an expanded counter narcotics campaign. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it the first time in the modern era the US Is truly on offense against cartels shipping drugs north but the scale of the task force has fueled speculation in Caracas that Washington's real aim is to topple Maduro. The US Brands the dictator as the head of a, quote, narco terror cartel and has offered a $50 million reward for his arrest, citing his 2020 DOJ federal charges of narco terrorism by backing drug cartels in his country. A former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela quipped that deploying such firepower against drug boats was like, quote, using a blowtorch to cook an egg. Maduro recently, appearing at his first press conference in over a year, denounced the U.S. buildup as, quote, the greatest threat our continent has seen in 100 years, claiming the task force carried, quote, 1200 missiles aimed at Venezuela. The Venezuelan blowhard accused Rubio of trying to ensnare President Trump in a Caribbean war that would, quote, stain his hands with blood and ruin his legacy. Maduro vowed that Venezuelans would respond to any incursion with maximum rebellion, potentially inciting Venezuela's bloodthirsty gang such as MS.13 to defend the capital. From his perspective, even if Washington insists that this is purely counter drug enforcement operations, the scale of the buildup looks like to Maduro the opening stages of regime change. Yet despite the fiery rhetoric, Maduro acknowledged that back channel talks with Washington continue while describing U. S. Venezuelan relations as, quote, in bad shape. You could describe it that way. The dictator held out the possibility that they could be repaired. For now, Washington says its focus remains on regional stability, disaster response and counter drug operations. Okay, coming up next in the back of the brief, big changes ahead for the space force as Trump unveils the location of its new headquarters. More on that when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let me take just a moment of your time to talk about protecting your hard earned assets. Now, when you hear about inflation worries, or maybe you hear about the national debt in the US is over $37 trillion. That's trillion with a T. Or maybe you look around and you see a fair amount of global uncertainty. Do you ever think to yourself, hmm, maybe now would be a good time to buy gold? Well, that would be a logical thought. See, whether as a hedge against inflation or peace of mind during global instability or just, you know, for sensible diversification, Birch Gold Group believes that every American should own physical gold. And so they've created something special. 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Mike Baker
In today's Back of the Brief, President Trump has revealed that the US Space Command is relocating from Colorado to Alabama. In a special announcement from the Oval Office yesterday, Trump said, quote, the U.S. space Command headquarters will move to the beautiful locale of a place called Huntsville, Alabama, forever to be known from this point forward as Rocket City. We had a lot of competition for this and Alabama's getting it. End quote. For some brief background, President Trump officially established Space force as the sixth branch of the US Armed Services in December of 2019, consolidating several US military space capabilities, including Space Command into a single dedicated service to address national security needs and to better compete with the space based activities of China and Russia. So why Huntsville? Well, it was originally pitched due to its history as a hub for rocket and missile development ever since World War II. It's the home of the sprawling Redstone Arsenal US army base, which hosts NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center NASA's largest rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center in the country. It has also been at the cutting edge of US Space initiatives, its first mission being the development of the Saturn launch vehicles used in the Apollo space program. Subsequently, the NASA hub served as the main center for the space shuttle program as well as the design and assembly center for the International Space Station. In recent years, Huntsville has also become the home of private Space firm Blue Origin's rocket engine production facility, and additionally, Elon Musk's SpaceX has offices in Huntsville. Bantering with reporters on Tuesday, Trump said, quote, we love Alabama. I only won it by about 47 points. I don't think that influenced my decision, though. End quote. Now, congressional leaders in Colorado, as you might suspect, were outraged by the decision. And nobody does outrage better than congressional leaders. In a joint statement, they said, quote, moving Space Command sets our space defense apparatus back years, wastes billions, billions of taxpayer dollars, and hands the advantage to the converging threats of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, end quote. Roughly 1,400 of the personnel currently working at Space Command in Colorado will be transitioned to the Redstone Arsenal Base in Huntsville over the next five years as part of the endeavor. Relocating the headquarters is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars and will take up to four years to complete. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Wednesday 3rd September. If you have any questions or comments, and I hope you do, please reach out to me at pdb@the firsttv.com and 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 pdbpremium.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.