1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:04,440 Speaker 1: International correspondence with ends an Eye Insurance Peace of Mind 2 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:05,520 Speaker 1: for New Zealand business. 3 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:09,480 Speaker 2: Jonathan Kearsley, US correspondent with US Now, Hey, Jonathan. 4 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: Heather, Good afternoon to you and all the beautiful folk 5 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: on the other side of the world. 6 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:17,479 Speaker 2: In the future, in the future, I love it, Jonathan listen. 7 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:20,639 Speaker 2: How can Trump being justify being happy to meet with 8 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 2: potent if he hasn't met with Zelenski. 9 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think this is the issue that the White 10 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: House was kind of trying to navigate around earlier today. 11 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: There was after this suggestion yesterday that Trump and Putin 12 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: would meet, came a suggestion from the White House earlier 13 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: today US time that that actually wouldn't happen until Putin 14 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 1: had met Zelenski. Like they were starting to put conditions 15 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: around this thing. And then you heard President Trump asked 16 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: in the Oval Office a few hours ago whether or 17 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,919 Speaker 1: not that was actually a condition he saw, and he said, no, 18 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: it's not. So it's it is interesting from that perspective 19 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: that he is seemingly trying to drive this meeting as 20 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: he wants to meet Putin, he wants to see him 21 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: face to face. He seems Lenski they had that infamous 22 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: showdown in the Oval Office a year or so ago, 23 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: now earlier this year. It feels like a year ago, 24 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,479 Speaker 1: but it was earlier this year, and then obviously at 25 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:17,039 Speaker 1: the Pope's funeral a few months back too. So look, 26 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: he is placing a lot of importance around wanting to 27 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:23,399 Speaker 1: see Vladimir Putin. I think in reality trying to pull 28 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 1: off a meeting of such high stakes that such short 29 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: notice is going to be problematic. Is it actually going 30 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: to happen? I mean, this is Donald Trump. He could 31 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: potentially pull anything off. But I think the next few 32 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: hours are going to tell whether this meeting is actually 33 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 1: going to happen within days, as the Kremlin suggested, and 34 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 1: as the White House suggested, it could happen as early 35 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 1: as next week. But I think in reality Donald Trump 36 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: would want the optics of him sitting in the room 37 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 1: with the two of them. He would want to make 38 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: it look like he is the peacemaker. Already, the White 39 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,279 Speaker 1: House is trying to claim that he's broken some seven 40 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: seats fires in the seven months or so six and 41 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: a half months he has been in office, So he 42 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: is really trying to drive himself as a peacemaker, probably 43 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: in a push for a Nobel Peace Prize, And that 44 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,079 Speaker 1: might sound slightly off the cuff, but it is genuinely 45 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: something he has spoken about repeatedly. He has his eyes 46 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: very much firmly set on being seen as a peacemaker 47 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 1: president and wanting a trophy if you like, to be 48 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: able to go with it. But you've got to look 49 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 1: at the reality of pulling off this meeting in such 50 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: a short amount of time as to whether it's feasible. 51 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: The UAE has been suggested as a possible location. They 52 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,839 Speaker 1: had that famous summit back in his first term when 53 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: he went against the CIA advice that Russia had tried 54 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: to influence the election and said that he'd spoken with 55 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: Putin in that room and Putin deny it. So he 56 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:49,119 Speaker 1: believes Putin. So the optics of this meeting are going 57 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: to be extraordinary if they happen. But you would imagine 58 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 1: if you were in Donald Trump's seat, you would want 59 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: the optics of him sharing a table with Vladimir Putin 60 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,919 Speaker 1: on one end, Vladimir's Lenski on the other. And right 61 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 1: now Russia and Ukraine are essentially saying they're too far 62 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: apart for that summer to happen. But Donald Trump said 63 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: earlier today that wouldn't matter. He's happy to meet Putin now, 64 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 1: he's happy to see him. But what is it he's 65 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:16,799 Speaker 1: going to get out of it. He's going to need 66 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 1: an outcome. And the outcome he's going to want is 67 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 1: Vladimir Putin agreeing to stop the war in Ukraine. Is 68 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: he willing to do that? Well, everything up until now 69 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: has suggested that's not the case. 70 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 2: Yeah. Quite. How do you think Trump's going to react 71 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 2: to this news out of Israel? 72 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is going to be a fascinating one for 73 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: him to address in the early hours. We yet to 74 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 1: see it him to respond to it on truth Social 75 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: It's now twenty twenty to one in the morning in Washington, DC. 76 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: We know Donald Trump stays up very late in the evening, 77 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: but we're yet to see a response to him on that. 78 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: But we know that he is very close to Benjaminetnyahu, 79 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: that he has had him at the White House on 80 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: multiple occasions, and he has said that he wants an 81 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: end to this conflict, this idea of Israel taking complete 82 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: control of Gaza and Gaza City. I mean, wind the 83 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: clock back to when he effectively stood alongside Benuminette Yahoo 84 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 1: and said he wanted us control of Gaza back in 85 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 1: probably February of this year, and said that essentially he 86 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 1: wanted to turn it into the riviera of the Middle East. 87 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: The words that will go down in history were accompanied 88 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: by this sort of gushing ai video that he shared 89 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: on social media of what Gaza could look like turned 90 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: into some sort of resort city. We'll look at the 91 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: images that are coming out of there now and need 92 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: such a stark contrast. You've forgot thousands of people dared 93 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the Ghaza Health Ministry, 94 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: which yes he's run by Hamas. You've got claims of starvation. 95 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: We're seeing the images coming out of Gaza of the 96 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: humanitarians suffering in place and claims that the food cannot 97 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 1: get in. What you're going to see, I think from 98 00:04:57,400 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 1: Donald Trump in the next twenty four hours is going 99 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: to be critical to where he now sits on this conflict. 100 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:06,919 Speaker 1: Is he firmly in Benuminetnyahu's pocket in agreeing that this 101 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: is a good idea in Israeli control of Gaza City, 102 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: or is he going to try and find another alternative, 103 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: Because again, as a peacemaker, he is wanting to find 104 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: a path to piece. He's wanting to find an end 105 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 1: to this conflict. But it is Benuminetnyahu who is on 106 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:27,359 Speaker 1: the ground in the region driving his situation forward, and 107 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 1: as you said, in the last few hours, he's been 108 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:32,279 Speaker 1: able to convince his cabinet that a complete control of 109 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:36,600 Speaker 1: Gaza City is acceptable for the Israeli government to take. Now, 110 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: this is going to spark a lot of anger in 111 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: the region if it does take place, because what you're 112 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:43,480 Speaker 1: going to see is a call up of thousands of 113 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:48,799 Speaker 1: Israeli reservists, thousands upon thousands of them, and the IDF, 114 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: which are very very good at sending out media, video 115 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: and images of what they want the world to see, 116 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 1: is going to put out the optics and again we're 117 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: talking about optics here of Israeli troops going into control 118 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: Gaza City. This is exactly the sort of scenario the 119 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 1: ben jaminette Na who wants. He wasn't going to get 120 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 1: it under Joe Biden or indeed Kamala Harris if Kamala 121 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: Harris was elected, because he would not have had that support. 122 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 1: But seemingly, seemingly in the first six and a half 123 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: months or so of Donald Trump's presidency. He knows that 124 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: he has the support of the American President. 125 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 2: Jonathan, very good to talk to you and thanks for 126 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 2: all of that insight. Jonathan Kearsley, US correspondent. For more 127 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 2: from Hither Duplessy, Allen Drive, listen live to news Talks. 128 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 1: It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 129 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.