This episode is brought to you by Patriot Gold Group. Protect your retirement assets and protect your future. Check in with the experts at Patriot Gold. Top-rated gold IRA dealer for seven years in a row. You said, Is that correct, Mike? And it is correct. Patriot Gold has been the top-rated gold IRA dealer for seven years in a row. That's a lot of years in a row. Go to patriotgoldgroup. Com or call 1-888-621-3856 for a free investor guide. It's Tuesday, 20 August. 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. We'll begin today's brief with a look at a major diplomatic effort that's been derailed. Ukraine and Russia were reportedly set to send delegations to Doha that's in Qatar this month to negotiate an agreement that could pause strikes on energy and power infrastructure. That's a step towards a partial ceasefire, at least. But Ukraine's ongoing offensive in Kursk, that's inside Russia, has scuttled those plans, leaving the proposed negotiations in jeopardy. Well, you could argue that when you enter negotiations, you need to enter from a position of strength, and that may well be what Ukraine is thinking in terms of their offensive into Russia.

Later in the brief, we'll turn to the Middle East, where US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, is in a race against time. He's on the ground working to negotiate what many are calling the final chance to end the war in Gaza. Now, why they think it's the final chance as opposed to all the previous final chances, I'm not quite sure. Plus, the US and South Korea have begun a large-scale military exercise to bolster their defense capabilities against North Korea. But Pyong Yang is firing back with strong words, calling it a prelude to nuclear war. They're never ones to throw their teddies out of the crib, are they? In today's Back of the Brief, it's a showdown between Elon Musk and Brazil. His social media platform, X, has closed its offices in the country after facing legal threats from a Brazilian judge, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle over free speech and censorship. But first, today's Spotlight. With fighting in the Kersk region, raging as Ukraine continues to press their advantage and move further into Russian territory, I want to take a moment to look at the ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the war and where they stand in the face of the incursion.

With the Kursk invasion, Kyiv has managed to flip the script on Vladimir Putin and successfully bring the war home to Russia in a very real way, giving the Kremlin a taste of the destruction that Ukraine has endured since Moscow's invasion began back in February of 2022. But it appears the incursion has also derailed efforts that were underway to negotiate a partial truce between Kyiv and Moscow. That's according to an exclusive report from the Washington Post. After two months of planning, the warring countries were set to convene for indirect talks in Qatar later this month that aimed to limit the impact of their offensive operations on the civilian population. Specifically, both Russia and Ukraine had tentatively agreed to send delegations to the Qatari capital of Doha, where mediators hoped to negotiate create a landmark agreement that would halt strikes on energy and power infrastructure on both sides. A partial ceasefire would be a major reprieve, obviously, for civilians in both countries who have regularly been left without access to essential resources due to these kinds of targeted strikes. Russia has relentlessly bombarded Ukraine's power grid for more than a year, permanently damaging critical power stations and causing rolling blackouts across the country.

On the Russian side, Ukraine has managed to successfully target oil facilities with long-range drone attacks that have reduced Moscow's oil refining capabilities by an estimated 15%, and that, of course, has caused oil prices to rise worldwide. Mediators, with knowledge of the planned talks, were reportedly hopeful that they may lead to more comprehensive negotiations that could bring about an end to the war. That's a big could, possibly. Those hopes were dashed, at least for now, on the sixth of August, when Ukraine launched their surprise incursion into Russia. Officials, with the Russian delegation, indefinitely postponed the meeting in the wake of the incursion into Kursk, calling it a, Escalation by Kyiv. I guess we have to recall that back in February 2022, we had the original escalation with Putin deciding to invade Ukraine further. Interestingly, however, they left the door open with mediators in Qatar. According to the Post report, Russia They didn't call off the talks completely, but instead communicated to Qatar mediators that they need more time before they're willing to come back to the table. Ukraine, on the other hand, wanted to send a delegation to Doha anyway, but Qatar has declined, seeing no diplomatic benefit in a one-sided meeting.

Although, to be fair, not to disappear down a rabbit hole, but they are engaged in one-sided meetings related to the Israeli-Ghaza-Hamas conflict with Hamas not there. So that's a one-sided United meeting, too. While the talks have fallen through, they show an eagerness on both sides to engage in more direct diplomacy, a sign that perhaps everyone is losing patience with the war, you think? Ukrainian and Russian officials haven't met face to face since a meeting in Istanbul in the first month of the war for negotiations that eventually fell apart. Now, we should note that there was much skepticism in Ukraine around this meeting, and frankly, they had good reason to doubt Russia's intent. Moscow has increased their strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in recent weeks, and their gains in Southern Ukraine gave Moscow the much stronger negotiating hand. Many have speculated that this was a driving force behind Kyiv's surprise incursion into Kyrsk. With some 390 square miles of Russian territory now under Kyiv's control, they have vastly improved their negotiating position with Russia. Still, any new negotiations are a distant prospect. Russian presidential aid Yuri Yushchov said on Monday that Moscow is not ready to hold peace talks with Ukraine, given the fighting in Kursk.

When asked if peace proposals made by Russian President Putin in June were off the table, however, he did leave the door open. The Putin aid said, The proposals have not been canceled, but at this point, of course, it would be completely inappropriate to enter into any negotiation process. Coming up after the break. Hopes for a ceasefire in Gaza are fading fast as diplomats raced to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas. Again, Hamas not being in Doha for those negotiations. And Pyongyung is calling joint military exercises between the US and South Korea a, quote, prelude to nuclear war. We'll have those stories when we come back.

The summer is all sunshine, smiles, and road trips. That is, until the hot weather wreaks havoc on your engine. And before you know it, you're waiting for roadside assistance and paying for costly repairs. With Carshield, the heat doesn't have to rob you of your summer fun. Broken AC and electrical problems are common in high heat and expensive summer car issues. Now is the time to put your faith in America's most trusted vehicle protection company, Carshield, and shield yourself from pricey summer breakdowns. Carshield's expert representatives are available to help you find the best options for your vehicle and the most affordable and flexible plans to fit your budget. Now, Carshield is offering 20% off your plan. Just visit Carshield. Com/carlson. Don't sweat it this summer. Choose Carshield. Get your free quote. Visit Carshield. Com/carlson. That's Carshield. Com/carlson. Carshield. Com/carlson. Coverage varies by plan. View contracts and exclusions at carshield. Com.

With Super Ods from Novybett, you get the best Premier League odds for Premier League games and European matches. So throw your favorite team in to win. Make it an ACA if you want. Why settle for Championship-level odds? No offense, Championship, when you can get top price from Novybett. Plus, all new customers get €50 in free bets when they sign up. Simple. Super odds from Novybet. Download the Novy Bet app now. Novy Bet. There's more than one way to win. T's and C's apply. 18 plus betresponsibly, gamblingcare. Ie.

Welcome back to the PDB. I want to turn your attention to the emergency talks for a ceasefire in Gaza as hopes rapidly fade that mediators will be able to achieve a deal between Israel and Hamas. Us Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, has been on the ground in the Middle East and is essentially racing against time to secure the deal, meeting on Monday with delegations in the Qatari capital of Doha, along with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Netanyahu. That's according to a report from Reuters. On Monday, Blinken made a desperate appeal to those involved, saying it the best and possibly last chance to secure a lasting peace and free the remaining hostages being held inside Gaza by Hamas. Blinken said, This is a decisive moment, probably the best, maybe the last opportunity to get the hostages home to get a ceasefire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security. Now, as we've discussed on the PDB, the emergency negotiations began last Thursday, though Hamas declined to directly participate, demanding that a previous proposal submitted by the group in early July be implemented, despite the fact that it includes measures that are non-starters for Israel.

The ceasefire talks were paused over the weekend without a major breakthrough, though an updated proposal was circulated to both Israel and Hamas, and further talks resumed Monday. The talks center around a bridging proposal from the US meant to address the last remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas. While Israel has eagerly engaged in these latest discussions and tentatively backed the US proposal, Hamas appears intent on torpedoing the effort. Over the weekend, representatives of the terror group said the US was painting an overly optimistic picture of the negotiations, which they also accused Netanyahu of attempting to undermine. Then, on Sunday evening, Hamas officially rejected the updated US proposal from Friday, again blaming Netanyahu for allegedly moving the goalposts and chiding the US for indulging Israel, according to Axios. A representative for Hamas said, We once again came to the conclusion that Netanyahu is still putting obstacles in the way of reaching an agreement. Oh, that's rich coming from them. And is setting new conditions and demands with the aim of undermining the mediator's efforts and prolonging the war, the war that Hamas started. That last part was not in the quote. While details remain murky, the terror group has long demanded a permanent end to the war and a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, something they say the new proposal does not include.

Such demands are at odds with Israel, which is committed to the full destruction of Hamas in the long term, so the group cannot reconstitute and continue to threaten the region. Now, despite the rejection, President Biden attempted to strike a hopeful tone Sunday night, saying, We are not giving up. It's still possible. All right, well, we won't hold our breath. However, particularly now that Hamas has also announced the resumption of suicide bombing attacks inside Israel after years of inactivity. Hamas, along with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility Monday for a bombing near a synagogue in Tel Aviv on Sunday night that killed the bomber and injured a civilian. Hamas described it as a martyrdom operation and warned that suicide bombings would return to the forefront if Israel continues its operations inside Gaza. Now, under the sole leadership of 7 October mastermind Yaya Sinwa, it appears that Hamas is ready to dig in and continue this war against Israel that they started. Moving on to the Korean Peninsula, where US and South Korean troops commenced a military exercise on Monday, aiming to bolster their combined defense capabilities against nuclear-armed North Korea. The drills came at a time of escalating tensions on the peninsula, with North Korea condemning the exercises as invasion rehearsals.

The annual summertime exercise known as Yulchi Freedom Shield, occurs against a cycle of increased military activity on both sides. The exercise, one of the largest of its kind, is set to run through 29 August. The drills include computer-simulated war games and over 40 field exercises, including live fire drills. Approximately 19,000 South Korean troops will participate in drills alongside civil defense and evacuation exercises, simulating a North Korean nuclear an attack scenario. Us Forces Korea, which oversees 28,500 American troops in South Korea, did not disclose the number of American troops that will be involved in this operation. However, the US recently increased the regional deployment of strategic assets, including the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and a B-1 Lancer bomber, which have both participated in recent joint drills with South Korea and Japan. The drills will address multiple threats, including those related to weapons of mass destruction, cyber attacks, and GPS jamming, which North Korea has been accused of conducting in May and June of this year. The exercises also integrate lessons learned from recent global armed conflicts, reflecting a broader strategy to prepare for modern warfare scenarios. Meanwhile, North Korea's government has repeatedly condemned these exercises, likening it to a beheading operation.

Yeah, that's what they against Pyongya, and a prelude to a nuclear war. In a statement issued just hours before the exercise began, North Korea's Foreign Ministry reiterated that the drills are, provocative war drills for aggression, and insisted that its own nuclear weapons program is necessary to maintain a balance of power that prevents war. Historically, North Korea has responded to these drills with displays of military force, such as a ballistic missile test. During last year's Freedom Shield exercises, North Korea conducted missile launches that it claimed simulated nuclear strikes on South Korean targets. Earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a ceremony in Pyongyang, celebrating the delivery of 200 1,050 nuclear capable missile launchers to frontline military units. During the event, Kim emphasized the need for a continuous expansion of North Korea's nuclear arsenal, declaring that his military must be prepared to launch preemptive nuclear strikes if the country's leadership is threatened. As the exercises continue, there is obviously a significant risk that North Korea could escalate its provocations. The situation is particularly delicate as it unfolds during the US election year, which analysts suggest might influence North Korea's actions as Kim Jong Un seeks to leverage the situation to gain concessions from Washington, including potential economic or security guarantees.

All right, Coming up in the back of the brief, Elon Musk. Remember him? Well, he takes on Brazil, shutting down exes offices in the country as a showdown over free speech heats up. I'll have more on that after the break.

Did you know there's a scheme called Work and Access that provides a range of disability supports? It can help adapt workplaces, including remote workplaces, and provide special equipment, communications, supports, and training. So for more information, visit gov. Ie/workandaccess. Working should work for all. A Government of Ireland initiative brought to you by the Department of Social Protection.

In today's Back of the Brief, Elon Musk has closed the Brazilian office of his social network X, following a contentious order from a Brazilian Supreme Court judge who's been pressuring social media platforms to remove content deemed harmful by the government. On Saturday, X announced the closure of its offices in Brazil, escalating Musk's ongoing feud with the judge. This drastic move followed the judge's threats to arrest X's legal representatives for non-compliance with his censorship orders to take down accounts and content that spread misinformation and harmful content, mainly related to former President Bolsonaro. Now, over the last few years, the Brazilian judge has directed social media companies to remove many accounts and posts that he deems threatening to Brazilian democracy. The judge ordered X to remove specific accounts that he claims are part of, quote, digital militias. This includes people who question Bolsonaro's 2022 election defeat and express sympathy for protesters who stormed government buildings in an attempted coup. The judge's decisions are usually not made public and do not explain why accounts are suspended. While X assures Brazilian users that its services will remain available, the office closure signifies an escalation in the legal battle between Musk and the Brazilian courts.

In a post on X's government affairs account, the company framed the decision as a protective measure for its staff and issued a statement saying, The people of Brazil have a choice to make, democracy or the judge. Musk took to social media to denounce the judge himself, calling him a disgrace to justice. Musk vowed to oppose the judge, even if it harms X's business in one of its largest markets. The courts defended the judge's actions as necessary to protect Brazil's institutions from antidemocratic threats. The standoff between Musk and the judge and the Brazilian courts raises questions about the future of X in Brazil, with potential repercussions, of course, for free speech, corporate governance, and the balance between protecting democracy and dissenting voices online. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Tuesday, 20th August. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@thefirsttv. Com. The entire PDB team, including our crack team of interns, loves to hear from you. We love getting your emails, your texts, your faxes, your beeper messages, your Western Union telegrams, whatever it may be, postcards, remember them? Send them to us, and we'll every month take the best of them, and we compile them.

We smush them into one particular episode for our premium users called Ask Me Anything, where we get to address whatever it is that you're asking. To listen to the show ad-free now, become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium. Com. It's really very, very simple. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with a PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, well, you know the drill. Stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.