A weekly deep dive into the latest spy stories and intelligence updates from across the globe. We spotlight the hidden dynamics driving security crises, geopolitical maneuvering, and covert operations—all with a sharp, unvarnished perspective. From cyber threats to clandestine influence campaigns, this episode pulls together the week’s most critical developments, cutting through the noise and spin. Join us as we uncover the storylines shaping tomorrow’s conflicts, power plays, and intelligence battles.

Strap in—today’s episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast takes you straight into the heart of Beijing’s latest power plays, military theatrics, and regional chess moves. The pace isn’t slowing down; it’s accelerating. We’re talking aircraft carriers, nuclear posturing, tech espionage, and a deadly Hong Kong fire that’s testing Beijing’s grip just as much as its image.

We kick off with China’s latest warning shot—literally and figuratively—toward Japan. The People’s Liberation Army wrapped up five days of intense naval and air drills in the Bohai Strait and Yellow Sea, featuring the brand-new Fujian aircraft carrier in its first at-sea training. The symbolism? Crystal clear. The Fujian is Beijing’s statement piece: “We’re here, we’re modern, and we’re ready.” Add in the Sichuan, a next-generation amphibious assault ship built for far-sea operations, and you’ve got a Navy that’s no longer playing defense. Japan’s missile deployments near Taiwan have officially entered the crosshairs, and China’s rhetoric is getting sharper by the hour.

Then it’s nukes. Beijing’s new white paper lays bare an ambitious modernization of its nuclear forces—launch-on-warning systems, hardened silos, and mobile launchers designed for survivability. It’s the “no-first-use” policy with a side of plausible deniability. And while Beijing denounces Washington’s “Golden Dome” missile defense plans as destabilizing, it’s building its own counter-systems at warp speed. The world’s watching, and the arms race is looking more digital, orbital, and immediate than ever.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te isn’t blinking. He’s appointed U.S.-educated strategist Dr. Hsu Szu-chien as vice defense minister to push through a $40 billion defense reform. Think AI-driven command grids, drone fleets, and domestic missile production. Add President Trump’s deliberate silence after his latest call with Xi, and you’ve got a game of poker where no one’s folding—just raising.

We also take you through Southeast Asia, where Thailand and Vietnam are sliding closer to Beijing’s orbit. From Huawei and ZTE’s 5G wins in Hanoi to China’s growing investment in Thai infrastructure, the region’s tilt is unmistakable. But there’s resistance brewing, too—Bangkok’s new tariffs on Chinese imports are a quiet act of rebellion against economic domination.

Finally, a deadly blaze in Hong Kong exposes cracks in China’s “stability-first” model, while a drone strike on the Tajik-Afghan border kills three Chinese nationals, reminding everyone that Beijing’s global reach comes with real-world risks.

From carriers to cyber, nukes to neighbors—this episode’s packed. Listen in for sharp analysis, fast context, and the kind of insider energy only Restricted Handling delivers.

Welcome back to The Restricted Handling Podcast — your unfiltered, high-energy, intelligence-style breakdown of global power plays, backroom deals, and battlefield shocks. In today’s episode, we dive into the chaos surrounding Donald Trump’s controversial 28-point peace plan for Ukraine — a deal that blindsided Europe, thrilled Moscow, and left Kyiv caught between a rock, a hard place, and a drone strike.

This one’s packed with the kind of intrigue you can’t make up: Trump’s envoy and real estate pal Steve Witkoff — yes, that Witkoff — is back in Moscow, shaking hands with Vladimir Putin after being caught on a leaked call coaching the Kremlin on how to flatter the former president. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is playing cleanup in Geneva, trying to convince furious European leaders that they still matter. Germany’s Friedrich Merz, Britain’s Keir Starmer, and France’s Emmanuel Macron are scrambling to rewrite the rules before the U.S. and Russia finalize a plan that could reshape Europe’s borders — again.

On the ground, Ukraine’s military is still fighting tooth and nail. Putin claims Russian troops now control 70% of Pokrovsk, while Ukrainian drone units are turning the skies over Samara into fireworks, striking deep inside Russian territory and hitting a major Rosneft refinery for the third time in two months. Kyiv’s also dealing with domestic drama as anti-corruption agents raid the home of Zelenskyy’s right-hand man, Andriy Yermak, right in the middle of negotiations.

Europe isn’t just battling diplomatic whiplash — it’s battling itself. Belgium’s warning that using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine could torpedo peace efforts, while Hungary’s Viktor Orbán is cozying up to Putin under the guise of “energy talks.” Add in collapsing Russian industry, spy arrests in France and Poland, and AI-fueled Kremlin disinformation in Latin America, and you’ve got the makings of a geopolitical circus that feels more Bond villain than diplomacy.

We’re talking lasers in Greenland, drones over Donbas, and a Europe that’s finally realizing this isn’t a Cold War reboot — it’s a live stream.

If you want a fast, sharp, and slightly irreverent take on what’s really happening behind the headlines — from Trump’s peace gamble to Putin’s propaganda — this episode is your classified briefing with a caffeine hit.

This episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast dives headfirst into one of the most volatile 24 hours in East Asia. From Beijing’s war of words to Taipei’s record-breaking defense budget, “RH 11.27.25 | China: Taiwan’s $40B Shield, Japan’s Defiance, Xi’s Threats, Trump’s Tightrope” breaks down the power plays, the posturing, and the pulse of a region on edge.

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te just unveiled a $40 billion defense megaproject—a once-in-a-generation move to fortify the island against Chinese aggression. We unpack what this means for the balance of power in the Pacific, why Washington’s cheering it on, and how the opposition back home is reacting to the island’s biggest military gamble in history. Expect radar networks, AI-driven targeting, and a massive weapons pipeline from the U.S. to Taipei—all part of Lai’s push to make Taiwan “too expensive to conquer.”

Meanwhile, Beijing’s not amused. China’s Defense Ministry is warning Japan it will “pay a painful price” for its growing involvement near Taiwan, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi doubled down on her vow to defend the island if China invades. Tokyo’s not backing down, deploying new missile systems on Yonaguni Island—just 110 kilometers from Taiwan—and shrugging off the threats like a samurai facing down a paper tiger.

We also dig into Trump’s delicate diplomacy—the former president juggling soybean deals with Xi Jinping while telling Tokyo to cool its jets. It’s a classic Trump maneuver: keeping trade alive while trying not to light the fuse on World War III. But Beijing’s already testing boundaries, conducting new amphibious drills and expanding its “shadow fleet” of dual-use civilian ships that could double as invasion transports.

If that weren’t enough, China’s out in the Indian Ocean, “researching” suspiciously close to U.S. and Indian military zones, and doubling down on spy paranoia—claiming Western video games are being used to recruit spies and distort Chinese maps. Add in Washington’s new plan to label Alibaba, Baidu, and BYD as Chinese military-linked companies, and the growing AI arms race between Beijing and Silicon Valley, and it’s a tech and security clash with global stakes.

All that, plus a dash of space drama—China’s emergency Shenzhou-22 mission, simulated Starlink jamming attacks, and new missile tracking satellites that tighten its orbital grip.

Tune in for sharp analysis, sharp humor, and sharper geopolitics. Because in the Pacific chessboard of 2025, every move counts—and China just made several.

The latest episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast dives straight into Moscow’s latest round of geopolitical chaos — and wow, it’s a wild one. The Kremlin’s talking peace while launching missiles, Washington’s peace team is leaking like a broken samovar, and Europe’s trying to clean up the diplomatic confetti flying everywhere.

In this episode, we break down how Russia officially rejected any concessions in the U.S.-backed Ukraine peace plan just as explosive new leaks hit the headlines. Remember Trump’s real estate buddy–turned–envoy, Steve Witkoff? The guy who got caught coaching Putin’s aide on how to butter up Trump? He’s back, and somehow still running point on peace talks in Moscow. Trump’s standing by him, calling it “standard negotiation.” Congress? They’re calling it treason.

Meanwhile, U.S. Army Secretary Dan “Drone Guy” Driscoll has gone from Pentagon reformer to global dealmaker overnight. We’ve got the inside scoop on his whirlwind diplomacy tour from Kyiv to Abu Dhabi, his dire warnings about Russia’s missile buildup, and how he’s using the threat of 3,000 new cruise and ballistic missiles a year to pressure Ukraine into settling. If it sounds like a plot from a geopolitical action movie, that’s because it basically is.

Europe isn’t taking this sitting down. Macron, von der Leyen, and the “Coalition of the Willing” are crafting their own version of peace guarantees — part NATO, part “we’re doing this ourselves.” Ukraine’s Zelensky is juggling it all, publicly playing along while privately watching Russia’s “unstoppable” advance slow to a crawl. On the ground, Ukrainian forces are fighting back around Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, turning cheap drones and improvised tech into logistical lifelines.

We’ll also unpack Moscow’s newest wave of long-range strikes — 823 missiles and drones in one day — and why Russia keeps calling terror campaigns “air interdiction.” Plus, we’ve got fresh reporting on the Belgorod reservist buildup, new NATO airspace violations over Moldova and Romania, and how the Kremlin’s blaming everyone but itself for what’s clearly a pattern.

And beyond the battlefield? Putin’s pushing forced assimilation in occupied Ukraine under a new decree to make 95% of residents identify as Russian by 2036 — the Soviet playbook reissued for the digital age. Belarus tightens its embrace of Moscow, China quietly reins in Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling, and an American watchdog group spots a tiny sanctions loophole that could choke Russia’s tank production faster than a winter diesel freeze.

Listen now to RH 11.27.25 | Russia: Leaks, Missiles, and the “Peace” That Keeps Exploding — your daily unfiltered take on the global chessboard, with a side of swagger.

Buckle up for today’s Restricted Handling Podcast, where the Indo-Pacific tension is dialed all the way up to eleven. It’s a whirlwind of diplomacy, deterrence, and drama as Xi Jinping picks up the phone to call Donald Trump, Japan stares Beijing down, and Taiwan unveils its biggest military budget in modern history. From carrier groups to soybeans, this episode has all the geopolitics of a Tom Clancy novel with a dash of late-night talk energy.

We kick off with the Xi–Trump call that everyone’s still talking about. Beijing’s blasting propaganda about how Washington now “understands” its view that Taiwan’s “return to China” is part of the post–World War II order. Trump’s selling it as a trade win, touting soybeans, fentanyl cooperation, and a possible April visit to Beijing. But under all that surface-level handshake talk, the real tension’s simmering—China’s using history as a political weapon, Japan’s not buying it, and Taiwan’s digging in for survival.

Then we head to Tokyo, where Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi isn’t blinking after Beijing’s tantrum over her Taiwan comments. Japan’s rolling out new surface-to-air missiles on Yonaguni Island, just 110 kilometers from Taiwan, and China’s losing it. The Foreign Ministry’s threatening to “crush interference,” while state media’s comparing modern Japan to the 1930s. We unpack how Japan’s strategic spine is stiffening and why public support for Takaichi is climbing despite Chinese pressure.

Over in Taipei, President Lai Ching-te unveils a $40 billion defense package aimed at AI-driven command systems, drones, radar networks, and long-term asymmetric deterrence. Taiwan’s message to Beijing is simple: invasion won’t come cheap. Meanwhile, spies are getting caught—Taiwan just busted a new espionage ring linked to the PLA, complete with cash transfers and Hong Kong operatives.

And the PLA’s not sitting still. From new Z-20T “Assault Eagle” helicopters training for rapid air insertions to civilian ferries practicing amphibious landings, China’s testing every angle of a cross-strait operation. Add in the Fujian carrier’s live-fire drills, the research ships prowling India’s backyard, and the quiet PLA presence now confirmed at a UAE base, and it’s clear: Beijing’s expanding on every front.

Finally, we wrap with the soybean saga—Trump says China’s buying big, but data tells a different story. Beijing’s playing slow ball while pretending it’s a home run.

If you want today’s global power plays with edge, wit, and clarity, this episode delivers. The world’s heating up, and we’re here to break it down—fast, sharp, and just a little dangerous.

Welcome back to The Restricted Handling Podcast, where we cut through the noise of global chaos and tell you what’s really happening behind those headlines. In today’s episode — “Russia: Peace Talks, Drone Wars, and the Moscow Playbook” — we’re diving headfirst into one of the wildest 24-hour stretches in the Ukraine-Russia saga so far.

The peace talks that were supposed to calm the war just got messier. Remember that “fine-tuned” Trump peace plan we talked about? Turns out it was fine-tuned by Moscow. Yeah, Reuters confirmed that the original 28-point U.S. proposal literally came from a Russian document. That explains a lot. Trump’s team has been spinning it as diplomacy in action, but Bloomberg leaked audio of envoy Steve Witkoff giving Kremlin aides tips on how to flatter Trump into a deal — including talk of Russia keeping Donetsk. So, diplomacy or déjà vu from the Cold War playbook? You decide.

Meanwhile, Trump’s “drone guy,” Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, is being deployed to Kyiv while Witkoff heads to Moscow to meet Putin. Trump says he’ll show up when things are “final.” Sure. Because nothing says “final” like a deal co-written by the other side. Europe’s trying to sneak in edits behind the scenes — Macron, Starmer, and Merz are putting NATO membership and border security back on the table while pretending everything’s going great.

Of course, Moscow isn’t backing off. While diplomats traded pleasantries, Russia unleashed a massive missile and drone barrage on Kyiv — hundreds of Shaheds and Iskanders, dozens of hypersonic Kinzhals, and seven civilians dead. The timing? Pure message sending. But Ukraine’s answering back. Kyiv’s long-range drones have been hammering Russia’s military-industrial sites, torching a Beriev aircraft plant and hitting deep inside the country’s electronic warfare facilities.

And if that wasn’t enough, Russian drones violated NATO airspace again — crashing deep inside Romania and zipping through Moldova. NATO scrambled fighter jets, and now the alliance is fast-tracking new anti-drone defenses across the Danube Delta.

Back in Moscow, Putin signed a new decree ordering “Russian identity” to dominate in occupied Ukrainian regions by 2036 — cultural assimilation dressed up as patriotism. The Russian economy’s cracking under the pressure, Russian Railways is drowning in $50 billion of debt, and Moscow’s arresting cybersecurity nerds for criticizing a government app.

Tune in, subscribe, and share. Because in Russia’s playbook, chaos is strategy — and someone’s got to translate it.

Step beyond the headlines and official spin to uncover the deeper realities inside Russia and China’s economies. We take a close look at how Moscow and Beijing project power abroad while grappling with fragile foundations at home, from Russia’s unsustainable wartime spending to China’s faltering growth and anxious workforce. We cut through state narratives to reveal the costs of these economies, costs borne not by leaders, but by ordinary citizens facing higher prices and shrinking opportunities. With insights from data, policy shifts, and on-the-ground reports, we trace how these two authoritarian powers strain to maintain control, and how their choices reverberate across global markets, diplomacy, and the lives of millions.