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The President's Daily Brief
March 3rd, 2025: Ovel Office Fallout: Europe’s Hollow Embrace of Zelensky? & Hamas Rejects Ceasefire Extension
00:25:12
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Mike Baker
It's Monday, 3rd March. 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 start with the fallout from Friday's explosive, extremely well publicized Oval Office argument between Ukrainian President Zelensky, President Trump and Vice President JD Vance. As Zelensky receives a warm welcome in the UK As a follow up, European leaders are vowing continued support to Ukraine. But what exactly does that mean for Ukraine's ability to fend off Putin and possibly secure a peace deal that doesn't equal appeasement? Later in the show, the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire has officially ended. Now, while a proposal is on the table to extend it, Hamas has shown no interest in agreeing. We'll have the latest. Plus, a Norwegian fuel supplier, a private company, is refusing to refuel US Navy ships, citing President Trump's heated exchange with the Ukrainian president. Now, the Norwegian government, however, obviously a member of NATO, says they'll continue to honor NATO agreements and support to the US Military. And in today's Back of the Brief, as anti semitic protests once again erupt on the campus of Columbia University and Barnard College in New York City. Well, pro Israel activists are demanding that the Trump administration step in to remove the university's federal funding. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. The fallout from Friday's Oval Office meeting between Ukrainian President Zelensky, President Trump and Vice President J.D. vance was immediate. European leaders jumped onto social media, firing off a wave of tweets and messages, reassuring Kyiv of their unwavering support. Zelensky wasted little time departing Washington and heading back to friendlier shores. His first stop was the United Kingdom, where Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed him with open arms at 10 Downing street, promising him, quote, the full backing across the United Kingdom. Zelensky responded by saying that he was happy that Ukraine had, quote, such good friends. The two leaders then signed a 2.26 billion pound loan for military supplies, with repayment, as with a previous agreement, coming from profits tied to frozen Russian assets. From there, Zelensky joined Starmer and other European leaders at a summit to discuss the future of the war. During that series of discussions, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sounded the alarm on the Continent's urgent need to rearm. After a long time of underinvestment, it is now of utmost importance to step up the defense investment for a prolonged period of time, she said, adding that Europe also needed to show the US that it was ready to defend democracy. Meanwhile, back in the U.S. well, a different conversation is starting to take shape, and it's a conversation that Putin himself has been eager to promote. Is Zelensky still the man for the job? When asked on CNN if Trump wants Zelensky to resign, White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, well, didn't exactly deny it. Instead, he said, quote, we need a leader that can deal with us eventually deal with the Russians and end the war, end quote. And he went further, adding, quote, if it becomes apparent that President Zelensky's either personal motivations or political motivations are divergent from ending the fighting in his country, then I think we have a real issue on our hands, end quote. House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed that sentiment, suggesting that maybe a different leader is needed. In an interview with NBC, he put it bluntly. Either he needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude, where someone else needs to lead the country to do that, end quote. Hmm. So while Zelensky is receiving standing ovations in European capitals, the conversation in Washington is shifting, even among some of his strongest supporters. Senator Lindsey Graham, who's been one of Ukraine's most vocal advocates, is now suggesting that it may be time for Zelensky to step aside. That's a significant turn, and it underscores a growing sense of frustration in Washington as well as a clear indication, well, that Republicans in D.C. are unwilling to disagree with President Trump. As mentioned, Vladimir Putin has been pushing the idea of Zelensky as a dictator and the need for elections in Ukraine for some time. He clearly believes that if he can get Zelensky to step aside, Russia can work to get a pro Russian ally in Kiev along the lines of Viktor Orban in Hungary. And now, following the dust up in the Oval Office on Friday, senior Trump administration officials are beating that same drum. So the question for Ukraine is obviously, what now? It does seem unlikely in the short term that Zelensky can salvage the relationship with the Trump White House. Putin is undoubtedly emboldened by what he watched on television with a bag of popcorn in his hand. And the EU and NATO while pledging ongoing support. Well, they need to determine what that exactly means. EU nations are vowing to increase their spending and support for Kiev, but there's little chance that they can fill the gap left if the US Ends their support. Interestingly, in an indication of things to come late in the weekend, Zelensky did state while in the UK that he and his government are willing to sign the minerals deal. Obviously, that will require a response from the US Government. Now, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the predicament in an interesting way. Speaking from the tarmac to reporters before flying to the Ukraine emergency summit in London, Tusk noted, quote, 500 million Europeans are asking 300 million Americans to defend them against 140 million Russians, end quote. He added, europe, if there is something we lack today, it is not economic or demographic power, but the belief that we are truly a global force, end quote. Now, of course, Tusk didn't mention that those 140 million Russians currently control the world's largest nuclear arsenal. And that has factored into the equation ever since Putin launched his invasion back in February of 2022. It's a top line reason why the west for the past three years has provided Ukraine with just enough support and hardware to maintain what is essentially a stalemate. That's the fear of antagonizing Putin and his 5,500 warheads, for what it's worth. Look, peace is obviously the objective, an end to the death and destruction. But after Friday's debacle in the Oval Office, battle lines have now hardened, particularly in the US over how to get there. One side wants peace now. Just settle, just reach a deal. Which implies, of course, that Putin gets what he wants. All the territory he currently holds, a guarantee that Ukraine never enters NATO, a guarantee that Ukraine shrinks its military, new elections in Kyiv, and an easing of sanctions on Russia. That deal, of course, could allow for peace at least in the short term. And that's fine as long as folks are honest and admit that they're okay with Putin coming out on top, that he's the winner. The other side wants to continue supporting Ukraine in an effort to allow Kiev to gain the upper hand for a future negotiation, or at least a stronger hand to inflict sufficient pain on Putin that he has to make some compromises to reach a peace deal. But again, the folks in that camp need to be honest and admit that that will require support to Ukraine above and beyond what's been done for the past three years, with no guarantee that enough pain can be inflicted on Putin during this year or next to force him to come to the negotiating table in a weakened position. All right, coming up next, the Gaza ceasefire's first phase has ended, with Hamas rejecting an extension and a Norwegian fuel supplier company is refusing to refuel U.S. navy ships. I'll be right back.
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- [10:03]
Mike Baker
Welcome back to the PDB Israel has thrown its weight behind a U S backed plan to extend the fragile ceasefire with Hamas through Ramadan and Passover, setting the stage for a potential release of all remaining hostages. That is, if Hamas agrees. The endorsement came within minutes of the initial ceasefire phase. Expiring the decision on Saturday followed a high level four hour meeting led by Prime Minister Netanyahu and attended by Defense Minister Israel Katz, senior defense officials and Israel's negotiating team. According to Netanyahu's office, the plan, floated by Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff would extend the ceasefire through the religious holidays, with half of the 59 remaining Israeli hostages, both living and dead, released on the first day and the remainder freed by the end of the period. However, the proposal is contingent on a permanent ceasefire and the Israeli Defense Forces already confirmed that at least 35 of the hostages are already dead and for background, Ramadan runs until 29 March, while Passover ends on 19 April. So far, Hamas has yet to accept the proposal, but Netanyahu's office made it clear that Israel is prepared to move forward, stating that if Hamas changes its position, Israel will immediately enter negotiations on all the details of the Witkoff plan. While the government stopped short of explicitly threatening to resume hostilities, it pointedly reminded the Iran backed terror group that under the original agreement, Israel is permitted to restart military operations after one March, meaning an Israeli offensive could resume at any moment. The proposal comes amid renewed accusations from Netanyahu's government that Hamas has repeatedly violated the ceasefire. Under the original deal, negotiations on a second phase should have begun by day 16, yet that process never materialized. At the same time, Israel has refused to withdraw the IDF from the Philadelphia corridor, that's the narrow strip of land on the Gaza Egypt border, despite that step being required under the ceasefire terms. Meanwhile, Israel has announced an immediate halt to all shipments of aid into Gaza, citing Hamas refusal to accept the Witkoff proposal. Netanyahu's government claims this move has the full backing of Trump's White House, further adding weight to Israel's hardened stance. Netanyahu justified the decision by accusing Hamas of diverting humanitarian aid for its own use. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar was even more blunt, declaring that Israel would not negotiate a ceasefire without additional hostage releases and calling the aid freeze the official end of what he described as the free meals policy. Hamas unsurprisingly condemned the move. The terror group labeled Israel's actions as cheap extortion, a war crime and a blatant attack on the agreement, while urging ceasefire mediators to pressure Israel into reversing its decision. Inside the Israeli war cabinet, the IDF is gearing up for a possible return to full scale conflict if Hamas does not accept the U S backed proposal. Netanyahu's government has made it abundantly clear Israel will not remain in diplomatic limbo indefinitely. Now Wykoff is expected to visit Israel in the coming days to discuss the next steps. Whether those discussions will be about fine tuning the ceasefire or preparing for renewed military action, well, that now appears to rest with Hamas. Alright, turning now to Norway, and that's a sentence that I haven't said very often. A private oil firm has enacted an immediate and sweeping ban on fuel sales to US Forces docked in the country, citing outrage over President Trump's White House exchange with Ukrainian President Zelensky on Friday. In a now deleted social media post, the company made its stance unambiguously clear, declaring, quote, no fuel to Americans. Slava Ukraina, end quote. The petroleum giant, which supplied roughly 800,000 gallons of fuel to the US military in 2024 alone, said it would sever all fuel deliveries to American forces and prohibit any American military vessels from from refueling at its Norwegian ports. Company owner Gunner Gran, speaking to a Norwegian maritime news outlet, didn't mince words stating, quote, not a liter of fuel will be supplied, vowing that the ban would remain in place quote, until Trump is finished. Referring to, of course, the remainder of his presidential term, Grant emphasized that as a private business, his firm is free to choose its customers. Well, that's true. Pointing to its existing ban on fuel sales to Russian forces imposed after President Putin's invasion of Ukraine. The company's abrupt decision comes as part of a broader wave of European fallout following the contentious Oval Office meeting, which left many across the Atlantic questioning the future of US Support for Ukraine. The Norwegian firm blasted Friday's exchange boldly, branding the exchange as, quote, the biggest shit show ever presented live on TV and frankly, I had no idea that there was a word for shit show in the Norwegian language. See you learn something new every day on the pdb. Despite the company's defiant stance, Norway's government quickly moved to distance itself from the controversy. In a statement Sunday, Norway's defense minister made clear that official policy remains unchanged. He stated, quote, we've seen reports raising concerns about support for U.S. navy vessels in Norway. This is not in line with the Norwegian's government policy. The minister reaffirmed to Reuters that American forces would continue to receive the necessary logistical support to maintain Norway's defense commitments as a NATO ally. However, the move by the petroleum firm well, raises larger questions about Europe's growing discontent with U S policy on Ukraine, particularly as Trump's handling of the war comes under increasing scrutiny from EU leaders. It's unclear if other European countries will follow suit with similar bans. Alright, coming up in the Back of the Brief. As anti Semitic protests erupt at Columbia and Barnard, pro Israel activists push the Trump administration to strip federal funding from the university. I'll be right back. And in today's Back of the Brief, well, like the swallows to Capistrano, the anti Semite students and their professional activist organizers have once again roosted In New York City. Pro Hamas protests are back on the campus of Columbia University. Last week, dozens of anti Israel protesters donning Hamas style keffiya headscarves to hide their identities. That's brave. Took over a building at Columbia's Barnard College for several hours, assaulting a school employee in the process, who was subsequently hospitalized. And that's according to a report from the New York Post. The masked group, led by members of Columbia's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. Oh, we know all about them. You should do your due diligence. Said they were protesting the expulsion of two students who stormed into classrooms in January and threw around flyers loaded with anti Semitic rhetoric. In a video posted to social media by the group, whose bio reads Long live the Student Intifada, protesters can be seen occupying Milbank hall, the oldest building on campus, while beating drums and chanting hateful slurs through a megaphone. While the drums are always a nice touch, the group later issued a long list of extreme demands, including a reversal of the expulsions, blanket amnesty for any students punished during last year's anti Israel campus protests, the abolition of Barnard's disciplinary process. What else are they asking for? Oh, look at that. A pony for every protester, and a formal review of all past disciplinary actions related to last year's protests. In other words, there should be no consequences for bad behavior. Yeah, that sounds about right. Robin Levine, Barnard College's Vice president for strategic communications, quickly condemned the protests, saying they showed a, quote, blatant disregard for the safety of our community. He added that the community and the university had made multiple good faith efforts to de escalate but were refused. Instead, the protesters graffitied messages on the walls of Milbank hall which read free Palestine and F U C K Barnard. How imaginative and creative. While the protesters vowed to stay until the demands were met, they subsequently left Milbank hall just before 11pm Wednesday night. Well, I'm to get something to eat. But on Thursday, the protests reignited with roughly 100 anti Israel demonstrators gathering outside Barnard chanting, quote one solution intifada revolution almost rhymes. In response to the hateful demonstrations, pro Israel activists demanded the Trump administration strip federal funding from Columbia University and Barnard College, arguing that the school's administrators have failed to protect Jewish students from the rampant antisemitism. According to a report from Israel National News, a pro Israel advocacy group called Stop Antisemitism also sent a letter to the Justice Department requesting they launch an investigation into the radical Students for Justice in Palestine and revoke visas and deport foreign students involved in the violent protests. A spokesman for the group said, quote, the university administration has completely failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students, faculty and staff, allowing a hostile and dangerous environment to fester unchecked, end quote. As a reminder, while these protests are far from organic, as we covered during the pro Palestinian protests that spread across dozens of college campuses last spring, the group in question, Students for Justice in Palestine, receives more than $3 million a year from a litany of charities, including at least at one time a charity with links to Hamas. Their national umbrella organization also praised the 7 October attacks on Israel. Well, that should be a clue. Additionally, Students for Justice in Palestine receives indirect funding from charities linked to liberal financier George Soros, as well as the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The group was said to be one of the main coordinators of the protests last spring and they're once again driving the renewed unrest at Columbia. While the Biden administration took a hands off approach to the chaos on college campuses, many expect the pro Israel Trump administration to wield federal funding against universities that fail to crack down on anti Semitism. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Monday 3rd March. Now I hope you had a chance to catch our latest episode of the PDB Situation Report over the weekend. If not, it and past episodes are available for your viewing pleasure, frankly, on our YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief, as well as all the podcast platforms out there in podcast land and as a public service announcement, to listen to this show ad free. Well, it's simple. 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.
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