The President's Daily Brief
January 28th, 2025: Is Russia’s Economy Cracking? & Hamas Hostage Tragedy
Tue, 28 Jan 2025
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: A fresh blow for President Vladimir Putin as the European Union extends sanctions against Russia, raising questions about cracks in the nation’s economy. Tragic news from the Middle East as Hamas announces the deaths of 8 hostages set for release under the ongoing ceasefire agreement. Reports indicate President Donald Trump is exploring an asylum deal with El Salvador that could allow the U.S. to deport migrants there—even if they’re not Salvadoran. And in today’s Back of the Brief: The President signs an Executive Order reinstating service members discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, fulfilling a key campaign promise. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What are the latest sanctions against Russia?
It's Tuesday, 28 January. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. Today, we're starting in Moscow and some bad news for President Vladimir Putin as the European Union extends its sanctions against Russia, raising fresh questions about the cracks that appear to be forming in Russia's economy.
Later in the show, we'll return to the Middle East, where Hamas has announced that eight of the remaining 26 hostages set to be released as part of the ongoing ceasefire are dead. Plus, President Trump is reportedly considering an asylum deal with El Salvador, allowing the U.S. to deport migrants there, even if they're not Salvadorans.
And finally, in today's back of the brief, the president fulfills a campaign promise with a new executive order reinstating service members discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. But first, today's PDB Spotlight.
European leaders are putting the financial screws to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who is reportedly growing increasingly concerned over the fragile state of Russia's wartime economy.
Chapter 2: How is the Russian economy affected by the war?
The European Union voted Monday to renew its wide-ranging sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, keeping existing sector-based bans on trade with Moscow intact, while also ensuring that more than $200 billion worth of seized Kremlin assets remain frozen.
While most of the EU's 27 member countries were on board with the sanctions renewal, there were concerns that they could lapse before the January 31st renewal deadline over protests by Hungary, according to a report from Reuters. As a reminder, under EU regulations, all 27 member countries must unanimously vote to renew these restrictions every six months.
But Hungarian leaders have been seeking assurances regarding their energy security ever since the war in Ukraine broke out. And by broke out, I mean when Vladimir Putin's military invaded and were blocking the latest sanctions renewal talks in an attempt to leverage energy concessions from Ukraine.
Specifically, Hungary wanted EU leadership to persuade Ukraine to resume gas transits from Russia to Europe, claiming that EU sanctions on Russia had caused some $20 billion in financial damage to the Hungarian economy.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who, by the way, maintains a close relationship with Putin, had also requested that the EU consult with the Trump administration on the sanctions before moving forward, arguing it was time for a sanctions-free relationship between Europe and Russia.
But President Trump, who has himself threatened the Putin regime with fresh sanctions over the war in Ukraine, did not back the Hungarian position, leaving Orban with little room to maneuver. Still, EU leadership offered an olive branch to Hungary, issuing a statement on Monday pledging to continue conversations on moving oil through Ukraine.
The statement, which was reviewed by Reuters, said the EU's executive body was ready to involve Hungary and Slovakia in the process, and came after Ukrainian President Zelensky said that he was willing to sign a contract to move gas from Azerbaijan to Europe using Ukraine's existing pipeline infrastructure.
The official pledge from the EU was enough to move the needle with Hungary, allowing the sanctions renewal to proceed. Kajikhalas, the EU's foreign policy chief, underscored the importance of maintaining maximum economic pressure on Russia, stating, "...this will continue to deprive Moscow of revenues to finance its war. Russia needs to pay for the damage that they are causing."
Indeed, it's hard to overstate the economic decline that the war in Ukraine has caused in Russia. The Putin regime is currently grappling with persistently high inflation, labor shortages, and interest rates that are sitting at an historic high of 21%.
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Chapter 3: What tragic news has emerged from the Middle East?
These efforts are part of a larger Trump administration strategy to tighten U.S. borders through a combination of physical and policy barriers. The administration has already reinstated the, quote, remain in Mexico policy, which requires asylum claimants to remain outside the U.S.
while their cases are reviewed, expanded border agents' authority to conduct rapid deportations, and deployed military planes to facilitate migrant removals. Notably, active duty troops have been sent to construct additional barriers along the border, and Trump's emergency declaration has unlocked substantial resources to bolster enforcement capabilities.
If implemented, the safe third country agreement would add another layer to Trump's immigration overhaul, effectively externalizing asylum responsibilities to partner nations. Yet the plan is not without hurdles, including potential legal challenges and diplomatic resistance. Whether this initiative will actually withstand scrutiny at home and abroad, well, that remains uncertain.
Chapter 4: What does the asylum deal with El Salvador entail?
But for now, the Trump administration appears to be standing firm in its push to reshape the U.S. immigration landscape. All right, coming up in the back of the brief, the president signs an executive order to reinstate service members discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, fulfilling a key campaign promise. I'll be right back.
In today's back of the brief, we've got some good news for American service members who were given the boot from the military for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Under an executive order signed by President Trump on Monday, all American troops dismissed by the Pentagon over the vaccine will be immediately reinstated with full back pay and benefits.
The order also requires that those impacted by the vaccine mandate are restored to their prior rank. That's according to a report from Fox News. The action makes good on a key campaign promise from Trump, who had long vowed to rehire the axed service members and offer them an apology on behalf of the government, arguing that they had been, quote, unjustly expelled.
Defense Secretary, newly confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, made the same pledge during his recent confirmation hearing, saying that he stood by Trump's promise. For context, the U.S. Armed Forces instituted a vaccine mandate for all military personnel in August of 2021 under the orders of then President Joe Biden.
While the vast majority of active duty service members received the vaccine, some 8,400 troops were forced out of the military for refusing to take the shot. The mandate was dropped in January 2023, but those who previously refused were not reinstated. Instead, the Biden administration told those impacted by the mandate to reapply for service. Oh, that's nice.
Though only 43 of the more than 8,000 affected troops elected to return to service under President Biden's leadership. The issue turned into a major headache for the Biden administration and became a rallying point for Republicans fed up with government overreach linked to the pandemic.
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Chapter 5: How is the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel structured?
Last year, more than 200 active and retired service members signed an open letter demanding that the Biden administration hold U.S. military leaders accountable for the vaccine mandate, arguing that it caused irreparable harm to service members and their families. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Tuesday, 28 January.
Now, if you'd like to listen to the show ad-free, well, that's a simple thing to do. Just 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.