The President's Daily Brief - February 17th, 2025: Arab Leaders Turn On Hamas & Trump Team Pursues Russia Peace Deal

Episode Date: February 17, 2025

In this episode of The President’s Daily Brief: Arab nations are turning up the heat on Hamas—just weeks after President Trump floated his controversial plan for Gaza. Some leaders are now openly calling for Hamas to step aside. We’ll unpack what’s behind this shift. A White House team heads to Saudi Arabia for Russia-Ukraine peace talks, while European leaders scramble to respond. Western intelligence agencies say Russia has formed a secretive new spy unit, tasked with carrying out sabotage, assassinations, and attacks across Europe. And in today’s Back of the Brief—a deadly knife attack in Austria has been linked to the Islamic State. Authorities say the terrorist threat in Europe isn’t going away anytime soon. 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 Ramp: Get $250 when you join Ramp. Go to ramp.com/PDB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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It's Monday, 17 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. We'll start things off today with Arab nations turning up the heat on Hamas. Just weeks after U.S. President Trump floated his controversial plan for Gaza. Some leaders are now openly calling for Hamas to step aside. We'll unpack what's behind this shift.

Later in the show, a White House team heads to Saudi Arabia for, Russia-Ukraine peace talks, while European leaders, well, they scramble to respond. Plus, Western intelligence agencies say that Russia has formed a secretive new spy unit tasked with carrying out sabotage, assassinations, and attacks across Europe. One wonders that if we're talking about it now on the PDB, just how secretive is it? And in today's back of the brief, a deadly knife attack in Austria has been linked to the Islamic state. Authorities say the terrorist threat in Europe, isn't going away anytime soon. And look at that. We're still in the introduction segment,

and we've already got a winner for the statement of the obvious award. But first, today's PDB spotlight. It's been nearly two weeks since President Trump floated the idea of the U.S. taking over Gaza and turning it into a Middle Eastern version of the Riviera. And let's just say, well, the reaction has been not overly positive. To recap, Trump's plan, for permanently relocating Gaza's population, all 2.3 million of them, outside of Gaza, while Washington would oversee reconstruction, that estimate, say, could take 10 to 15 years. Critics, including most governments in the region, have slammed it as everything from unrealistic to outright, quote, ethnic cleansing. But while much of the world has been busy rejecting

Trump's plan, something else has been quietly happening, something arguably, well, more significant. The Overton window in the Middle East may have just shifted in a way that would have seemed impossible just a few short months ago. Now, if you're not familiar with the concept of the Overton window, it's basically the range of ideas that are considered socially acceptable in public debate at any given time. And that window shifts over the years. Things once considered unthinkable can suddenly become mainstream. And in the Middle East, well, that shift usually happens. very slowly. The region is built on deep traditions, authoritarian rule, and religious influence, factors that tend to resist rapid change. But today, as Arab leaders scramble to offer an

alternative to Trump's plan, some of them are saying something that not long ago would have been completely off the table, and that is that Hamas needs to go. Take, for instance, the Arab League Secretary General. In a February 11th interview on the... the Saudi al-Arabiya channel, he called on Hamas to step aside. He even admitted that Trump's plan was designed to pressure Arab nations into offering their own proposal. And now, at the Arab summit later this month, leaders will be doing exactly that, an alternative that they say will be acceptable to Palestinians, Arab nations, and the international community. And the Arab League official isn't the only one saying that Hamas has to go.

The United Arab Emirates presidential advisor, Anmar Gargash, also backed the idea, calling it, quote, rational and appropriate. He said, quote, the interests of the Palestinian people must come before the interests of Hamas, especially in light of the calls to displace the Palestinians from Gaza and the war that resulted from Hamas's decisions that destroyed the Gaza Strip and tore its human and social fabric, end quote. Then there's Tarik al-Homayyad, a senior Saudi journalist who just published an article in the London-based Saudi Daily Al-Shok al-Awsat, titled Hamas must relinquish power. His argument, well, it's that removing Hamas is a practical alternative to Trump's plan.

It would protect Egypt and Jordan from instability, prevent another war on Gaza with U.S. support, and pave the way for reconstruction. So, while there isn't yet a full Arab consensus, it's clear that the conversation has shifted. But as you'd expect, and this will not be a shock, Hamas isn't exactly on board. And by that I mean they're definitely not on board. They're nowhere near the board. And of course, it's likely that the Iranian regime responsible for funding and building and training and resourcing Hamas, well, they won't be on board either. The last thing the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, wants, is to lose even more influence in the region. Over the weekend, top Hamas official Osamahamahmden made it clear that his group has no plans

to step aside. In fact, he outright rejected any proposal that excludes Hamas from Palestinian leadership, saying, quote, anyone who replaces the occupation in Gaza or any city in Palestine will be dealt with only through resistance just as we deal with the Israeli occupation. This matter is settled and non-negotiable, end quote. Hamden added, seriously, we can't step aside. How else are we going to make billions of dollars? This is our cash cow, and we're not giving it up, end quote.

And yes, I made up that last quote. So essentially, though, what Hamas is saying is, if an Arab coalition tries to take over Gaza without Hamas, Hamas will treat them as an enemy just as they do with Israel. So what does all this mean? For one, it highlights how Trump's plan, no matter how unlikely, has forced Arab leaders to confront an uncomfortable reality. Hamas's rule in Gaza is a major roadblock to any long-term peace or reconstruction. And while Hamas still has strong support from Iran, the pressure from within the Arab world is growing.

We'll be watching closely as the Arab League summit approaches, because for the first time, in a long time, the future of Hamas's grip on Gaza isn't just an Israeli-consum. It's an Arab one as well. All right, coming up after the break. A White House team heads to Saudi Arabia for Russia-Ukraine peace talks as European leaders scramble to respond. Plus, Western intelligence services warn of a secret Russian spy unit that's behind sabotage and assassinations across Europe.

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And now, for a limited time, listeners of this show can get $250 when you join Ramp. Just go to ramp.com slash PDB. That's ramp.com slash PDB. Once again, that's ramp.com slash PDB. Cards issued by Sutton Bank, member FDIC, and terms and conditions apply. Fox News is now streaming live on Fox One. When news breaks, we don't just report it. We go beyond the headlines to get the full story.

Get live coverage, in-depth analysis, and perspectives from the voices you trust, all in one place. Whether you're at home or on the go. Stay connected to the stories shaping our world. Stream Fox News on Fox One. Download today. Welcome back to the PDB. The Trump administration is set to dispatch senior officials to Saudi Arabia for direct talks with Russian and Ukrainian-Nexamination. negotiators in the coming days in an abrupt move that, well, blindsided Kiev.

A Ukrainian official speaking to Politico said there are no plans for a Ukrainian delegation to attend, casting immediate doubt on the talks. Well, yeah, I mean, typically, it would be good to have the invaded country at the negotiating table when discussing the fate of the invaded country. Meanwhile, European allies have been left entirely out of the negotiations, fueling frustration among NATO members who see Washington priority. prioritizing a unilateral deal over a coordinated Western approach. Despite the uncertainty, President Trump's team is pressing forward. National Security Advisor Mike Walts, Secretary of State Mark Rubeo, and Middle East envoy Steve Whitkoff will lead the American delegation. But one key figure

is notably absent, and that would be Trump's special envoy for Ukraine-Russian negotiations, retired General Keith Kellogg. The Kremlin, meanwhile, is assembling its own high-level team, including intelligence and economic officials, as well as Kirill Demitiev, a seasoned negotiator, who has played a key role in the past U.S. Russia prisoner exchanges. Now, these talks could mark a pivotal moment in Trump's push to broker an end to the nearly three-year-old war. Speaking to reporters last week, Trump confirmed that he expects to meet with Russian President Putin face-to-face in Saudi Arabia, stating, quote, we ultimately expect to meet. We'll meet in Saudi Arabia, see if we can get something done, end quote. If the meeting does occur, it would be the first

direct high-level peace talks between Russia and Ukraine since the war began in 2022 with the Russian invasion. At the Munich Security Conference this past week, European leaders reacted with alarm, warning that a deal struck without their input would be unacceptable. German Chancellor Olaf Schultz made his position clear, stating, quote, a dictated peace will therefore never find our support, end quote. Trump's diplomatic maneuver has only deepened European anxieties about U.S. commitment to NATO. Those fears were exasperated after Vice President J.D. Vance, speaking at the same conference, downplayed the threats posed by Russia and China.

Instead, Vance accused European leaders of suppressing free speech, warning that their biggest security threat comes from, quote, within. Still, Vance signaled that Washington. would hold Moscow accountable, cautioning that the U.S. retains, quote, economic and military tools of leverage if Russia fails to negotiate in good faith. Defense Secretary Pete Hegeseth initially dismissed the idea

of Ukraine joining NATO as part of a peace agreement, but later seemed to shift, stating, quote, everything is on the table, end quote, yeah, that's a shift. In Munich, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy struck a skeptical tone regarding Trump-Putin talks, stating bluntly, quote, Putin is a liar. The Ukrainian president added, I hope that President Trump will pressure him because I don't trust him, end quote.

The uncertainty surrounding Trump's abrupt talks has sent European leaders scrambling. French President Emmanuel Macron called an emergency summit in Paris on Monday, convening European Union leaders along with NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Trump's outreach to Putin, while keeping NATO allies on the sidelines, has upended what had been a largely unified Western strategy on Ukraine. While Kellogg sought to reassure European allies in Munich that Kiev would be part of any final agreement, he made it clear that European governments would not have a seat at the table. The fact that EU institutions and EU countries collectively have allocated some $133 billion to Ukraine assistance since the February 22 invasion, while the U.S. has allocated some

$120 billion, well, it would seem to imply that the EU has paid for their seat at the table. The EU has also taken on the lion's share of training Ukrainian soldiers, and it's taken in vast numbers of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war. The point being, well, it's an interesting strategy on the part of the U.S. administration to imply that European nations shouldn't be fully engaged in the peace process, particularly when U.S. officials stated just last week that they expect the EU to shoulder the responsibility for ensuring that any peace deal is enforced and maintained. With the negotiations set to begin sometime soon in Saudi Arabia, the stage is set for high-stakes diplomacy that could reshaped the trajectory of the war, not to mention future relations

between NATO, the EU, and the U.S. All right, shifting to Russia, Western intelligence officials uncovered a shadowy unit within Moscow. spy service is known as the Department of Special Tasks or SSD, and it's clear that they did not spend a long time coming up with a clever name for their department. The unit formed in 2023, in response to Western military aid to Ukraine, is tasked with carrying out sabotage, assassinations, and infiltration operations across Europe and beyond. Predictably, the Kremlin, well, they deny everything. Kremlin's spokes guy, Dmitri Peskov, dismissed the allegations as, quote, unsubstantiated accusations.

However, according to a Wall Street Journal exclusive report, intelligence officials confirm that the SSD absorbed the notorious unit 29155. That's a group responsible for the 2018 poisoning of Russian double agent Sergei Scrippel, along with his daughter, Yulia, and the UK, and then the 2014 Czech ammunition depot explosion. Operating out of Russia's military intelligence headquarters in Moscow, SSD has now taken over some of the most dangerous clandestine missions once handled by Russia's Federal Security Service and other intelligence branches. And their track record is already extensive. Western intelligence agencies linked SSD to a series of high-profile attacks,

including a 2024 assassination plot against Armand Papagar, the CEO of German Arms manufacturer, Rheinmetel, one of Ukraine's key suppliers. The unit has also been tied to a plot, involving incendiary devices planted on D.HL cargo planes. That's a scheme that, if it had succeeded, of course, could have taken down flights bound for North America. Beyond these operations, SSD operatives have been behind arson attacks on European weapons factories, attempted bombings in France, and coordinated sabotage efforts in Poland and Ukraine in an effort to destabilize infrastructure and lower morale. At the helm of SSD is Colonel General Andre Averya Avedov, a veteran of Russia's Chechen wars, and a key figure in the annexation of Crimea.

Wanted by Czech authorities for his suspected role in that deadly 2014 ammunition depot explosion, Avoyanov's involvement underscores Moscow's growing willingness to embrace direct high-risk operations against the West. His deputy, Lieutenant General Ivan Kassianenko, oversees SSD's European operations, a former Russian Air Force officer with deep ties to military intelligence, he previously operated under diplomatic cover in Iran, playing a role in facilitating Moscow's drone and missile cooperation with Tehran. But SSD's activities extend far beyond bombings and assassinations. The unit is also tasked with infiltrating Western companies and universities

in an effort to recruit foreign agents, particularly in Ukraine and Serbia. While SSD operations peaked last last, summer. Intelligence reports suggest a recent lull. The reason, well, some analysts speculate that Moscow may be looking to create diplomatic space with the Trump administration. But Western security officials cautioned that Russian intelligence has only grown more aggressive, particularly in Germany. That's a country that Moscow views as NATO's weak link due to its energy dependence on Russia and deepening internal divisions. NATO's Deputy Assistant Secretary General warned that Russia's wartime mindset demands a, quote, similar response from the West.

And Washington appears to be taking that warning seriously. In December, the EU imposed sanctions on SSD operatives for their role in orchestrating assassinations, sabotage, and cyber attacks across Europe. The U.S. sanctioned SSD members on similar charges back in December. Meanwhile, U.S. and European lawmakers are calling for increased counterintelligence operations against Russian covert activities. As Moscow escalates its shadow war against the West, the emergence of SSD marks a dangerous new chapter,

one that could require the U.S. and NATO allies to take a far more aggressive stance. All right. Coming up in the back of the brief, a deadly knife attack in Austria is now linked to ISIS, as authorities warn the terror threat in Europe remains as real as ever. I'll have those details when we come back. Some follow the noise.

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were wounded in what Austrian officials are calling an Islamist attack carried out by a Syrian asylum seeker. The attack, which took place on Saturday near a main square in a town bordering Italy and Slovenia, has reignited Austria's already tense debate over immigration and national security. Three of the injured remain in intensive care, while another is in stable condition. One victim has been discharged and is receiving outpatient treatment. Authorities identified the Islamist suspect as a 23-year-old Syrian man who was detained at the scene and has since been charged with murder and attempted murder. Austria's interior minister revealed that an Islamic State flag was discovered in the suspect's apartment, that could be a clue, along with evidence suggesting he pledged allegiance to the terror group.

Officials believe he was radicalized online over a short period of time, stating that the suspect had a quote, Islamic terror motive for the attack. Austrian police say the Islamic attacker could have claimed more lives, if not for the intervention of a delivery worker, also a Syrian national, who drove his vehicle toward the suspect, halting the assault. On Sunday, officials confirmed the ages and nationalities of the wounded, two 15-year-olds and three adults, age 28, 32, and 36,

four are Austrian citizens while one is Turkish. The Interior Minister stressed that the suspect had no prior criminal record. He held a valid residence permit and was not on any law enforcement watch lists. However, initial reports suggested the Islamist was still awaiting a decision on his asylum application. The Interior Minister framed the attack as a stark reminder of the growing terrorist threat within Austria, stating, quote, So those in a position of responsibility, the police, the authorities, must draw the necessary conclusions from that. end quote. The attack has fueled debate over Austria's asylum policies, particularly after last

year's election where the National Conservative Freedom Party won the most votes for the first time. The party's leader wasted no time in calling for a, quote, rigorous crackdown on asylum. The Interior Minister echoed those concerns, stating Austria must enact, quote, legal reforms to give law enforcement greater authority in monitoring asylum seekers from Syria and Afghanistan. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Monday, 17 February. Now, I hope you had an opportunity to check out the latest episode of our weekend show, the PDB Situation Report. If not, well, it's available, along with past episodes on our YouTube channel.

You can find that at President's Daily Brief, and as well as, of course, on all podcast platforms. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. Mom, can you tell me a story? Sure. Once upon a time, a mom needed a new car. Was she brave? She was tired, mostly.

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