The President's Daily Brief - May 27th, 2025: Hamas Pulls A Ceasefire Bait-And-Switch & Western Green Light for Ukraine

Episode Date: May 27, 2025

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:   Hamas announces support for a ceasefire proposal—but it turns out the U.S. never made the offer. We’ll explain what really happened.   A new investigation exposes how the British government may have funneled millions to Hamas via UNICEF—and knew about it.   Germany, France, the U.K., and the U.S. lift restrictions on Ukraine, allowing strikes deeper inside Russian territory.   And in today’s Back of the Brief: North Korea arrests four officials after Kim Jong Un’s latest warship launch ends in public embarrassment.   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 Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold TriTails Premium Beef: Visit https://TryBeef.com/PDBfor 2 free Flat Iron steaks with your first box over $250 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Save on the stay. Oh, and free waffles are yours to claim. Well, I hope you like my little song. Book direct at choiceotails.com. It's Tuesday, the 27th of May. 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 begin in Gaza, where Hamas just pulled a diplomatic sleight of hand, announcing support for a ceasefire proposal that the U.S. never actually made. We'll break it down. Later in the show, a new investigation reveals that the British government may have been quietly funneling millions to Hamas. through, well, UNICEF.

Plus, a big win for Ukraine. Germany, France, the UK, and the U.S. are all giving Kiv the green light to strike deeper inside Russia. And in today's back of the brief, heads are starting to roll, we knew they would, in North Korea, after Kim Jong-un surprised a new warship failed to launch in spectacular fashion.

But first, today's PDB spotlight. We'll start things off today with a bit of a confusing situation out of the Middle East, which of course means business as usual. On Monday, a Palestinian official claimed that Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire proposal supposedly brokered by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Whitkaw. According to the official, the deal included a 70-day truce, the staged release of 10 living Israeli hostages, and the return of several bodies.

Five captives would be released at the start of the ceasefire, with the other five released on the final day. It also reportedly called for a partial Israeli hospital. Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners currently held in Israeli jails, many of them serving lengthy sentences. Now, it sounded like a major breakthrough, the kind of deal that could pause or even end one of the most brutal conflicts in the region in recent memory. But, well, there's always a but, isn't there?

There's a problem. Hamas was trying to pull off, what do they call it in Arabic? The old razzle-dazzle, or maybe that's Farsi. I'm not sure. As it turns out, the deal that Hamas said it was agreeing to, well, never existed. Shortly after Hamas made its announcement, Whitkoff responded publicly and forcefully. In a statement to Axios, he said, quote, what I have seen from Hamas is disappointing and completely unacceptable. An unnamed Israeli official quoted by Reuters was even more blunt, saying, quote, no responsible government could accept such an agreement.

So, you say to yourself, what's going on here? and, in fact, is the old razzle-dazzle how they say it in Arabic. Some analysts believe this was a deliberate move by Hamas, an attempt to present themselves as reasonable negotiators while putting public pressure on Israel and the U.S. It also may have been, frankly, a stalling tactic. As we reported yesterday, Israel's ground invasion is escalating rapidly. Every regular army infantry and armored brigade has now been deployed inside Gaza.

We're also learning more about the Israeli military's long, long-term objectives in the enclave. On Sunday, Israeli commanders announced a plan to take control of 75% of the Gaza Strip within the next two months. The goal is to corner Hamas into just a sliver of the territory, about a quarter of the Gaza Strip, and eventually eliminate the group's ability to operate altogether. As that military plan unfolds, Israel is simultaneously rolling out a new U.S.-backed aid distribution system inside Gaza. According to Israeli officials, the new system will involve four aid complexes, three in southern Gaza and one in the center, where hundreds of American contractors will assist in distributing

supplies. Under the plan, each Palestinian family would be required to send a representative to one of the aid centers every five days to receive assistance. But the system is, as you might imagine, already drawing criticism. The UN, well, they're never shy about criticizing anything, and other international aid groups have refused to participate. Hmm, that doesn't sound very humanitarian, arguing that the plan is too dangerous. They say it forces civilians to travel through a war zone for food and that it compromises their neutrality since Israel is controlling the aid. The rollout comes after a month's long blockade that led to severe shortages of food, fuel, and medicine in Gaza. That blockade has led to widespread condemnation of Israel, including by some of its European allies,

some of which are calling for sanctions against the Netanyahu government. All right, coming up after the break, new revelations about the UK quietly funding Hamas through UNICE and a battlefield boost for Ukraine as Western allies lift restrictions on strikes inside Russia. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, you may have heard about this upcoming summit, but it's important and it's worth paying attention to.

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I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities, so do like I did and have one of your assistants assistants, switch you to MintMobil today. I'm told it's super easy to do at mintmobile.com slash switch. Up front payment of $45 for three-month plan equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See full terms at mintmobile.com. Welcome back to the BDB. In a bombshell Israeli news report, backed by internal documents from the UK, the British government has knowingly funneled millions in aid to Hamas-controlled ministries in Gaza through UNICEF.

On Saturday, Israel's Channel 12 revealed that the UK is not only a top source of private donations flowing to Hamas through Muslim charities, but has also channeled millions in taxpayer-funded aid through UNICEF, despite the agency's direct partnerships with Hamas-run ministries in Gaza. The cornerstone of the report is a classified 22 document from the British Consulate General in Jerusalem, titled UK humanitarian support in the occupied Palestinian territories for fiscal years 2022 to 26. In it, the UK Foreign Office acknowledges the reputational risks of partnering with Hamas-controlled ministries. Yet, as watchdog group NGO monitor notes, funding approvals continued all the same. The report goes further, signaling out London as what Israeli defense officials now call, quote,

Hamas's financial capital in the West. One Channel 12 journalist put it even more starkly, stating, quote, Britain is one of the three leading countries in the world, the other two being Muslim countries, in the volume of donations flowing from it to Hamas. The journalist added that, quote, more than a quarter of non-state funding for the terrorist organization comes from the British Isles. At the heart of the controversy is UNICEF's cooperation with Gaza's Ministry of Social Development, known as M-O-S-D, because of course we all love an acronym, which at the time was headed by senior Hamas official Ramsi Hamad. Hamad fled to Lebanon, just weeks before the 7 October terror attack, how brave of him, and later issued a public defense of the attack. By October the

following year he was openly calling for Israel's annihilation. Anne Hertzberg, legal advisor for NGO Monitor, told Channel 12 that UK government funds were routed through UNICEF, which then worked directly with MOSD. And she stated, quote, the British government is giving millions of pounds to the UN and especially to UNICEF, which works with the Ministry of Social Development in Gaza. She, of course, noted that the ministry is controlled by Hamas. Despite the UK's stated aware, of these ties, funding to UNICEF surged. Hertzberg pointed out that the UK gave nearly 5 million pounds to UNICEF in 2023 and over 23 million in 2024.

But when asks how much of that money was funneled into MOSD-linked programs, she conceded, quote, well, we're not sure because it's not fully transparent. Oh, well, that's because Hamas controls those funds. The British Embassy in Israel responded with a strongly worded statement on X, calling the Channel 12 investigation, quote, irresponsible. And irresponsible? Well, what might be irresponsible is giving tens of millions to Hamas? I don't know. It's just me being churlish. And claiming that, quote, the UK government has never funded Hamas or affiliated ministries. But Hertzberg rejected the rebuttal outright, saying, quote, instead of calling it irresponsible, give us information. Her organization's report concluded that British officials, quote,

appear more concerned about the UK's image than about the dangerous implications of lax counterterror financial policy. NGO Monitor also flagged a broader pattern of opacity from the UK foreign office. And yes, I did say opacity. Is it opacity? I don't know. In 2021, the department reportedly refused to comply with a freedom of information request regarding funding for the Norwegian Refugee Council. It's an Oslo-based NGO that works closely with the OMOSD and has drawn sharp criticism in Israel for what some describe as legal activism masquerading as humanitarian aid. Hertzberg characterized a situation as a textbook failure of international aid oversight.

She added that everyone has known for years that, quote, Hamas is taking this money to build tunnels and store weapons and that UNRWA was taken over by Hamas. yet they just continued to let the money flow seemingly without any safeguards, end quote. All right. Shifting to Germany, the country has said that the U.S., France, and the United Kingdom have lifted range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine, clearing the way for Kiv to strike military targets inside Russian territory. The announcement made yesterday by German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz at the WDR Europa Forum in Berlin marks a major ship. in Germany's Ukraine policy. It also opens the door for the long-delayed delivery of

Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukrainian forces. Mertz stated, quote, there are no more range limitations for weapons delivered to Ukraine, neither from the Brits nor the French, nor from us, not from the Americans, either. That, he said, means Keeve can now defend itself and strike back against military infrastructure deep within Russian territory. For months, Kiva's for the Taurus missile system. It's a German-designed missile with a range exceeding some 300 miles and a warhead powerful enough to obliterate Russian command centers, supply routes, and ammo depots far behind the front lines. President Zelensky voiced that he had, quote,

more than hope that Berlin would finally hand them over. While Mertz stopped short of confirming the transfer, his intent was clear. He pledged that Germany would, quote, do everything to support Ukraine militarily. The Chancellor also indicated that the future arms deliveries would be kept largely confidential to avoid tipping off Moscow to changes in Ukraine's toolkit. The policy reversal marks a sharp departure from the stance of the previous Social Democratic Party government under Olaf Schultz, which consistently blocked tourist deliveries over fears of escalating tensions with nuclear-armed Russia. Mertz, whose center-right Christian Democrats now lead a coalition with the center-left Social Democratic Party

had previously signaled openness to the move, but only in alignment with Germany's allies. That alignment now appears firmly in place. Both the UK and France have already provided Ukraine with scalp or storm shadow cruise missiles, and the U.S. has quietly eased limitations on Ukrainian use of U.S. weapons near the Russian border. As our longtime PDB listeners will know,

back in November of 2024, then President Biden authorized limited Ukrainian strikes inside Russia's Kursk region using U.S. supplied long-range weapons. The decision reportedly came in response to the deployment of North Korean troops to the front lines. The shift underscores a broader recalibration of European security posture as the war grinds on without a clear path to a ceasefire. What was once deemed escalatory, such as striking Russian territory with NATO-provided arms, is now being reframed as an essential component of Ukraine's right to self-defense.

Not sure if the Russians will see it that way. Okay, coming up next in the back of the brief, Kim Jong-un is out for blood. After that, embarrassing ship launch last week, remember that? With news that at least four officials have been taken into custody over the incident. Well, there's about to be some headroom there at the North Korean military. I'll have those details next. Hey, Mike Baker here. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to report that it is now officially grilling season.

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And the winner, by knockout, is happy. In today, Saturday, bring it on. In today's back of the brief, Kim Jong-un is tossing his teddy out of the crib again, and in North Korea, well, that means heads are rolling, possibly literally. Following the humiliating failure of a naval destroyer launch last week, North Korean authorities have detained four officials, according to state media. The destroyer, only the second of its kind for the North Korean Navy, was meant to be a centerpiece of king.

Kim's bush to modernize his naval fleet. But during the launch ceremony in the northeastern part of Chongjin, attended by Kim himself, by the way, the vessel lost its balance, toppled over, and partially sank. Satellite imagery confirms the embarrassment. The warship now lies on its side, draped in blue tarps with part of its hull submerged. Kim didn't mince words afterwards. He blamed the botched launch on what he called, quote, criminal negligence, and a criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility, and unscientific empiricism. In response, North Korean media announced that four officials were detained, among them, Rihung-sun, vice director of the Munitions Industry Department in the ruling workers' party.

He reportedly admitted that he was, quote, greatly responsible for the disaster. Also arrested the chief engineer, the head of the Hull Construction Workshop, and the deputy manager for administration. rate of affairs. The shipyard's manager wasn't detained, but was reportedly hauled in for questioning. Now, this is a rare public acknowledgement of military failure from Pyongyang, one that analysts say underscores how seriously Kim is taking his naval expansion program. Just last month, the regime celebrated the successful launch of its first destroyer, calling it a technological breakthrough. That vessel is reportedly capable of carrying modern and possibly nuclear missile.

South Korean officials believe Russian assistants likely played a role in its construction. And when they say likely, they mean, yes, Russian assistants played a role in its construction. For Kim, these warships are, well, frankly, more than just hardware. Their propaganda tools meant to showcase North Korea's growing military might and its defiance of the U.S. and regional allies. So, when one of them ends up listing in the harbor like a wounded whale, well, somebody's got to fall on their sword or a lot of people. Still, North Korea claims the damage isn't serious. State media insists the destroyer will be repaired in just 10 days, but outside observers are skeptical, oh, calling that timeline overly optimistic, if not outright propaganda. Either way, one thing's clear. In a country where

appearances are everything, this wasn't just a naval failure, it was seen as a personal slight, an insult to little rocket man. And that, my friend, friends, is the president's daily brief for Tuesday, the 27th of May. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And, of course, to listen to the show ad-free, 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 later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed.

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