The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | December 15th, 2025: Ukraine Offers Massive Concession to Moscow & Deadly Attack at Bondi Beach
15 Dec 2025
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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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, a major shift at the negotiating table. Ukraine is now prepared to give up its pursuit of eventual NATO membership, a goal which had been written into the country's constitution. I'll have the details.
Later in the show, new details out of Australia after a terror attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach. Authorities confirmed that the two gunmen were a father and son and likely inspired by ISIS. We'll have the latest. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. This morning, we spent some time talking about Vladimir Putin and his apparent unwillingness to compromise at the negotiating table.
He's reportedly living in an echo chamber populated with yes-men and sycophants, reinforcing his belief that time is on his side, that Russia can outlast Ukraine in the West, and that there's little incentive for him to soften his demands. And this afternoon, a new development on the Ukrainian side probably further convinces Putin that he's got the upper hand.
Ukrainian President Zelensky is offering what may be the most significant concession Ukraine has put on the table since Russia's full-scale invasion began almost four years ago. Zelensky is now saying Ukraine is prepared to give up its ambition of joining NATO. Now, Ukraine's desire to join NATO isn't just a theoretical concept.
The goal of NATO membership is written into the country's constitution. Discarding that goal would require a formal constitutional amendment. It's basically Ukraine signaling a willingness to rewrite its long-term security future if it can secure credible guarantees that Russia won't simply regroup and invade again down the road.
And outside of territorial concessions, this is about as big as it gets. For years, Russia has made one demand louder and more consistently than almost any other. Ukraine must never become part of NATO. Moscow has long seen the alliance not as defensive, but as an existential threat, creeping ever closer to its borders. At least, that's what they claim.
Preventing Ukraine from joining NATO has been one of Putin's central war aims since before the first Russian tanks crossed the border. So when Zelensky says Ukraine is prepared to abandon that goal, at least for now, it represents a major shift in their negotiating strategy. But there's a very important caveat here. Kyiv is expecting something in exchange.
So, Zelenskyy isn't offering neutrality for free. What Ukraine wants instead are binding security guarantees, actual ones, real ones, guarantees from the U.S. that resemble Article 5 protections.
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Chapter 2: What major concession is Ukraine offering in peace talks with Russia?
It's not endorsing Moscow's demand for a neutral Ukraine stripped of defensive capabilities. Zelensky has been clear that any territorial decisions would require a vote by the Ukrainian people. The timing of this potential concession, well, that matters too. Zelensky made these comments ahead of talks in Germany with U.S. negotiators, including Trump envoy Steve Witkoff.
The message is unmistakable. Ukraine wants to demonstrate seriousness, flexibility, and a willingness to meet the U.S. halfway while still protecting its core interests. And here's the key question this raises. If NATO membership was truly the obstacle to peace, if this war was really about stopping NATO expansion, then Ukraine has just removed that obstacle.
And what happens next will tell us a lot about Moscow's real intentions. Because as of now, there's no indication that Putin is prepared to reciprocate. Russian strikes continue, the Kremlin insists it's winning, and Moscow's demands still include territorial withdrawals that Ukraine has flatly rejected.
And as we noted this morning, Putin is surrounded mostly by yes-men at this point, insiders who are feeding him a steady diet of things he wants to hear. Giving up the goal of NATO membership for Kyiv is a painful concession and arguably the most significant move that Ukraine has made toward compromise since the war began.
If Putin still refuses to engage at this point, it will be interesting to see if that changes the current White House perspective. The Trump administration for some time now has acted as if Kyiv is the roadblock to peace, seemingly confused as to why Ukraine isn't willing to give up a large portion of their country in order to stop Putin's war.
If Putin doesn't respond in some meaningful fashion to this NATO concession by Kyiv, it might be time for the White House to stop pretending that Putin is interested in peace. Coming up next, Australian police confirm that a father and son carried out the deadly attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach, killing at least 15 and injuring 40 more. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here.
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Chapter 3: How does Ukraine's NATO membership ambition impact negotiations?
Australian counterterrorism authorities identified the men as 24-year-old Navid Akram and his father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, a revelation that has jolted Canberra's security establishment as the duo's radicalization comes into sharper focus. The death toll has now been confirmed at 15 in what police describe as a deliberate terror assault on a Hanukkah gathering.
The father, Sajid, was shot dead by police at the scene, while Navid remains critically wounded, under guard, and will face charges, of course, if he survives. When the shots rang out Sunday night, one of Sydney's most recognizable beaches was no longer a tourist hotbed, but a mass casualty scene. As of now, more than a dozen people remain injured, including two police officers.
Authorities say both attackers allegedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and two ISIS flags were found inside a vehicle, well, that's kind of a clue, linked to the pair alongside improvised explosive devices, another clue.
The findings were developed by Australia's Joint Counterterrorism Team, that's a task force made up of state and federal agencies that's taken the lead on the investigation. Attention has since shifted to the attacker's history, particularly that of Naveed Akram.
Authorities confirm he was once examined by Australia's domestic intelligence agency as early as 2019, reportedly over suspected extremist ties, including what counterterrorism officials described as close associations with an ISIS-linked terrorist cell. Yeah, and apparently, nothing was done about it.
As for that investigation, it lasted only six months before Navid was cleared, with authorities concluding there was no indication that he posed a, quote, immediate threat. Ah, well, that's okay then, as you can assume that clearance is now under intense scrutiny.
Australian counterterrorism investigators say the terrorist cell that Naveed was linked to included individuals later convicted of Islamic State activity, including a man who identified himself as the group's leader in the country. Why those connections did not result in longer-term monitoring or intervention, well, that'll be a key focus of review, of course.
His father, Sajid, represents another layer of complexity. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Sajid first arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa before obtaining a partner visa in 2001, tied to an unknown Australian citizen or permanent resident. Since then, Canberra says he's traveled overseas only three times.
Despite that relatively unremarkable travel history, Sajid was a licensed firearm owner for roughly a decade, legally possessing six guns. Authorities also raided the family's home in Sydney's southwest and then Airbnb, where the two men were staying in the days leading up to the shooting. Reportedly, the investigation is also reaching overseas.
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