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The President's Daily Brief
February 28th, 2025: Putin Warns Europe Against Sabotaging Talks With Trump & Jailed Kurdish Militant Leader Calls For End To 40-Year Conflict With Turkey
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Mike Baker
It's Friday, the 28th of February. 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, Vladimir Putin is warning European leaders not to undermine attempts to restore diplomatic relations between Moscow and Washington. His remarks come as Russian and US Diplomats held their second round of direct talks in Istanbul on Thursday. And as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with President Trump at the White House regarding the war in Ukraine. Well, Putin frankly is acting like he's got the upper hand. Later in the show, we'll turn to Turkey where the jailed leader of the militant Kurdistan Workers Party that's referred to as the pkk, has called on his forces to disarm and disband. This is very big news, potentially signaling an end to its bloody 40 year conflict with Ankara. Plus, the Israeli military releases the findings of a major investigation into Hamas's 7 October attacks, acknowledging that the IDF, the Israeli Defense Forces, underestimated the terror group and failed to properly protect their border. Well, you may well agree with me that, you know, we didn't actually need a year and a half in a major investigation to tell us that they failed to protect their border. And in today's Back of the Brief, President Trump vows to move forward with crippling sanctions on Canada and Mexico next week, claiming that America's northern and southern neighbors are not doing enough to stem the flow of drugs into the U.S. but first, today's PDB Spotlight. We'll start things off today with the latest threats from Russian strongman despot president for life Vladimir Putin, who's warning European leaders against sabotaging potential rapprochement between Moscow and Washington. How about that? You didn't know that I spoke French, did you? Rapprochement Speaking on Thursday to Russia's FSB security service, the successor to the Soviet area kgb, which he once led. Putin said attempts to reboot long frozen ties with the US Are going well and inspiring, quote, hope across Russia, but accused European leaders of working to undermine their progress. That's according to a report from Reuters. As we've been tracking here on the pdb, diplomatic talks began last week in Riyadh between US And Russian delegations much to the alarm, of course, of leaders in Kyiv and NATO who were not invited and who fear their being left in the dark about the Trump administration's strategy to end the war in Ukraine. Putin's remarks were carefully calibrated, heaping praise on President Trump for what he called his pragmatic approach to diplomacy, while blaming former President Biden for causing what he he described as a crisis in the entire system of international relations. The comments are seen by many as part of a deliberate strategy to use flattery to draw the Trump administration closer to Russia and further away from Europe and Ukraine. Turning his attention to Europe, Putin said it was clear that many on the continent were not keen to see the two nuclear powers establish warmer ties and issued a not so thinly veiled threat warning against any interference. Yeah, it's not really veiled in any way, is it? He claimed that, quote, some Western elites are still determined to maintain instability in the world and these forces will try to disrupt or compromise the dialogue that has begun, end quote. Putin said Russia would, quote, use all possibilities when it comes to diplomacy and our intelligence services to disrupt such attempts, though he didn't elaborate on what that might look like. But he went further in his criticism of Europe, saying they have begun to destroy Western society itself from within, evidenced by the problems in the economies of many Western countries and in their domestic policies and politics. Now the irony of the statement is hard to ignore given the economic crisis facing the Putin regime due to his single minded focus on funding Russia's war machine. But who knows? Perhaps Putin just lacks a sense of irony or self awareness. The comments came as Russian and US Teams held their second round of discussions on Thursday, this time in Istanbul, Turkey. The talks lasted for six hours and reportedly focused on restoring staffing at their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow in order to build a foundation for further negotiations. Though neither the Kremlin nor the White House disclosed details of the meeting prior to the discussions. However, a spokesman for the US State Department stressed that Ukraine was not on the agenda following the meeting. A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said the latest talks would be among many aimed at rebuilding trust between Moscow and Washington before more substantive negotiations regarding ending the war in Ukraine would begin. That statement echoed remarks made by Putin on Monday that suggest a deal to secure an end to the war may still be very far off. In the meantime, Trump has been holding talks with European leaders this week at the White House. He held a friendly meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, who pressed Trump to take a more deliberate approach towards ending the war. On Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited the White House to deliver a similar message. The meeting laid bare the lingering divisions, though, between Trump and his counterparts in Europe. While Trump struck an optimistic tone on reaching a ceasefire deal in Ukraine, saying his diplomatic outreach to Russia was moving along pretty rapidly, Starmer advocated for a more cautious approach, saying, we have to get it right. It can't be peace that rewards the aggressor. Now, for what it's worth, I'm reminded of what Churchill said during World War II about Hitler and the notion of appeasement. You can't negotiate with a tiger when your head is in its mouth. Starmer pushed forward direct US Military support in Ukraine in the event that a ceasefire deal is reached to serve as a deterrent against future Russian aggression. But Trump brushed the request aside, saying the mineral rights deal that he struck this week with Ukraine would serve as an effective security guarantee for Kyiv. Trump said, quote, we are a backstop because we'll be over there, we'll be working. We're going to have a lot of people over there, end quote. Now, as we've been tracking here on the pdb, after weeks of tense negotiations, the Trump administration and Kyiv struck a tentative deal to grant the US Preferential access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals, though the deal still reportedly lacks explicit security assurances for Kyiv. All eyes in Europe, of course, will be on the White House Friday when Ukrainian President Zelensky meets face to face with President Trump to formally sign the agreement. All right, coming up after the break, the jailed leader of the militant Kurdistan Workers Party calls on his forces to disarm and disband, signaling a potential end to their bloody 40 year conflict with Turkey's leaders. Plus, the Israeli military releases the findings of a major investigation into the 7 October attacks by Hamas, admitting that they gravely underestimated the Iran backed terror group. I'll be right back. Welcome back to the pdb. The imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or known as the pkk, Abdullah Ocalan, issued a stunning call for his terror group to disband and lay down its arms on Thursday, potentially ending Turkey's four decade long war with the Kurdish separatists. Speaking from his prison cell on an island off of Istanbul, Ocalon called on PKK leadership to convene a congress and formally dissolve the terror group. His message was read by pro Kurdish politicians who visited him earlier in the day, signaling the latest and perhaps most significant attempt at brokering peace between Ankara and the long established organization. The pkk. The timing is no coincidence. Turkish President Erdogan is deep in political maneuvering to amend the country's constitution, a process that hinges on support from the pro Kurdish People's Equality and Democracy party, known as Dem. Under current laws. Erdogan, who's been in power since 2003. That's correct. He's been in power since 2003 as both prime minister and president, cannot seek another term unless early elections are called. And such a move, well, that would require Kurdish political backing. Ah, we're starting to see a connection here. And that support may now be within reach, thanks to a proposal floated in October by Devlet Bachili, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party and a key Erdogan ally. Bachely suggested Ocalon could be granted parole if the PKK formally renounced violence and disbanded. The offer is widely seen as an attempt to secure Kurdish votes for Erdogan's constitutional reforms, adding a sharp political dimension to Oculon's call for disarmament. Despite more than two decades and near total isolation, Oculon remains the PKK's ideological lodestar. But whether the group's leadership, which is primarily operating out of northern Iraq, will comply, well, that's another matter. Some factions, particularly those aligned with Kurdish groups in Syria, may see continued arms trouble as non negotiable in their pursuit of autonomy. The Turkish government has not disclosed what, if any, concessions it has offered in exchange for disarmament. The Dem party welcomed Ocalon's statement, but has stopped short of endorsing Erdogan's constitutional amendments outright. In Kurdish majority cities across southeastern Turkey, however, crowds gathered in public spaces, dancing and celebrating in anticipation of what many see as a historic moment. Ocalon's message underscored the grievances that fueled the PKK's terror campaign, citing decades of state policies that sought to erase Kurdish identity and deny political rights. But he insisted that armed struggle was no longer necessary, stating there is no alternative to democracy in the pursuit of and realization of a political system. Democratic consensus is the fundamental way, end quote. A senior official from Erdogan's ruling party echoed that sentiment, urging the PKK to heed the call, saying, quote, if the terrorist organization gathers to dissolve itself, Turkey will be freed from its shackles. Now, skepticism does remain high given the failure of previous peace efforts, including a similar initiative back in 2015 that collapsed into renewed violence. Okay. Shifting to Israel, the IDF has admitted its failure to Prevent the barbaric 7-10-2023 Hamas terror attacks, calling it, quote, one of the greatest failures in its military history. An internal investigation revealed Thursday details of how years of miscalculated intelligence left the IDF unprepared. The report, compiled by the IDF's Southern Command after tens of thousands of hours of analysis, paints a damning picture of Israel's security posture in the lead up to the attack. At the time, Israeli military leaders were primarily focused on countering threats from Iran and Hezbollah, relegating Hamas to a secondary concern. The investigation determined that this miscalculation left the country open to the deadliest single day attack in modern Israeli history. As tensions escalated elsewhere, the IDF had scaled back its presence along the Gaza perimeter, diverting resources to Lebanon and the West Bank. Meanwhile, Hamas systematically identified and exploited vulnerabilities in Israel's high tech border security system. What was designed to be an impenetrable barrier turned out to be, well, no match for a well coordinated terror operation that was years in the making. At 6.30am on 7 October 2023, Hamas launched its terror attack in three waves, firing nearly 4700 rockets and mortars from Gaza while approximately 5600 terrorists breached Israeli territory. The initial assault proved catastrophic as most of the kidnappings and murders occurred in the first few hours, catching Israeli forces entirely off guard. By 5pm hundreds of Hamas terrorists were inside Israel, with evidence suggesting their objective was to push deeper into the country and seize key military installations. The IDF's response was paralyzed by critical communication failures. With standard military channels down, commanders were forced to rely on Google Maps and mobile phones to coordinate. Early warning systems assumed to provide ample time for a counterattack proved insufficient against the scale and speed of Hamas's assault. Compounding the failings were years of misjudged intelligence, and this can't be understated. Israeli officials long dismissed the notion that Hamas possessed the capability for full scale war, believing that economic incentives to Hamas would serve as a deterrent. Surveillance efforts failed to recognize Hamas's military buildup, misinterpreting movements as routine training exercises. The report underscores that blatant warning signs were overlooked, such as Hamas terror operatives activating Israeli SIM cards inside Gaza. A situational assessment had been scheduled for the 7th of October, but of course by the time Israeli officials were set to convene, Hamas had already executed its plan. The attack, however, was not a product of spontaneous escalation. According to intelligence obtained from captured Hamas documents and sources inside Gaza, the operation had been years in the making. Former Hamas leader Yahya Sinmore is believed to have first conceived the plan all the way back in November of 2016, with formal approval granted by Hamas leadership in July 2019. Over the years, Hamas successfully deceived Israeli officials into believing that it prioritized economic stability over military confrontation. It was a disinformation psyop campaign. A brief war in 2021 further reinforced Israel's false confidence that Hamas's capabilities had been diminished, when in reality the terror group was just quietly preparing for 7 October. In the wake of the report's findings, calls for a national inquiry have intensified. Put Prime Minister Netanyahu, however, has stated that any formal inquiry must wait until the ongoing war concludes. All right, coming up in the Back of the Brief, President Trump vows to move forward with crippling sanctions on Canada and Mexico next week. I'll be back with those details. In today's Back of the Brief, President Donald Trump is turning his sights back on Mexico and Canada once again, sparking fears that a trade war could be imminent. On Thursday, Trump said his proposed 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods, which he paused from implementing earlier this month, would go into effect this Tuesday. He claimed the tariffs are needed to force changes in Mexico and Canada's respective border policies, accusing America's northern and southern neighbors of not doing enough to stem the flow of drugs into the US and that's according to a report from the New York Times. Taking to truth social, Trump said the deadly opioid fentanyl was still pouring across both borders at, quote, very high and unacceptable levels. He added, quote, we cannot allow this scourge to continue to harm the U.S. and therefore, until it stops or is seriously limited, the proposed tariffs will indeed go into effect as scheduled, end quote. He also called out China for being the main supplier of fentanyl entering the US and said he would be imposing an additional 10% tariff next week on Chinese imports on top of the 10% he already imposed earlier this month. As you'll recall, Trump first threatened Mexico and Canada with 25% tariffs in early February in order to stem the flow of migrants and drugs, as well as to address what he argued were imbalances in the North American Free Trade Pact. But Trump paused the tariffs before they could take effect after both countries made promises to beef up border security and increase enforcement against drug traffickers. A White House official said Thursday that while President Trump is pleased with their efforts to reduce migration, he's still deeply concerned over the high levels of fentanyl being trafficked into the country. Now Canadian and Mexican officials are meeting with their counterparts in the Trump administration Friday in an attempt to again stall the tariffs, which could deal a significant economic blow to both countries. Canada is particularly vulnerable to their effects, as roughly 75% of Canadian exports go directly to the U.S. but economists are also concerned that if implemented, the tariffs could significantly raise the price of consumer goods stateside at a time when Americans are still grappling with inflation and high interest rates. The US Is the largest importer of foreign goods, with Mexico, Canada and China making up the US Top three global suppliers. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Friday, 28th February. Now, if you have any questions or comments, and I hope you do, please reach out to me@pdbhfirsttv.com and don't forget, synchronize your watches because the latest episode of our extended weekend show, the PDB Situation Report, airs this evening at 10pm on the First TV. You can also catch it, as well as past episodes on our YouTube channel. And you can find our YouTube channel, Residents Daily Brief. And as you might suspect, we're on every podcast platform everywhere. We're talking the possibility of a second phase of the Israel Hamas ceasefire, the lack of any alternative governing authority for Gaza, the possible resurgence of Hamas, Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy, and US Energy independence. Give it a listen. It's packed with information. Still zero calories. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, well, stay informed, stay safe, stay it.