Latest / Early Edition with Ryan Bridge / Geoffrey Miller: Geopolitical Analyst on the meeting between Christopher Luxon and Keir Starmer

Transcript

Geoffrey Miller: Geopolitical Analyst on the meeting between Christopher Luxon and Keir Starmer · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Prime Minister Christopher Luxen meet with his British counterparts of
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Kerestarma overnight, announcing a new agreement to deeper defense and
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: security ties. The UK has signed a sixty million dollar
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: deal with New Zealand for the supply of drones to
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: support Ukraine, and the pair also visited Kiwi troops training
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: frontline Ukrainian soldiers. Jeffrey Miller is a geopolitical analyst and
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  Speaker 1: he joins me, now, thanks for your time, Jeffrey, Good morning,
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: franch esca. How significant is this drone deal?
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: Look, I think it is significant for the company and
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  Speaker 2: who knew that we had a company in Mount Long
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  Speaker 2: and Ui producing these kinds of drones and they do
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  Speaker 2: so out of a factory near London in the southeast
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: of England. So those drones will be heading off to Ukraine.
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  Speaker 2: So I think Christopher Luxin is very keen to emphasize
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  Speaker 2: New Zealand support for Ukraine on this trip. There's a
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  Speaker 2: major meeting in London, I believe today with issues from Europe,
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  Speaker 2: the US and Ukraine. Nothing out some of the details
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: of peace proposal that will then be put to Russia,
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  Speaker 2: and that could include Ukraine's recognition of Crimera as Russian
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  Speaker 2: territory or international recognition of Crimeras as Russian territory, which
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  Speaker 2: would be a very very significant concession by Ukraine to
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  Speaker 2: make and buy its Western partners. So I think Ukraine
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  Speaker 2: really is front and center of the agenda at the moment.
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  Speaker 1: Will you create, sorry, will Luxon get much of a
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  Speaker 1: voice in these geopolitical moves or will he just be
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  Speaker 1: doing what the big dogs tell him.
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  Speaker 2: I think you'll be keen to put New Zealand's perspective
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  Speaker 2: on all of these matters. In the end. That is
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  Speaker 2: Christopher Luxen's job as New Zealand Prime minister. I think
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  Speaker 2: really does say he should be very mindful about others
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  Speaker 2: who are watching. I think it's very easy for New
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  Speaker 2: Zealand prime ministers to go to Number ten or go
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  Speaker 2: to the White House, etc. And be quite starstruck about
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  Speaker 2: where they are and then agree to things that or
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  Speaker 2: say things that really are more the view of their partners.
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  Speaker 2: In this case, Kiirstarma, I think Crystal election should be
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  Speaker 2: well that China in particular will be watching what Christopher
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  Speaker 2: Luxen says on all things defense. Christopher Luxeen may well
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  Speaker 2: be keen to hype up some of the hawkish rhetoric,
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  Speaker 2: given that New Zealand put out that quite strong defense
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  Speaker 2: capability plan a couple of weeks ago. But I think
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  Speaker 2: China will see some of that has aimed very much
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  Speaker 2: at it. Whenever the talk goes about the Endo Pacific,
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  Speaker 2: I think China feels targeted. And Christopher Luxen is visiting London,
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  Speaker 2: his visits in many capitals now, he still hasn't made
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  Speaker 2: a visit to Beijing, so I think Luxan needs to
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  Speaker 2: be careful about what he says and to make sure
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  Speaker 2: that there's very much in line with New Zealand's interests.
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  Speaker 1: Will the UK appreciate the ongoing support from New Zealand
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  Speaker 1: and training Ukraine soldiers.
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  Speaker 2: No doubt. I mean the United Kingdom and in Europe generally,
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  Speaker 2: Ukraine has so much the focus at the moment, while
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  Speaker 2: New Zealand is in a very different part of the
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  Speaker 2: world and has a wider view. Perhaps or we're more
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  Speaker 2: focused on the Asia Pacific or Into Pacific as it's
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  Speaker 2: often called now as well as Ukraine. If you're in Europe,
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  Speaker 2: Ukraine really is the centerpiece. So I think that's really
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  Speaker 2: why Ukraine is a big part of the agenda. But
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  Speaker 2: train of course is also going to be a big
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  Speaker 2: part of the talks. We're approaching Donald Trump's first one
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  Speaker 2: hundred days in office, and it's been a whirl win
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  Speaker 2: one hundred days, and those tariffs that were announced on
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  Speaker 2: Liberation Day, as Trump called it, I have only been suspended.
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  Speaker 2: They haven't been canceled. There's only a ninety day Postponeman.
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  Speaker 2: So I think Starma and LUXELM will be really discussing
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  Speaker 2: about where to from here, what's the game plan. And
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  Speaker 2: again I think Lux needs to be careful when he
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  Speaker 2: comes up with his proposals. We put out that proposal
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  Speaker 2: a couple of weeks ago that the CPTPP could work
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  Speaker 2: with the EU, the United Kingdom's already in the CPTPP
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  Speaker 2: or the Transpacific Partnership. I think he needs to Lux
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  Speaker 2: needs to be careful here because again China will be watching.
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  Speaker 2: China has already applied to join the CPTPP, and China
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  Speaker 2: is the main target of Donald Trump's tariffs of up
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  Speaker 2: to two hundred and forty five percent now and they
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  Speaker 2: haven't been suspended. So I think when you're there, you
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  Speaker 2: should be probably showing some level of solidarity with China,
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  Speaker 2: which is after all New Zealand's biggest trading partner, and
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  Speaker 2: talks of just bringing the EU into the CPTPP I
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  Speaker 2: think are a little bit premature, and the EU is
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  Speaker 2: not particularly supportive of true free trade, so there'll be
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  Speaker 2: a lot to talk about, no doubt, and that meeting
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  Speaker 2: I believe has been happening over the last few hours
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  Speaker 2: start in New UK time, Jeffrey.
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  Speaker 1: We've got a lot of world leaders converging at the
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  Speaker 1: Pope's funeral. Should Luxon be there, I think.
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  Speaker 2: You showed I mean, certainly if he's over already in
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  Speaker 2: the United Kingdom, he's heading to Turkey for Anzac Day.
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  Speaker 2: It seems that the stars are aligned in a way
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  Speaker 2: with the sad passing of the Pope's death, and it
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  Speaker 2: would be easy for Luxelan to head back to Rome
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  Speaker 2: for the fun before heading back to New Zealand. I
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  Speaker 2: don't know whether that's been confirmed yet. You would surely
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  Speaker 2: think that luck would take that option if it's available,
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  Speaker 2: because of the sideline opportunities, And as your correspondent was mentioning,
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  Speaker 2: there's going to be a big parade of world leaders
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  Speaker 2: there from across Europe and further afield, including Trump himself,
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  Speaker 2: including Vladimer Zelenski and Manual M. Kran All manner of
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  Speaker 2: leaders are going to be there, so it would be
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  Speaker 2: a good opportunity for some sideline conversations, much in the
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  Speaker 2: same way that the Queen's funeral brought together a lot
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  Speaker 2: of world leaders back in twenty twenty two.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely, thank you Jeffrey Miller. Thank you very much for
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  Speaker 1: your time this morning. Appreciate it. For more from early
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live to news Talks it'd
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.