PDB Afternoon Bulletin | March 13th, 2025: Putin Pours Cold Water On Ceasefire Hopes & Houthis Threaten To Resume Attacks On Israeli Vessels

Summary

The President's Daily Brief: PDB Afternoon Bulletin | March 13th, 2025

Host: Mike Baker
Release Date: March 13, 2025

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1. Ukraine Ceasefire Negotiations

In today’s bulletin, Mike Baker opens with critical developments in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. U.S. officials have arrived in Moscow with a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire aimed at de-escalating tensions and fostering dialogue for a more sustainable peace. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed skepticism about the proposal's efficacy.

• Putin’s Response:

  "[02:50] 'The idea itself is good and we of course support it, but there are questions we have to discuss.'"

  Putin emphasized that while Russia is open to the concept of a ceasefire in principle, substantial nuances and serious issues must be addressed before any agreement can be realized. These include resolving the Ukrainian incursion in Russia's Kursk region and establishing a clear plan from the West on enforcing and monitoring the ceasefire.

• Trump’s Reaction:

  "[04:15] 'Putin's remarks were promising but incomplete, and I am willing to speak with the Russian strongman to secure a ceasefire deal.'"

  President Donald Trump responded promptly, labeling Putin’s response as "promising but incomplete." He signaled a willingness to engage directly with Putin to negotiate a viable ceasefire, while also hinting at potential financial pressures if Russia remains uncooperative.

• Yuri Yushkov’s Dismissal:

  "[05:00] 'This is nothing other than a temporary respite for the Ukrainian military, nothing more.'"

  Yuri Yushkov, Putin’s chief foreign policy adviser, further dismissed the U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal. He criticized it as a mere temporary measure that would allow Ukraine to regroup, undermining the current unfavorable position of Kyiv’s military.

2. Russian Military Actions

Amid the diplomatic standoff, Russia has intensified its military operations in the Kursk region, previously under Ukrainian control.

• Territorial Gains:

  "[03:45] 'Ukrainian forces are losing ground fast, now controlling less than 60 square miles in Kursk, down from roughly 500 square miles last year.'"

  Russian forces have successfully recaptured significant territories, including the key town of Sudza, marking a strategic victory for Moscow. Putin's visit to the region underscores Russia's commitment to expelling Ukrainian troops entirely.

• Negotiating Leverage: With these military advancements, Putin appears confident in possessing a stronger negotiating position. His demands include:

  • Ukraine renouncing NATO membership aspirations.
  • Withdrawal from four Russian-occupied regions in Eastern Ukraine.

  These demands starkly oppose Kyiv’s objectives, complicating peace negotiations further.

• U.S. Sanctions Threat:

  "[04:45] 'I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. It would be devastating for Russia.'"

  Trump indicated readiness to impose severe financial sanctions on Russia if diplomatic efforts fail, although specific measures remain unspecified. This threat comes as Moscow has so far mitigated existing sanctions with support from allies like China, Iran, and North Korea.

3. Iranian-Backed Houthi Threats

The bulletin shifts focus to the Houthis in Yemen, who have resumed threats against Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea, exacerbating regional tensions.

• Houthi Ultimatum and Escalation:

  "[07:21] 'A siege for a siege until the siege on Gaza is lifted.'"

  Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al Houthi had previously issued a four-day ultimatum demanding the lifting of Israel's blockade on Gaza. With the deadline expired, the Houthis have escalated their operations, targeting maritime vessels to retaliate against what they perceive as a violation of prior agreements.

• Potential Israeli Retaliation: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to maintain the blockade unless Hamas extends the current ceasefire under favorable terms. In response to Houthi threats, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen hinted at potential assassinations of Houthi leaders, similar to actions taken against Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.

• Houthi Resilience and U.S. Concerns: Unlike Hamas and Hezbollah, which have suffered significant leadership losses, the Houthis have demonstrated remarkable resilience against U.S. and Israeli airstrikes. This persistence has heightened U.S. concerns over the group's expanding military capabilities and regional influence.

• Designation as Foreign Terrorist Organization:

  "Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, underscoring Washington's alarm over the group’s growing threat."

  This designation signifies a strategic shift, potentially paving the way for more robust measures against the Houthis, including targeted strikes against their leadership.

4. Regional and Global Implications

The Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Suez Canal pose significant risks to global maritime trade, increasing shipping costs and disrupting supply chains worldwide. The international community remains on high alert as these incidents threaten the stability of one of the world's most vital maritime corridors.

• Potential for Escalation: With both President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu possibly contemplating similar actions against Houthi leadership as they did with Soleimani, the risk of escalated conflict in the region remains high.

Conclusion

Today's PDB afternoon bulletin highlights the complexities of diplomatic negotiations with Russia over Ukraine, the resilience and increasing threat posed by the Houthi militants in Yemen, and the broader implications for regional and global stability. As U.S. officials navigate these multifaceted challenges, the path to lasting peace appears fraught with obstacles, requiring strategic diplomacy and decisive action.

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Transcript

[Mike Baker]

It's Thursday, the 13th of March. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin, I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. Leading off, U. S officials have arrived in Moscow to try and sell the Kremlin on a 30 day ceasefire with Ukraine. But Russian President Putin, well, he's already pushing back on the proposal, saying that it does not go far enough. I know it's shocking that Putin wouldn't just quickly agree to a ceasefire when he believes he has the upper hand. And Kyiv isn't holding any cards. Later in the show, as the Iranian backed Houthi militants of Yemen once again threaten to resume attacks on Israeli ships, the group is taking heightened measures to safeguard their leader from suffering the same fate as the leadership of Hezbollah and Hamas. But first, Today's afternoon spotlight. U.S. officials are in Moscow today to make a direct appeal to Russian leaders to agree to a temporary ceasefire with Ukraine. But the talks may be doomed before they even get underway. As we noted on this morning's PDB, Kremlin officials appeared less than enthused about the recent US proposal for a 30 day ceasefire in Ukraine endorsed by leaders in Kyiv, though they had yet to issue a formal response, saying they wanted to hear more details from the Trump administration. Well, on Thursday, Russian President Putin gave a press conference where he said Moscow would not agree to an immediate end to the fighting in Ukraine, instead advocating for a deal that leads to a, quote, lasting peace and the elimination of, of the root causes of the war, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. But wait, I thought Russia was the root cause of the war. Putin said that while Russia agrees with the proposal for a ceasefire in principle, well, there are nuances and also serious issues that still need to be resolved before the process can move forward. Everything from nuances to serious issues. That pretty much covers the whole spectrum. He listed a number of these issues, including resolving the Ukrainian incursion in Russia's Kursk region and a clear plan for the west on how they plan to enforce the ceasefire and monitor potential violations. Putin said, quote, the idea itself is good and we of course support it, but there are questions we have to discuss, end quote. He suggested there would need to be additional negotiations to resolve these outstanding issues with the US And US Allies and hinted at holding a phone call with President Trump. Putin's response came as Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to meet with the Russian leader and other Kremlin officials to try to move the needle on the ceasefire. Though by all accounts, he does have his work cut out for him. Meanwhile, President Trump quickly responded to Putin's press conference, telling reporters at the White House that Putin's remarks were promising but, quote, incomplete and that he was willing to speak with the Russian strongman to secure a ceasefire deal. Trump added, quote, hopefully Russia will do the right thing now. Putin's remarks echoed those made earlier in the day by his chief foreign policy adviser, Yuri Yushkov, who essentially dismissed the US Brokered proposal, saying it would give nothing to Russia while allowing Ukraine to regroup at a time when Keev's military is on the back foot. It's according to a report from Reuters he told Russian state television, quote, this is nothing other than a temporary respite for the Ukrainian military, nothing more. It only gives the Ukrainians an opportunity to gain strength and to continue the same thing, end quote. Ushkov added, quote, our goal is a long term peaceful settlement that takes into account the legitimate interests of our country and our well known concerns, end quote. Yes, they're all about peace. As we've been tracking on the show, Moscow's forces have been engaged in a renewed counteroffensive in recent days aimed at recapturing the Russian Kursk region from Ukraine. Ukrainian forces are losing ground fast, now controlling less than 60 square miles in Kursk, down from the roughly 500 square miles of territory that they held last year. Putin even visited the region on Wednesday, calling for the total expulsion of Ukrainian troops from the territory. On Thursday, Russia claimed to have recaptured Sudza. That's a key town in Kursk and one of Ukraine's last strongholds in the region. Given the momentum of his military, it appears that Putin feels he has the stronger negotiating hand when it comes to these potential peace talks and will likely not agree to any deal that doesn't address his long term security objectives and reflect Moscow's battlefield gains. These include demands for Ukraine to renounce their pursuit of NATO membership and withdraw from four Russian occupied regions in Eastern Ukraine. Those are demands that leaders in Kyiv strongly oppose. While President Trump appears eager to continue engaging with the Kremlin, he indicated on Wednesday that he is prepared to exert financial pressure to force Moscow to the table if need be. Trump said, quote, I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. I don't want to do that because I want to get peace. But in a financial sense, yes, we could do things that are very bad for Russia. It would be devastating for Russia, end quote. Now, it's unclear at this stage what sanctions the White House may be referring to and how they would be enforced. Over the past three years, Moscow has managed to avoid the worst effects of existing sanctions through the support and input from primarily China, Iran and North Korea. Okay, coming up next, the Iranian backed Houthi militants of Yemen are once again threatening to resume attacks on Israeli ships operating in regional waters. I'll have those details when we come back.

[Josh Hammer]

Like a bull in a China shop, Donald Trump came in to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C. but with his bold reform and rejuvenation agenda comes so many legal questions. Nationwide injunctions, are they constitutional? What's the deal with birthright citizenship? What about the administrative state? Can he actually clean the deep state and end the politicization of the federal bureaucracy? I'm Josh Hammer, host of America on Trial with Josh Hammer. Subscribe to America on Trial with Josh Hammer for your daily updates on all of these questions and more.

[Mike Slater]

Hey, I'm Mike Slater. I have a podcast called Politics by Faith. We have a very simple mission. We take the news of the day and we filter it through a biblical worldview. So here's the big story of the day. What does the Bible say about it and how can we apply it? It's amazing. There's nothing new under the sun. The Bible has something to say about everything that's going on today. So basically we thump the Bible over on Politics by Faith. I think we got to keep MAGA going. And I think the way to take it beyond just a political victory into a true rebuilding and awakening and revival in America is to make sure that this is all grounded in biblical principles. And that's what we do on the podcast Politics by Faith. And you can subscribe to to Politics by Faith wherever you're listening to the show right now.

[Mike Baker]

Welcome back to the AFTERNOON bulletin. A source with Yemen's Houthi rebels say the terror group is taking extreme measures to safeguard its leader as he and his Iran backed organization renewed threats this week to target Israeli linked ships in the Red Sea via missile and drone strikes. Last week, Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al Houthi had set a four day ultimatum warning that naval operations against Israel would resume unless Jerusalem lifted its blockade on aid shipments into Gaza. Well, that deadline has now expired. On Wednesday, Al Houthi made good on his threat, announcing in a speech that the terror group would escalate attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has been clear assistance to Gaza will remain restricted unless Hamas agrees to extend the current ceasefire terms under conditions favorable to a lasting peace. But for the Houthis, the blockade is a provocation one that they view as a violation of previous agreements. In a statement in Newsweek, a Houthis source doubled down on the group's stance, stating, a siege for a siege until the siege on Gaza is lifted, end quote. However, the Houthis in the past held a loose definition of what constitutes an Israeli ship, suggesting that other vessels could be targeted as well. The threat of Israeli retaliation does loom large. Netanyahu's government has already issued warnings, with Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen previously suggesting Al Houthi could suffer the same fate as the Iran backed Hamas and Hezbollah leaders who have been assassinated. But the Houthis appear unfazed. According to the source, the terror group is bracing for the possibility of Israeli strikes, acknowledging the risk and stating, quote, as for targeting leaders in the policy of assassinations, we are proceeding with extreme caution. Yet the source added that simultaneously, the terror group is prepared to make sacrifices and not turn away. Since Hamas launched its terror attacks on Israel back on 7 October 2023, the Houthis entrenched themselves within Iran's axis of resistance. Since 7 October, they've carried out more than 100 attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea and Suez Canal, one of the world's most vital maritime corridors. Houthi strikes have rattled the global trade, of course, driven up shipping costs, and disrupted supply chains with implications far beyond the Middle East. Unlike Hamas and Hezbollah, which suffered heavy senior leadership losses under Israeli bombardment, the Houthis have largely weathered American and Israeli airstrikes. And this resilience, well, has only heightened US Concerns. Just last week, as we reported here on the pdb, Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization. That's a move underscoring Washington's alarm over the group's expanding military reach and growing influence in the region. For the Houthis, this latest confrontation could bring them into even greater conflict with the West. Trump has demonstrated his willingness, of course, to target top adversaries, as seen in his first term, with the 2020 drone strike that killed Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani. Now, with tensions mounting, both President Trump and Israeli PM Netanyahu may be weighing similar action against against Houthi leadership. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Thursday 13th March. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the first tv.com and of course to listen to the show ad free. It's very simple. Just become a premium member of the President's daily brief by visiting PDB premium.com I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.