The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | March 19th, 2025: Trump's Limited Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire Already Risks Collapse & China Looks To Thwart US Panama Canal Deal

Episode Date: March 19, 2025

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All right, let's get briefed. First, President Trump's much discussed and anticipated 30-day partial ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine, which was supposed to halt strikes on energy infrastructure, is already collapsing. We'll look at what happened just hours after the call between Trump and Russian President Putin. Later in the show, China is looking at the time. China is looking to scuttle the sale of two critical ports in the Panama Canal to the U.S. asset firm BlackRock, jeopardizing President Trump's plans to regain control of the strategic waterway from the Chinese Communist Party. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. It appears that the Trump administration's hopes for a limited ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine are already at risk of collapsing,

as Moscow and Kiev accuse each other of launching air attacks on civilian targets and energy infrastructure. Less than 24 hours after Trump's lengthy phone call with Putin, where the Russian strong man reportedly agreed to cease attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days, Ukrainian President Zelensky said that Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack, striking civilian buildings and energy sites. The overnight bombardment involved roughly 145 Russian drones, four cruise missiles and two ballistic missiles, which struck 200, hospitals in Sumi in northeastern Ukraine, as well as a power substation in the eastern Densk region, that's according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. Zelensky condemned what he described

as a deliberate provocation and said Ukraine will be forced to respond in kind. He also held the strikes up as clear evidence that Putin is not acting in good faith, well, there's a shock, when it comes to Trump's diplomatic outreach and is using the discussions to manipulate the situation to his advantage. On Wednesday, Zelensky stated, quote, you see, this ceasefire is already not working. Putin's words are very much at odds with reality, end quote. The Ukrainian leader added that, quote, there won't be a situation where Russia will continue to shell our energy infrastructure and that we won't respond, we will respond, end quote. Russia, meanwhile, said that Ukraine already launched its own overnight attack on Russian oil infrastructure in the country's south

and accused leaders in Kiev of trying to undermine the tentative deal struck between Trump and Putin. The Russian Defense Ministry said multiple Ukrainian drones had entered their airspace and that a drone attack caused a fire at a major oil depot. The dueling accusations underscore the fragile nature of Trump's negotiations with both Russia and Ukraine and lingering uncertainties over how to implement and enforce any potential ceasefire proposals. Zelensky said that the U.S. must closely monitor, Russia's military activity and hold them accountable to their stated promises. He said he would be discussing next steps with Trump on a phone call that actually took place Wednesday morning. Details of the

discussion are scarce at this time, but we will have more on that call in tomorrow's PDB. As we discussed on this morning show, President Trump was initially seeking to convince Putin to agree to a full 30-day ceasefire that would pave the way for discussions on a more permanent peace deal. While Keev accepted the proposal last week, Putin rejected the offer, saying that it did not go far enough in addressing Russia's strategic concerns and objectives. Putin is insisting that any lasting ceasefire must include Ukraine abandoning its NATO ambitions and recognizing Russian territorial gains. Additionally, the Kremlin said on Monday that a key condition for ending the war is to fully end all foreign military aid and intelligence sharing, to Ukraine and assurances that Ukraine will cease the mobilization and rearmament of its military. Putin also reportedly wants a pony and a golden ticket to Wonka's chocolate factory.

Look, the dude essentially expects everything and, to date, appears uninterested in actual negotiations. Putin's demands are so steep that many are skeptical, really, as to whether he has any real interest in peace, at least in the short term. Zelensky said Tuesday that Putin is attempting to use these talks to, quote, weaken Ukraine so that he can issue ultimatums from a position of strength. The White House had said that Trump and Putin agreed on Tuesday's call to send delegations to the Middle East immediately to negotiate a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and to get the ball rolling on a more permanent peace deal. But Wednesday's attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure raise major questions

about whether the U.S. can trust any promises made by the Kremlin. Now, you may have be shocked to hear me say that I don't believe that you can trust any promises being made by Putin. It's just not in his nature. Coming up next, China is looking to thwart the sale of two critical ports in the Panama Canal to the U.S. asset firm BlackRock. I'll have those details when we come back. Wireless can feel like a world of traps, but not with visible. It's one-line wireless with unlimited data and hotspot, powered by Verizon for 20. $25 a month. Taxes and fees included.

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See Visible.com for plan features and network management details. Olivia Rodriguez. The Unravel Tour. Across North America with special guests. Get tickets Thursday, May 7th at Olivia Rodrigo.com. Welcome back to the afternoon bulletin. A deal for the United States to reclaim control over the Panama Cadal

is rapidly becoming a flashpoint in the ongoing power struggle between Washington and Beijing, as Chinese and Hong Kong authorities seek to stand in the way of the deal. As we've tracked here on the PDB, the $23 billion deal spearheaded by investment giant Black Rock, triggered legal challenges in Panama, and regulatory scrutiny from Beijing over one of the world's most strategic waterways. At the heart of the dispute is Black Rock's acquisition of the Panamanian ports of Cristobal and Balboa. Now, those are critical ports on the Atlantic and the Pacific ends of the canal from Hong Kong-based C.K. Hutchinson. The deal aligns with President Trump's broader push to reclaim American influence in the region, with him calling it an effort to, quote,

reclaim control of the canal and slamming Beijing's, quote, rip-off of American shipping firms through excessive tolls. The Panama Canal handles roughly 5% of global maritime trade and is a crucial transit route for the U.S. Navy, allowing vessels to move between the Atlantic and the Pacific. For years, American national security officials have warned that Beijing's presence in the canal zone could enable China to restrict American access in the event of conflict. That's a concern that is only intensifying as tensions between the two nations escalate. On Tuesday, Hong Kong chief executive John Lee weighed in denouncing the Black Rock deal and insisting that it requires, quote, serious attention. In what appeared to be a pointed

jab at President Trump, Lee added, quote, we oppose the abusive use of coercion or bullying tactics in international economic and trade relations. He added, and if anybody knows, the abusive use of coercion or bullying tactics in international affairs, it's the Chinese regime." End quote. All right, fine. I made up that last part of the quote. But that doesn't make it wrong. Beijing, meanwhile, launched an antitrust and national security review through its state

administration of market regulation. That's a move that's widely interpreted as an effort to scuttle the sale before it can even go through. A Chinese Communist Party-owned newspaper in Hong Kong also entered the fray, warning that the Hutchinson Black Rock Agreement would allow Washington to, quote, use the canal for political purposes and promote its own political agenda. It suggested that the sale could lead to China's shipping industry becoming, quote, subject to the United States. The fight isn't confined to Beijing. In Panama, the country's Attorney General formally backed two lawsuits that challenged C.K.

Hutchinson's 25-year contract for the canal ports, arguing that the agreement is unconstitutional and improperly grants foreign control over national infrastructure. Now, this could be a factor in Hutchinson's intent to sell. Adding to the tension, Panama's president announced last month that the country would pull out of China's Belt and Road Initiative, that's Beijing's global infrastructure push that has served as a cornerstone of its economic expansion efforts. The dispute comes at a precarious time for U.S.-China relations.

As we've covered, Trump earlier this month raised tariffs on Chinese. goods from 10% to 20%, citing Beijing's failure to reign in fentanyl trafficking. On Monday, Trump hinted that Chinese President Xi may visit the U.S. quote, in the not too distant future. Some analysts believe Beijing could leverage the Canal deal to push for a reduction in tariffs. Hmm. But should China formally move to block the Black Rock C.K. Hutchinson deal, it's all but certain to provoke a heated response, of course, from Washington.

Trump's national security team views the Panama Canal as a core strategic asset, and any effort by Beijing to torpedo the sale is expected to trigger retaliatory measures. Well, I guess it's only fair. 2025 is already shaping up to be the year of retaliatory measures. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Wednesday, the 19th of March. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb at thefirsttv.com. And finally, have you ever found yourself thinking out loud, you know, I'd love to listen to the PDB, but I wonder what it would be like without commercials. Well, wonder no further.

To listen to the show ad-free, simply become a premium member of the president's daily brief by visiting pdbpremium.com. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. Start the spring season off right with a new pair of Toccovas Western Boots. Hand-crafted and over 200 steps from genuine leather. They're built to last and feel broken in the moment you put them on.

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