Rory O'Neil talks about the Minneral Deal with Ukrane

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The original meeting was Zelenski didn't go well at the
White House when they're trying to cut a deal about
the minerals that were available, and President Trump said, look,
if we're going to play ball here, you got to
play ball with us, and we'd like some access to
those minerals. Well, yesterday it happened. Our Treasury Secretary Scott
Besson announcing the deal.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
This partnership allows the United States to invest alongside Ukraine
to unlock Ukraine's growth assets, mobilized American talent, capital, and
governance standards that will improve Ukraine's investment climate and accelerate
Ukraine's economic recovery. The Development Finance Corporation will participate and

(00:37):
help to establish this fund in collaboration with the government
of Ukraine.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
Well, there you go and joining us. Now talk a
little bit more about this in some of the details
involved in all of it. Our correspondent, Royalneil is here,
so he also said our secretary there at the Treasury,
this is sending a message to Russia. Russia's response on
this anything yet from the.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
Kremlin, not from the Kremlin direct. We know some of
the people who have spoken out are sort of dismissing
this agreement. But we have not got an official response
to this deal that does not include an explicit security agreement.
So there's nothing there that says, let's just imagine there's
JT's mining company opens up shop in the Kurson region

(01:18):
of Ukraine, right and you're attacked. There's nothing in this
deal that explicitly says the eighty second Airborne is coming
into the rescue and we're going to help you. But
it sort of implied that if you attack an American investment,
you better look out that America's military will respond. So
that's sort of the link and a nod that goes

(01:38):
with this deal. It also does not pay us back
for what we've invested in Ukraine so far, with the
previous military hardware that we've sent over there and the
cash that's been sold over there. But moving forward, future
military aid may be considered part of this investment fund.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
You know, over the last couple of weeks there has
been an indication, in some hints from the President to
Ukraine and Russia that if you guys can't figure this
out and get this peace deal going here, then we're
going to back out, because you know, putin has come
and said that he'll put a ceasefire on May eighth
through the tenth. But up until then, you know, all

(02:17):
things are on. So when there's really no effort coming
from Putin about one to end this thing or showing
any signs of a peace deal, even pausing right now,
President Trump said, if you can't get it done, then
we're going to back out of this thing potentially and
just let you all just deal with it yourself. Does
this change that messaging now that we have an investment in.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
There, and certainly could Again, it's still early days, so
I think you're talking more short term in terms of
a ceasefire that may last. You know, Russia has said
thirty Ukraine countered yesterday with how about a thirty day ceasefire?
That's still in the mix. But long term, certainly this
would have that impact of well, look, if the US

(03:02):
forces are here in Ukraine, then Russia is going to
have to watch its behavior.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
Yeah, I mean, if we've got to deal with Ukraine
to be there and share their minerals, I'm sure we're
going to have some presence with American whether it's soldiers
or company folks or you know, civilians at some point,
we will have more presence in Ukraine because of this.
I've got to imagine it's nah, gissing me. You want well,
we'll wait over here, you just ship it over right.

Speaker 3 (03:27):
But there's good and bad in that, of course. Right. So,
now JT's my honing company is at risk or suddenly,
you know, if we do have to send US forces
on the ground to protect JT's mining company, now suddenly
we're we're putting our men and women at risk.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
Yeah, and let's not forget they are still not a
member of NATO, so the rest of the Allies aren't
necessarily all anxious to pony up if they need support
in battling Russia in this too. All right, Speaking of businesses,
let's talk about the results of a new survey on
how small businesses feel about the financial situation right now
and the expectation in the long game that President Trump says,

(04:02):
we've got to keep an eye on that.

Speaker 3 (04:05):
Yeah, you know, more than three in five small businesses
believe that now is a good time for small businesses
to grow. They say that those events like Small Business
Week are big help, but they're concerned about not having
access to enough funding. They say that they need more
lines of credit so that they can inventory or meet payroll.

(04:27):
They also say of their general complaints. In this walle
Hub survey, thirty three percent said the taxes are their
biggest frustration, then inflation, then the cost of borrowing, but
they say that tariffs. Sixty six percent of the small
businesses say tariffs will not be good for their operations.

Speaker 1 (04:45):
Yeah, it seems to be the one alarming message from
most folks right now. We got to fix the TERARFF
situation and slow it down or bring it down. Something's
got to give here because yeah, the GDP came back
you know, negative yesterday, which was not a good indication
and on the economy right now,