The President's Daily Brief
March 6th, 2025: Trump Leaves Ukraine In The Dark & White House Negotiations With Hamas
Thu, 06 Mar 2025
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: U.S. and Ukrainian officials have agreed to meet for negotiations—just days after Washington cut off intelligence sharing, leaving Kyiv in the dark as the war rages on. We’ll have the latest. The Trump administration has rejected a long-awaited Gaza reconstruction plan backed by Arab leaders, standing by its own vision of transforming the territory into a “riviera.” Plus—the White House has confirmed it’s been holding direct talks with Hamas over the release of U.S. hostages in Gaza and the possibility of a broader deal to end the war. And in today’s Back of the Brief—China fires back at the new U.S. tariffs, warning it’s prepared for, quote, ‘any type of war’ with the United States. 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: Why did the U.S. cut intelligence sharing with Ukraine?
It's Thursday, 6 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 things off with the news that U.S. and Ukrainian officials have agreed to meet for negotiations, just days after Washington cut off military aid and then intelligence sharing, leaving Kiev in the dark as the war rages on.
We'll have the latest. Later in the show, the Trump administration has rejected a long-awaited Gaza reconstruction plan backed by Arab leaders, standing by its own vision of transforming the territory into the Riviera. Of course, Arab states responded by declaring that the U.S. proposal to relocate the population of Gaza isn't going to happen.
Plus, President Trump unloads on Hamas, declaring that if they don't release the hostages now, it's, quote, over for you. And in today's back of the brief, China fires back at the new U.S. tariffs, warning that it's prepared for, quote, any type of war with the United States. We are, as they say, living in interesting times. But first, today's PDB Spotlight.
The Trump administration is continuing to put the screws to Kiev following last week's Oval Office dispute between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky. U.S. officials confirmed Wednesday that the CIA and intel community temporarily suspended all intelligence sharing with Ukraine earlier this week.
Chapter 2: What are the consequences of the U.S. halting aid to Ukraine?
That's a move that came soon after the Trump administration paused all military aid to the war-torn nation. White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said the pauses in assistance will remain in place until Ukraine agrees to come to the table for peace talks with Russia. That's according to a report from Axios. The consequences for Ukraine are, well, immediate.
A source with knowledge of the situation told Axios that the suspension of intelligence sharing will severely undercut Ukraine's ability to conduct attacks inside Russian territory and will likely also hamper the Ukrainian army's defensive operations.
While Ukraine will continue to receive intel support from NATO members other than the U.S., the move by the White House will undoubtedly negatively impact Ukraine's capabilities. Ukraine relies heavily on U.S. intelligence to predict Russia's next battlefield moves.
It also provides an invaluable tactical edge for Kyiv, allowing them to track Russian troop movements and positions for weapons guidance and targeting. The move provoked further alarm among European allies, who are obviously already anxious over Trump's diplomatic overtures to Moscow. It also rattled some congressional Republicans.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump, said he was, quote, very worried about the long-term consequences for Ukraine's security. But while the actions are extreme, the pressure campaign does appear to be yielding some results.
According to a source close to the Ukrainian government, the intelligence-sharing pause was the key factor that prompted Zelensky to issue a public statement on Tuesday expressing regret for his public argument with Trump. That's a message he reiterated in a letter to Trump that the president read aloud during his address to Congress on Tuesday evening.
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Chapter 3: How are U.S.-Ukraine relations affecting peace talks?
In the note, Zelensky said he was ready to sign a minerals deal with the U.S. and work towards a peace deal, while praising Trump's, quote, strong leadership on the issue.
That was followed by news that Zelensky's chief of staff spoke with White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz Wednesday to discuss, quote, the next steps toward a just and lasting peace, and that a meeting had been scheduled for the near future to discuss potential negotiations with Russia. Zelensky later mentioned the renewed dialogue in his daily address, saying, quote, End quote.
Chapter 4: What is the controversy over the Gaza reconstruction plan?
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in an interview that the quick turnaround from Ukrainian leaders proved Trump's tough approach is working.
Chapter 5: How is the Trump administration engaging with Hamas?
He said following the verbal brawl at the White House last Friday, Trump was left with serious doubts about Zelensky's commitment to the peace process, and that the pauses on weapons supplies and intelligence sharing were intended to make Zelensky rethink the current approach to diplomacy.
But Ratcliffe added that the measures will likely be lifted once a viable timeline for peace negotiations is established. Waltz later echoed these sentiments, saying, quote, Now, not to point out the obvious, but I think I'm about to.
we still haven't seen any indication from Moscow that they're willing to sit down at the negotiating table, nor is there any indication that Putin intends to soften his hardline demands. It's unclear whether the White House plans on taking a hardball approach to dealing with Putin as they have with Ukraine.
All right, coming up next, the Trump administration rejects an Arab-backed Gaza reconstruction plan at the same time as the Arab states again reject the Trump administration's proposal. While the White House now confirms that they've held secret talks with Hamas over U.S. hostages. I'll be right back.
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Chapter 6: What are the regional implications of the Gaza plan rejection?
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Welcome back to the PDB. The Trump administration has outright dismissed a Gaza reconstruction proposal backed by Arab leaders, doubling down on its own vision that calls for the removal of Palestinians and the transformation of Gaza into a quote Riviera under U.S. ownership.
National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes defended the rejection Tuesday night, insisting that the Egyptian-led plan, presented at the Arab summit earlier in the day, fails to account for what he called the, quote, "...currently uninhabitable state of Gaza, citing extensive destruction and the presence of unexploded ordnance."
Hughes stated, quote, adding that the administration looks forward to further discussions on reconstruction.
As we've been following here on the PDB, unlike Trump's plan, which centers on the removal of Palestinians from the enclave, all 2.3 million of them, the Arab-backed initiative sought to keep Gaza's residents in place, sidelining Hamas while establishing an interim governing body, one that, over time, would hand power to a reformed Palestinian authority.
The ultimate goal of the Arab-backed plan would be to unify Gaza and the West Bank under a single Palestinian state. Speaking at the summit in Cairo, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his commitment to holding general elections in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem for the first time in nearly two decades, saying, quote, "...if circumstances are suitable," end quote.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has remained vague about his own vision for post-war Gaza, but has signaled open support for President Trump's, quote, different Gaza plan, rejecting both Hamas and the PA as governing entities. Israeli officials, for their part, have made it abundantly clear that a two-state solution is not on the table.
The Arab-backed $53 billion reconstruction plan, endorsed by multiple regional powers, envisions clearing the millions of tons of debris and rebuilding Gaza by 2030. The blueprint includes an ambitious economic framework anchored by shopping malls, an international convention center, and even an airport all within five years. But cracks in regional unity were evident at the Cairo summit.
Key financial backers, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the United Arab Emirates, were conspicuously absent, raising serious doubts about the plan's viability. Algeria's president outright boycotted the event, dismissing it as being, "...monopolized by a limited and narrow group of Arab countries."
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