Breaking
Finance Global Insight
Archive

April 23, 2025

Browsing
Stock

$4,000 Gold? Analysts Eye New Highs on Inflation and Geopolitical Risk

Stock 5 Mins Read

On Monday, the Dow dropped over 1,000 points after President Trump’s new round of criticism directed at Fed Chair Jerome Powell. The selloff reflects continued volatility driven by geopolitical tensions and uncertainty stemming from the ongoing trade war.

Meanwhile, the price of gold continued climbing to record highs, the U.S. dollar slipped to a three-year low, Bitcoin is working to recover the final 20% from its peak, and the broader market continued its downward slide.

This comparative snapshot on PerfCharts illustrates the bigger picture.

FIGURE 1. PERFCHARTS OF GOLD, DOLLAR INDEX, BITCOIN, AND THE S&P 500.  Safe haven is the name of the game.

When capital rotated out of stocks and Bitcoin, did it retreat to cash or gold? It’s a reasonable question, as cash appears to be circling the drain amid gold’s ascent.

Fear Trade Tailwinds

So, what’s going on, particularly with gold prices? Here’s a general snapshot:

  • The U.S. dollar index drop signals a loss of global confidence in the currency.
  • The possibility of Trump removing Powell raises fears about the Federal Reserve’s independence, especially as inflation concerns mount due to rising tariffs.
  • Fed Chair Powell indicated that rate hikes, not cuts, may be needed to control inflation.
  • Global trade tensions are intensifying, with China slashing U.S. oil imports and pivoting to other countries.
  • As the price of gold has broken through major resistance levels, SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) just crossed $100 billion in assets under management for the first time.

One More Thing: The Mar-a-Lago Accord

The so-called “Mar-a-Lago Accord” is an idea tied to Trump’s economic team that would pressure U.S. allies to accept a weaker dollar and lower returns on U.S. debt in exchange for military protection.

If it happens, the dollar would devalue further, making U.S. exports more competitive. Imports would become more expensive, though. A weaker dollar may continue to boost gold and Bitcoin, both viewed as safe havens. As for the S&P 500, some companies, especially exporters, might benefit, but concerns about inflation or trade conflicts could drag the market down even further.

Gold at $4,000 by 2026

While several analysts, such as those at UBS, have set a $3,500 price target for gold, the Goldman Sachs Group forecasts gold at $4,000 by 2026.

Let’s take a look at where gold is now. Take a look at this daily chart.

FIGURE 2. DAILY CHART OF GOLD. With gold at all-time highs, the pullback could bounce at one of these support levels.

While gold’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) reading is registering as “overbought,” you’ll have to wait and see if the current dip develops into a pullback. If it does, the key market highs and lows highlighted by the Price Channels (extended by the magenta dotted lines) are likely to serve as support. I also overlaid the Ichimoku Cloud to provide a wider projected support range into the near future.

If you’re bullish on gold and expecting to reach the $3,500 to $4,000 range as forecasted by analysts, you can use these support levels as favorable entry points. The $2,956 level is especially important; it marks a key swing low, and a close below it could call gold’s uptrend into question.

As for “Digital Gold” (Bitcoin)…

The other safe haven asset, as some would call it (emphasis on “some”), is Bitcoin ($BTCUSD). Let’s take a look at its current price action by zooming in on this daily chart.

FIGURE 3. DAILY CHART OF BITCOIN ($BTCUSD). It’s at a juncture point, currently testing resistance at $88,505.

Looking at the price channels, you can see how Bitcoin has been making consecutive lower lows over the last three months. It has also been making lower highs until March, where the high of $88,505 was tested three times, and that is where the digital asset is currently trading.

The Ichimoku Cloud range and the blue-shaded area highlight this resistance level. If the market decides on Bitcoin as a reliable safe haven, you will see its price break above this resistance level and challenge the next resistance level at $100K before challenging its all-time high at around $109K. Currently, its RSI reading is lifting above 50 and rising, indicating that the crypto has room to run before approaching any range that may be considered overbought.

What About the Dollar?

The weekly chart of the US Dollar Index ($USD) below highlights the key support level the dollar has just broken below.

FIGURE 4. WEEKLY CHART OF THE U.S. DOLLAR. Near-term support is near, but will it hold?

The US Dollar Index is at a three-year low, with support at $97 and $95. The RSI also indicates that the dollar is entering oversold levels. But these technical levels might not mean much considering the alleged intentional devaluation of the dollar. This trend appears to be guided more by political strategy than market fundamentals.

Meanwhile, the fear trade into safe-haven assets is likely to intensify until monetary policy and the current geopolitical chess moves generate a clearer sense of direction and stability.

At the Close

As far as gold’s rise, sentiment is doing the heavy lifting right now, but it’s rooted in legitimate fundamental risks. If those risks persist or worsen, fundamentals may eventually validate even higher price levels. Hence, the Goldman projection of $4,000 an ounce. If you’re looking to enter gold or Bitcoin, I’ve laid out the key support levels for gold and potential headwinds for Bitcoin.

Watch those price levels closely, and stay tuned to the latest geopolitical developments.

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

Keep Reading
Investing

5 Best-performing Copper Stocks on the TSX in 2025

Investing 12 Mins Read

Over the past year, copper prices have reached record highs on two occasions, the most recent being on March 26, when they soared to US$5.26 per pound.

These high prices stem from an increasingly tight copper market, driven by rising demand from population growth and migration in the global south, as well as growing pressures from the energy transition.

This situation is compounded by a limited number of greenfield projects that would introduce new deposits, as opposed to brownfield projects that merely extend the life of existing mines.

The first quarter of the year also witnessed some panic buying, as traders moved inventories into the US to anticipate any tariff-related price increases. Interest in companies developing US copper mines has increased as well as new US President Donald Trump looks to expedite critical metals projects.

Against that backdrop, how have TSX-listed copper companies performed? Learn about the top five best-performing copper stocks in 2025 by year-to-date gains below. Data for this article was retrieved on April 7, 2025, using TradingView’s stock screener, and only companies with market capitalizations greater than C$50 million are included.

1. Northern Dynasty Minerals (TSX:NDM)

Year-to-date gain: 44.71 percent
Market cap: C$689.38 million
Share price: C$1.23

Northern Dynasty Minerals is an exploration and development company focused on the Pebble project, a copper-molybdenum-gold-silver project located 200 miles southwest of Anchorage in the Bristol Bay region of Alaska, US.

Northern Dynasty says the site is “one of the greatest stores of mineral wealth ever discovered.” It hosts a measured and indicated copper resource of 6.5 billion metric tons (MT) and an inferred copper resource of 4.5 billion MT. Measured and indicated resources for molybdenum, gold and silver total 1.26 million MT, 53.82 million ounces and 249.3 million ounces, respectively.

The project stalled in 2020 during the permitting phase following a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) veto that suggested the proposed mine would damage the Bristol Bay watershed. However, shares of the company surged following Northern Dynasty’s July 2023 announcement that Alaska had appealed to the US Supreme Court to reverse the veto.

However, early in 2024, the US Supreme Court declined to hear the matter on procedural grounds, sending it back to the federal district court and federal circuit of appeals before the Supreme Court would hear it.

Northern Dynasty spent the remainder of 2024 advancing its case in the Alaskan state court. On March 15, it announced the filing of actions to vacate the EPA’s veto. The State of Alaska and two Alaskan Native village corporations followed by filing their own separate suits to vacate.

In August, the Federal District Court granted Northern Dynasty’s motion to modify the complaint by adding the US Army Corps of Engineers as defendants. The company contended that the EPA’s decision was based on the original USACE permit denial and asserted that the decisions were politically motivated.

The latest news from the case came on February 18, when Northern Dynasty announced it would not object to the EPA and USACE motion to halt proceedings for 90 days to allow the incoming Trump administration more time to review the case.

Shares in Northern Dynasty surged following Trump’s March 20 executive order calling for expedited approvals for domestic mineral production and identified copper as a critical mineral. In the order, Trump stated that dependence on mineral production from hostile powers jeopardized national and economic security, urging that the US take immediate steps to boost domestic production.

Shares of Northern Dynasty reached a year-to-date high of C$1.69 on March 25.

2. Arizona Sonoran Copper Company (TSX:ASCU)

Year-to-date gain: 33.79 percent
Market cap: C$268.43 million
Share price: C$1.94

Arizona Sonoran Copper is a development and exploration company dedicated to advancing the Cactus project in Arizona, United States, towards production.

The brownfield asset, situated near Phoenix, was operational from 1972 to 1984. Since then, Arizona has made substantial investments in the project, including a US$20 million reclamation program aimed at remediating the property.

The site features the past-producing Sacaton mine, one historic stockpile, as well as the Cactus East, Cactus West and Parks/Alyer deposits, which span a 5.5 kilometer trend.

According to a preliminary economic assessment from August 2024, at a copper price of US$3.90 per pound the project has an after-tax net present value of US$2.03 billion, an internal rate of return of 24 percent and a payback period of 4.9 years.

Once operational, in the first 20 years the mine is expected to yield an average of 232 million pounds of copper cathode per year. Over its full 31 year mine life, the company anticipates total copper cathode production of 5.34 billion pounds.

The most recent update from the project was on February 25, when the company released assay results from an exploration program at the Parks/Salyer deposit. The release included notable drill core results, with one 391 meter interval showing continuous mineralization at an average grade of 0.74 percent total copper. In that section, a 242 meter interval had an average grade of 0.98 percent total copper and 0.75 percent soluble copper.

Shares in Arizona Sonoran reached a year-to-date high of C$2.44 on March 26.

3. Imperial Metals (TSX:III)

Year-to-date gain: 29.35 percent
Market cap: C$385.25 million
Share price: C$2.38

Imperial Metals is a mine development and production company with operations in British Columbia, Canada.

Its operations include a 30 percent interest in the Red Chris mine in BC’s Golden Triangle, with the remainder owned by Newmont (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM,ASX:NEM). Imperial also fully owns the Mount Polley copper-gold mine, which reopened in June 2022, and the Huckleberry mine, which has been under care and maintenance since 2016.

On January 29, the company announced that the Mount Polley mine had met its 2024 guidance, producing 35.7 million pounds of copper and 39,108 ounces of gold.

It also provided an update on its Phase 2 exploration program at Mount Polley, which comprised 6,748 meters across 27 drill holes with both near-pit drilling and drilling of high-priority targets outside the active pit area. The company highlighted one assay result of 0.72 percent copper and 1.43 grams per metric ton (g/t) gold over 127 meters, which included an intersection of 21.5 meters with 1.34 percent copper and 2.65 g/t gold.

Imperial followed this report with updates on 2024 production from Red Chris on February 20. In that statement, it indicated that its share of production was 25.6 million pounds of copper and 17,943 ounces of gold, a significant increase over the 17.12 million pounds of copper and 13,814 ounces of gold produced in 2023. Newmont’s 100 percent 2025 guidance for Red Chris is 88 million pounds of copper and 86,000 ounces of gold.

The release also reported 2025 guidance for Mount Polley. While gold production is anticipated to be in line with 2024, Imperial expects lower copper production in the range of 25 million to 27 million pounds.

According to the release, ‘Phase 4 Springer Pit ore, which has a higher recoverable copper grade is targeted to be fully mined by the third quarter of 2025, with the lower copper grade from the Phase 5 pushback in the Springer pit delivering process ore in the fourth quarter of 2025.’

Shares in Imperial Metals reached a year-to-date high of C$2.80 on April 1.

4. Gunnison Copper (TSX:GCU)

Year-to-date gain: 21.43 percent
Market cap: C$74.12 million
Share price: C$0.255

Gunnison Copper is a copper development company working to advance its Gunnison and Johnson Camp projects in Arizona into production.

Gunnison was originally scheduled to begin operating in 2020 as an in-situ recovery (ISR) project, but startup was delayed due to low flow rates. Gunnison Copper has been evaluating different alternatives to overcome the challenges and obtained permits to begin well simulation using small-scale, shallow-level hydraulic fracking.

However, the company determined that an open-pit operation has ‘substantially improved viability’ compared to the ISR operation at this time, and is now advancing the permitting process for the open pit. Gunnison intends to maintain the option of its fully permitted ISR operation and well stimulation.

Once the open-pit mine is in operation, Gunnison estimates an average annual production of 167 million pounds of copper cathode. The probable mineral reserve for the in-situ operation as of 2016 is 4.5 billion pounds of copper from 782.2 million MT of ore with an average grade of 0.29 percent. The open pit’s 2024 mineral resource estimate showed a measured and indicated resource of 5.1 billion pounds of copper from 831.6 million MT of ore with an average copper grade of 0.31 percent.

The company is also working on restarting operations at the Johnson Camp mine in Cochise County, Arizona. Funding for the project will come from Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO) subsidiary Nuton, which will also utilize its proprietary heap leach technology. Once mining operations commence, Nuton will have the option to form a 49/51 joint venture with Gunnison.

In a project update on March 21, the company stated that construction at the Johnson Camp mine was on track to begin its first cathode production in Q3 2025. It also noted that the mining of mineralized material began in January and is being stockpiled in anticipation of the completion of the leach pad.

Shares in Gunnison reached a year-to-date high of C$0.40 on March 24.

5. St. Augustine Gold and Copper (TSX:SAU)

Year-to-date gain: 12.5 percent
Market cap: C$91.03 million
Share price: C$0.09

St. Augustine is a mining development company focused on its King-King project in the Mindanao province of the Philippines.

The project consists of 184 mining claims. According to the most recent preliminary economic assessment from 2013, the company projected an after-tax net present value of US$1.78 billion, with an internal rate of return of 24 percent and a payback period of 2.4 years at a copper price of US$3 per pound and a gold price of US$1,250 per ounce.

The latest news from the company came on March 31 when it released its management discussion and analysis for the year ending December 31, 2024.

In the release, it outlined the current state of the project, which has faced prolonged legal delays. The most significant occurred in 2017 when the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources ordered a moratorium on open-pit mining for copper, gold, silver and complex ores.

The company stated that to date, there has been no resolution regarding the overturning of the moratorium.

Shares in St. Augustine Gold and Copper reached a year-to-date high of C$0.10 on April 1.

FAQs for investing in copper

Is copper a good investment in 2024?

Many experts have a positive long-term outlook for the red metal based on supply concerns and its growing role in the energy transition. Copper’s price has climbed to new all time highs in 2024, bringing many stocks with it.

Investors who are interested in copper should make sure to perform their due diligence, as the volatility and unpredictability of markets and economies at the moment means that nothing is guaranteed.

What is copper used for?

Copper is used in many industries, from construction to electronics to medical equipment. In fact, in 2020, 32 percent of copper globally was used in equipment manufacturing and 28 percent in building construction.

Two other growing sectors for copper are the burgeoning electric vehicle and green energy industries. Electric vehicles require a significant amount of the red metal per vehicle.

How to invest in copper?

Investors can get exposure to copper in a variety of ways. Holding physical copper is possible, but plenty of storage would be required to hold any significant value of the metal.

For investors looking to invest in the metal without physically holding it, there are a few options. Copper stocks such as those on the TSX, TSXV and ASX are worth looking at. Additionally, there are copper exchange-traded funds and the copper options and futures markets on the London Metal Exchange.

How to invest in a copper ETF?

Copper exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can be a good way to diversify an investment portfolio, and they can be a more stable option compared to individual copper miners or explorers. There are multiple options available on the market, and they can usually be purchased in the same way one could purchase stocks through a broker or trading platform.

In May 2022, Horizons launched Canada’s first copper equities ETF, the Horizons Copper Producers Index ETF (TSX:COPP), which is focused solely on pure-play and diversified copper-mining companies.

There are two ETFs available on the US ARCA exchange as well. The Global X Copper Miners ETF (ARCA:COPX) tracks the Solactive Global Copper Miners Index, which includes copper miners, as well as copper explorers and developers. The other option is the United States Copper Index Fund (ARCA:CPER), which gives investors exposure to copper futures contracts by tracking the SummerHaven Copper Index Total Return (INDEXNYSEGIS:SCITR).

How is copper priced?

The copper price is tracked in two ways: COMEX copper and London Metal Exchange (LME) copper. The COMEX and LME are both options and futures metal exchanges, with the former being headquartered in New York and the latter in London. COMEX copper is priced by the pound, while LME copper is priced per metric ton.

How is copper processed?

Once copper is mined, the ore goes through multiple steps to reach a market-ready state. First, the ore is ground to roughly separate the rock from the copper, as copper typically only makes up 1 percent of the mined rock.

The resultant copper is then slurried with water and chemical reagents, after which air is used to float the copper to the top of the mixture. After the copper is removed from this, it is typically at 24 to 40 percent purity.

Where is copper mined?

Copper is mined throughout the world, with significant production found on every continent besides Antarctica. Chile was the top producer in 2022, putting out 5 million metric tons of the metal. Rounding out the top five are Peru with 2.6 million MT, the Democratic Republic of Congo with 2.5 million MT, China with 1.7 million MT and the United States with 1.1 million MT.

Article by Dean Belder; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.

Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, own shares of Northern Dynasty Minerals.

Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Keep reading…Show less
This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Keep Reading
Investing

Top 5 Canadian Biotech Stocks in 2025

Investing 5 Mins Read

Biotech is a dynamic industry that is driving scientific advances and innovation in healthcare. In Canada, the biotech sector is home to companies pursuing cutting-edge therapies and medical technologies.

According to Grandview Research, the global biotech market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13.96 percent between 2024 and 2030 to reach a value of US$3.08 trillion.

Read on to learn what’s been driving these Canadian biotech firms.

1. Bright Minds Biosciences (CSE:DRUG)

Year-on-year gain: 2,681.82 percent
Market cap: C$322.61 million
Share price: C$45.90

Bright Minds Biosciences is focused on developing novel treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders and pain.

Its portfolio consists of serotonin agonists designed to target neurocircuit abnormalities that make disorders like epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression difficult to treat. The company’s drugs have been designed to potentially retain the powerful therapeutic aspects of psychedelic and other serotonergic compounds, while minimizing their side effects, thereby creating superior drugs to first-generation compounds such as psilocybin.

In October 2024, the company’s share price surged nearly 1,500 percent in a single session after global pharmaceutical company H. Lundbeck announced its intention to acquire Longboard Pharmaceuticals. Both Longboard and Bright Minds have agonists targeting the 5-HT2C receptorin their pipelines.

Bright Minds’ 5-HT2C agonist candidate, BMB-101, will target classic absence epilepsy and developmental epileptic encephalopathy. The company is currently evaluating Phase II trials in collaboration with Firefly Neuroscience (NASDAQ:AIFF).

In March of this year, Bright Minds added five world-renowned leaders in epilepsy research to its scientific advisory board.

2. ME Therapeutics Holdings (CSE:METX)

Year-on-year gain: 145.9 percent
Market cap: C$235.71 million
Share price: C$9.00

ME Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing cancer-fighting drug candidates that can increase the efficacy of current immuno-oncology drugs by targeting suppressive myeloid cells, which have been found to hinder the effectiveness of existing immuno-oncology treatments. Immuno-oncology is a relatively new area of cancer drug research and has shown promising results when used to treat cancer with low survival rates.

In December 2023, the company shared research done in collaboration with Dr. Kenneth Harder at the University of British Columbia. The work suggests that ME Therapeutics’ antibody, h1B11-12, successfully blocks a protein that fuels breast and colon cancer growth (G-CSF). Trial planning efforts are ongoing, and the company expects development of a cell line for future production of the drug to be finished in the latter half of 2025.

In addition, the company is part of an ongoing collaborative effort to develop therapeutic MRNA delivery methods to myeloid cells with NanoVation Therapeutics, a privately owned biotech company that develops customized nucleic acid and lipid nanoparticle technologies to empower genetic medicine.

The collaboration has already resulted in two new MRNA formulations, for which testing began on October 4, and has demonstrated encouraging anti-cancer activity in a preclinical model of colorectal cancer.

On March 3, ME Therapeutics shared that it is exploring a listing on the Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange.

3. Hemostemix (TSXV:HEM)

Year-on-year gain: 80 percent
Market cap: C$13.36 million
Share price: C$0.09

Hemostemix is a clinical-stage biotech company focused on developing autologous stem cell therapies, an approach that uses a patient’s own cells to theoretically enhance safety and efficacy. Its main product, ACP-01, is a cell therapy derived from a patient’s blood to promote tissue repair and regeneration in areas affected by disease.

The company announced its first sales orders for ACP-01 on January 29 and has been working to expand internationally and attract new investment.

Hemostemix is currently collaborating with Firefly Neuroscience on a Phase 1 clinical trial of ACP-01 for vascular dementia. As of writing, efforts to fully enroll the trial to its target size are underway.

4. Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals (TSX:EPRX)

Year-on-year gain: 17.07 percent
Market cap: C$173.51 million
Share price: C$5.28

Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals focuses on developing locally delivered therapeutics for patients with unmet medical needs. Its primary focus has been orthopedics and oncology. Eupraxia acquired EpiPharma Therapeutics in late 2023, absorbing the company’s lead candidate EP-104GI.

In February, the company released positive data from the sixth cohort of its Phase 1b/2a trial for EP-104GI in eosinophilic esophagitis. It plans to release additional data periodically, with 12 week data for the trial’s seventh cohort expected in late Q2 2025.

5. Microbix Biosystems (TSX:MBX)

Year-on-year gain: 4.48 percent
Market cap: C$48.17 million
Share price: C$0.35

Microbix Biosystems manufactures antigens and quality control products used in the development of diagnostic tests. They also develop products to ensure test accuracy.

In January, Microbix partnered with the American Proficiency Institute to launch a pilot program to validate the accuracy of molecular assays in testing the H5N1 strain of the influenza A virus.

In March, the company joined the EPICC HPV Elimination Partnership to support test accuracy by supplying materials to support the accuracy of HPV testing efforts. These strategic collaborations highlight the company’s commitment to ensuring reliable and accurate diagnostic testing worldwide.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Keep reading…Show less
This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Keep Reading
Investing

Nickel Price Update: Q1 2025 in Review

Investing 6 Mins Read

Nickel prices have largely trended down since breaking US$20,000 per metric ton in May 2024.

The decline has been attributed to refined nickel oversupply, driven by high output from Indonesia, which mined an estimated 2.2 million metric tons of nickel in 2024 and accounted for more than 50 percent of global output.

The threat of US tariffs has also weighed heavily on markets that are reliant on nickel and its downstream products, such as the stainless steel and electric vehicle battery industries.

These factors pushed nickel to five year lows in the US$15,000 range in Q1.

What happened to the nickel price in Q1?

Nickel price, January 2 to April 22, 2025.

Chart via Trading Economics.

While nickel has trended down for the past year, 2025 began with upward momentum. It opened the year at US$15,040 on January 2 and rose to US$16,080 before declining to close out the month at US$15,230.

Nickel prices started to gain briefly at the beginning of February, increasing to US$15,875 on February 6 before experiencing volatility until the end of the month, finishing at US$15,590 on February 28.

The start of March saw upward movement, and nickel hit a year-to-date high of US$16,720 on March 12.

Prices for the base metal remained above the US$16,000 mark until the end of March, when substantial pressures caused levels to plunge to US$14,150 on April 8.

What factors impacted nickel in Q1?

Over the past several years, oversupply has presented a significant headwind for nickel prices.

Due to heavy investment from China, Indonesia has emerged as the world’s dominant nickel supplier. However, even though its refined output has remained high, Indonesia has faced a tight nickel ore market because of reduced quotas, which have compelled smelters to import record volumes from the Philippines.

A recent Filipino government proposal to follow Indonesia’s lead in banning exports of raw nickel products could disrupt the situation and introduce further challenges for refiners, impacting global supply chains.

The proposal arose amid rumors of higher mining royalties that have circulated since the start of the year. This speculation boosted nickel prices as higher production costs started to be factored into prices.

The royalty hikes were approved on April 11, and will raise the current 10 percent rate to between 14 and 19 percent, depending on the nickel price. Lower-quality nickel mattes used in battery production will incur a 2 percent royalty.

Jason Sappor, senior analyst for metals and mining research at data provider S&P Global Commodity Insights, noted that the increase will pose another challenge for the industry.

Indonesian nickel miners previously asked the government to reconsider the change.

In a letter to government officials, industry stakeholders stated that the increases to mining royalty levels in the country are “unrealistic and do not reflect the current state of the industry.”

Another factor that impacted the nickel industry during the first quarter of the year was the threat and eventual implementation of US tariffs against China, the world’s largest consumer of nickel.

Ewa Manthy, commodities strategist with ING, suggested tariffs will further impact a beleaguered nickel market.

“London Metal Exchange (LME) nickel has been mostly rangebound amid heightened trade tensions,’ she said.

Manthy’s prediction has held true so far, with nickel prices plummeting 11.5 percent in the week following US President Donald Trump’s tariff announcement on April 2. The move has sparked fears among investors who worry that the escalating trade war will push the world into a global recession.

Even though nickel rebounded after Trump put a pause on larger reciprocal tariffs, there is still a high level of uncertainty regarding nickel demand, especially as the effective tariff rates on China have grown to 145 percent.

Tariffs set to weigh on weak nickel demand

Tariffs are unlikely to affect nickel supply in the short term; however, they could significantly impact demand. The effects will be more pronounced in the US, as tariffs will more than double the costs of goods from China for importers.

The primary destination for nickel is the production of stainless steel.

While long-term global demand is expected to remain robust, with refined nickel projected to see a 4.6 percent compound annual growth rate between 2023 and 2035, there are more immediate headwinds.

Demand for stainless steel in China’s housing sector and slower growth in home appliances has dragged down overall nickel demand in the Asian nation. Although the overall effects could be worse, government policy and stimulus have only provided marginal support. Chinese stainless steel markets were also affected as new carbon tariffs and anti-dumping duties from Europe’s carbon border adjustment mechanism came into effect.

This has led analysts to predict another year of surpluses in China’s stainless steel market, with production increasing by 10.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter and March output coming to 3.58 million metric tons. Even so, stockpiles stand at 155,000 metric tons, down significantly from 333,000 metric tons in Q1 2024.

The size of the stainless steel market may help moderate a decline in demand from the electric vehicle battery market, which is another significant destination for nickel. According to an April 14 report from S&P Global, the fall in battery demand comes despite growing demand for electric vehicles in both China and Europe; this has been attributed to producers transitioning to nickel-free battery chemistries, particularly lithium-iron-phosphate.

Producers see a greater cost advantage in this composition, and the switch has caused demand for nickel-manganese-cobalt batteries to shrink by 19 percent from January to February.

Due to this fallout, battery precursor producer CNGR Advanced Material (SZSE:300919) said it would be pausing investment in its South Korean nickel smelting project.

The battery sector represented 11.5 percent of total nickel demand in 2024.

Nickel price forecast for 2025

The short term for nickel could very well hinge on how Trump’s tariffs affect the global economy.

“A slowdown in global economic activity would have a detrimental impact on China’s exports of nickel-containing consumer goods, denting global primary nickel demand in a market already grappling with oversupply due to expanding production in top primary nickel producers Indonesia and China,” Sappor said.

He added that weaker fundamentals will likely increase bearishness in the nickel market and ultimately work to further depress prices for the base metal on the LME.

“Considering these potential dynamics as well as further evolutions in the Trump administration’s trade tariff policies, we expect nickel prices to remain volatile in the near term,” Sappor stated.

Manthy is also pessimistic about a market turnaround in the near to medium term.

“The main downside risk to our supply and demand outlook is further downgrades to nickel demand from the electric vehicle sector, but this could be offset by no growth in Indonesian supply. The medium-term supply and demand balance is not supportive of a significant rise in nickel prices,” she said.

For investors, a bear market might provide opportunities, but the risk is that nickel prices may still have a ways to go before they bottom out. The next quarter could offer more certainty in global financial markets.

Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Keep reading…Show less
This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Keep Reading
Investing

Finlay Minerals stakes the JJB Property – within the Bear Lake Corridor of British Columbia

Investing 7 Mins Read

finlay minerals ltd. (TSXV: FYL) (OTCQB: FYMNF) (‘Finlay’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce the staking of 9 mineral claims covering 15,453 hectares (approximately 154 km²) in the northern Bear Lake Corridor of British Columbia . The JJB Property is named in honour of Finlay’s Founder, John J. Barakso who was an early advocate for the potential of the Bear Creek Corridor.

JJB PROPERTY:

The JJB Property is located within a highly prospective 135-kilometer-long belt in the Stikine Terrane, which hosts several significant copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) showings and prospects. Noteworthy nearby projects include Zimtu Capital Corp.’s Copperline Project and Doubleview Gold Corp.’s Red Spring Project. Additionally, porphyry projects along the Bear Lake trend include Imperial Metals’ Cu-Mo Porphyry Bear Lake Project, American Eagle Gold’s Cu-Au-Mo ± Ag NAK Project, Amarc Resources Ltd.’s DUKE Project, and HDI Quartz Mountain’s Cu Porphyry Jake Project.

The JJB area has geology similar to that of the deposits found in the Bear Lake Corridor. Three main copper showings have been identified on the property: Squingula, Quin, and Pat. The Squingula and Quin showings are located near an Eocene intrusion on the west side, characterized by a coincident magnetic high. This magnetic high is surrounded by a low that corresponds with an iron oxide anomaly, potentially indicative of a porphyry target. Both the intrusion and the magnetic and iron oxide signatures are associated with a multi-element geochemical anomaly identified through limited sampling. Mineralization appears to be influenced by major northwest-trending structures and east-west cross structures, with known mineralization occurring at the intersections of these structures.

In 2025, exploration work at the JJB will focus on expanding the geochemical anomalies within the gossanous magnetic low surrounding the magnetic high. Priority will be given to an airborne magnetic survey, along with prospecting and soil sampling.

Details on the JJB Property can be found in the JJB Property Technical Presentation and in the Properties section of the Company website at www.finlayminerals.com .

SAY PROPERTY:

Lying 4 km south of Finlay’s new JJB Property, work continues on the SAY Property, which has recently been expanded with additional staking to the north and south. The SAY Property now totals 26,202 hectares. The SAY Property was acquired in 2024, and an inaugural field program focused on chip sampling and mapping along the 4.3-kilometer-long SPUR Trend. This led to the discovery of the AG Zone and confirmed the continuity of high-grade Cu-Ag mineralization in the East Breccia Zone.

The SPUR is a high-grade Cu-Ag structural vein and breccia target that extends for 4.3 km along the north-northwest Tsaytut Spur ridge * .

The SHEL target area is a Cu-Mo porphyry identified through historic mapping and drilling. SHEL mineralization is reported to be associated with veining and breccias within quartz-feldspar porphyry dikes and lies on the western margin of an unexplored 3 km x 2 km magnetic high * . Historical assays and airborne magnetic data indicate the potential for the expansion of known mineralization in these two target areas.

In 2025, exploration work at the SAY will aim to expand the mineralized footprint of the SPUR and SHEL targets through geological mapping, soil sampling, and an airborne magnetic survey.

Details on the SAY Property, can be found in the SAY Property Technical Presentation and in the Properties section of the Company website at www.finlayminerals.com .

References:

*

Refer to finlay minerals ltd. News Release # 11-24 dated October 3, 2024 entitled: ‘ Finlay Minerals has completed its Inaugural Field Program at the High-Grade Copper-Silver SAY Property ‘ available on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca.

Qualified Person:

Wade Barnes , P. Geo. and Vice President, Exploration for Finlay Minerals and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has approved the technical content of this news release.

About finlay minerals ltd.

Finlay is a TSXV company focused on exploration for base and precious metal deposits with five 100%-owned and operated properties in northern British Columbia . In addition to the JJB & SAY Properties, the Company holds the:

  • ATTY Property covers 3,875 ha of sub-alpine terrain in the southern Toodoggone region. Exploration on the ATTY Property is also full-funded for 2025 with the signing of an Earn-In-Agreement with Freeport-McMoRan in April 2025.The Toodoggone is a northwest-trending belt of Triassic to Jurassic arc terranes that hosts numerous significant porphyry Cu-Au ± Ag and associated epithermal Au-Ag deposits. The ATTY Property is in between and contiguous to Centerra Gold’s Kemess Project and the joint-venture JOY Project held by Amarc Resources and Freeport-McMoRan. The ATTY Property KEM target has similarities to the Kemess North Trend, which hosts the Kemess Underground and Kemess East deposits.
  • Silver Hope Property covers 21,322 ha and surrounds the past-producing Equity Silver Mine in the prospective Skeena Arch region of central B.C. The Silver Hope contains the Main Trend which is a >2 km Cu-Ag-Au mineralized trend with mineralization starting at surface.  West of the Main Trend is the West Cu-Mo Porphyry which is also mineralized starting from surface. The Property hosts a network of forestry roads and trails and has all-year access from Houston, BC .

Finlay trades under the symbol ‘FYL’ on the TSXV and under the symbol ‘FYMNF’ on the OTCQB. For further information and details, please visit the Company’s website at www.finlayminerals.com

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Robert F. Brown
President, CEO & Director

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Information: This news release includes certain ‘forward-looking information’ and ‘forward-looking statements’ (collectively, ‘forward-looking statements’) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, although not always, identified by words such as ‘expect’, ‘plan’, ‘anticipate’, ‘project’, ‘target’, ‘potential’, ‘schedule’, ‘forecast’, ‘budget’, ‘estimate’, ‘intend’ or ‘believe’ and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions ‘will’, ‘would’, ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘should’ or ‘might’ occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding, among others, the exploration plans for the JJB and SAY Properties. Although Finlay believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. These forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions including, among other things, assumptions regarding general business and economic conditions, the timing and receipt of regulatory and governmental approvals, the ability of Finlay and other parties to satisfy stock exchange and other regulatory requirements in a timely manner, the availability of financing for Finlay’s proposed transactions and programs on reasonable terms, and the ability of third-party service providers to deliver services in a timely manner. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Finlay does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE finlay minerals ltd.

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2025/23/c5360.html

News Provided by Canada Newswire via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Keep Reading
Investing

Juggernaut Increases Oversubscribed Financing to $8,600,000 due to Strong Demand from Institutions and Accredited Investors

Investing 8 Mins Read

(TheNewswire)

Vancouver, British Columbia TheNewswire – April 23 rd, 2025 Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V: JUGR) (OTCQB: JUGRF) (FSE: 4JE) (the ‘Company’ or ‘Juggernaut’), further to its April 14, 2025, news release, the Company is pleased to announce an increase in its non-brokered financing of up to $8,600,000. Juggernaut welcomes this strategic investment from Crescat Capital Funds LLC (‘Crescat’) and technical support from Dr Quinton Hennigh. Juggernaut’s Big One Project is garnering strong interest and support from leading institutions and miners globally, confirming the quality of the newly discovered 11 km Highway of Gold surrounding the Eldorado porphyry system on the Big One property. The exciting discovery is in an area of glacial and snowpack abatement next door to the gold-rich porphyry systems at Newmont Mining’s Galore Creek. The Big One Property is a discovery previously announced Jan 20 th (Click Link) with assays up to 79.01 gt gold (2.54 ozt gold) and 3157.89 gt silver (101.5 ozt silver) from over 200 gold-silver-copper rich polymetallic veins up to 8 m wide and striking for up to 500 m that all remain open at surface. The Big One Project covers 33,693 hectares in a world-class geologic terrane with tremendous additional discovery potential in the heart of the Golden Triangle, British Columbia.

Dr. Quinton Hennigh has taken on the role of special technical advisor to the Company. He is the technical consultant for all Crescat’s gold and silver mining investments. Dr. Hennigh is a world-renowned exploration geologist with over 40 years of experience with major gold mining firms, Homestake Mining, Newcrest Mining, Newmont Mining, and Kirkland Lake/Fosterville. In just the last five years, Dr. Hennigh was instrumental in several material discoveries, including Goliath / Surebet, Newfound / Queensway, SCM / Isidorito, Eloro / Iska Iska, Snowline / Valley, Sitka / RC Gold Project, and Tectonic / Flat.

Dr. Hennigh stated , ‘The Big One gold-silver project has a very similar feel to Goliath’s Surebet gold discovery. To date, reconnaissance prospecting and sampling conducted by Juggernaut’s exploration team have identified a multitude of multi-meter thick quartz-sulfide veins, many of which have yielded +oz per tonne Au and multi-oz per tonne Ag assays. Early indications suggest there is a genetic association of veins with late-stage magmatism in the area, an association seen at Surebet. This season, Juggernaut has a clear mandate to follow up on these results with detailed mapping and channel sampling, much like Goliath did during the early days of the Surebet discovery. The Company’s mission is to get as many targets as possible ready for drill testing either late season or for 2026. I am very eager to see if a new ‘Surebet’ type discovery is in hand.

View Juggernaut videos by Clicking Here .

The charity flow-through funding will consist of up to 8,000,000 charity flow-through units (‘CFT Units’), priced at $0.825 each, for gross proceeds of up to $6,600,000. Each CFT Unit will consist of one charity flow-through common share plus one warrant to purchase one non-flow-through common share at $0.75 for a sixty-month period with a forced accelerated conversion after 10 consecutive trading days at or above $1.50, callable at management’s discretion.

Juggernaut is concurrently raising up to 4,000,000 hard dollar units priced at $0.50 each for gross proceeds of up to $2,000,000. Each hard dollar unit will consist of one common share plus one warrant at $0.75 for a sixty-month period with a forced accelerated conversion after 10 consecutive trading days at or above $1.50, callable at management’s discretion, upon completion of the charity flow-through and hard dollar financings for a combined total of $8,600,000, which is projected to close on or before May 15, 2025. The proceeds will be used to explore Juggernaut’s properties located in Northwestern B.C. and for general working capital.

‘Gold exploration is all about swinging for the fence. Persevering with a diversified portfolio of great management and technical teams with bold targets is the key. The cool thing about Juggernaut is that it has the same geologic team as the one behind Goliath Resources, where their Surebet gold discovery has already been a home run, based on personal experience. We are happy to invest in Juggernaut and this team. It’s time for Big One, which may be the best target yet for this company and team. We are eager to support them with capital for another at-bat.’ – Kevin Smith, CFA, Founder & CEO of Crescat Capital .

Directors and officers of the company may acquire securities under the placement, which participation would be a ‘related party transaction’ as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 (‘MI 61-101’). Such participation is expected to be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101.

Mr. Dan Stuart, Director, President, and CEO of Juggernaut, states:

‘We are pleased to strengthen our relationship, both with Crescat Capital as a strategic investor and Dr. Hennigh as a Special Technical Advisor and investor. I look forward to working with our partners who bring a proven track record of both financial and technical strength. This will enable Juggernaut to unlock the full potential of its assets over the long term, building value for all shareholders. This investment and strategic partnership, coupled with the ongoing support and interest from other globally recognized Institutions and senior miners, is a strong endorsement that clearly demonstrates the significant near-term discovery potential of our 100% controlled properties. Post financing, Juggernaut will have an extremely tight capital structure of just 28,744,084 shares, no debt, and a strong cash position of ~ $9,000,000. As such, we are well-positioned to move forward with our plans of drilling The Big One Discovery. With much anticipation, we look forward to executing the inaugural exploration program and reporting results.’

The Company may pay finder’s fees of the gross proceeds from the financing in cash, and compensation options on units being sold. This non-brokered private placement is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. All shares issued pursuant to this offering and any shares issued pursuant to the exercise of warrants will be subject to a four-month hold period from the closing date.

About Crescat Capital LLC

Crescat is a global macro asset management firm headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Crescat’s mission is to grow and protect wealth over the long term by deploying tactical investment themes based on proprietary value-driven equity and macro models. Crescat’s goal is industry-leading absolute and risk-adjusted returns over complete business cycles with low correlation to common benchmarks. Over the last several years, Crescat has been building activist stakes in a portfolio of precious metals explorers to express one of its primary macro themes. The company’s investment process involves a mix of asset classes and strategies to assist with each client’s unique needs and objectives, and includes Global Macro, Long/Short, Large Cap, and Precious Metals funds.

About Juggernaut Exploration Ltd.

Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. is an explorer and generator of precious metals projects in the prolific Golden Triangle of northwestern British Columbia. Its projects are in world-class geological settings and geopolitical safe jurisdictions amenable to Tier 1 mining in Canada. Juggernaut is a member and active supporter of CASERM, an organization representing a collaborative venture between the Colorado School of Mines and Virginia Tech. Juggernaut’s key strategic cornerstone shareholder is Crescat Capital.

For more information, please contact

Juggernaut Exploration Ltd.

Dan Stuart

President, Director, and Chief Executive Officer

604-559-8028

info@juggernautexploration.com

www.juggernautexploration.com

Qualified Person

Rein Turna P. Geo is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, for Juggernaut Exploration projects, and supervised the preparation of, and has reviewed and approved, the technical information in this release.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT

Certain disclosures in this release may constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties relating to Juggernaut’s operations that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements, including its ability to complete the contemplated private placement. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES. THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR AN INVITATION TO PURCHASE ANY SECURITIES DESCRIBED IN IT.

Copyright (c) 2025 TheNewswire – All rights reserved.

News Provided by TheNewsWire via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Keep Reading
Politics

Trump House GOP ally on board with tax hike for ultrawealthy to fund ‘big, beautiful bill’

Politics 4 Mins Read

Rep. Dan Meuser, a Pennsylvania Republican, is supporting the White House’s proposed tax hike for people making more than $1 million. 

‘I believe we must help the President deliver on his promise of a tax and regulatory plan that supports pro-American economic and manufacturing growth, and delivers for the vast majority of Americans – while creating savings and promoting fiscal responsibility. Any adjustments in taxes to accomplish these goals should be considered,’ Meuser told Fox News Digital in a statement on Tuesday. 

Last week, White House aides began quietly floating a proposal to House Republicans that would raise the tax rate to 40% for Americans making more than $1 million, sources told Fox News Digital about the preliminary discussions. The plan would shore up income to fund President Donald Trump’s ambitious campaign promises to eliminate taxes on overtime, tips and Social Security.

On Thursday, Meuser said on ‘Mornings with Maria’ that he suggested a less than 2% tax hike for the ‘wealthy, high-end income’ tax bracket months ago. He noted that Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowered the top tax rate from 39.6% to 37%, so raising it to 38.6% would still keep it below the pre-TCJA level by nearly one percentage point.

‘We’re fighting for small business. We’re fighting for all of America and for the job creators that might be in those categories. So, if you were to bring it up by 1 point, it brings $15 billion in revenues, right? Without any elasticity, which could take place. So, if it did come up to 39[%], it’s almost $25 billion,’ Meuser said, touting the billions in revenue that a small tax hike could reap for the economy. 

The Pennsylvania Republican, who joined Trump on the 2024 campaign trail and is considered a potential candidate to challenge Gov. Josh Shapiro in 2026, stressed Trump’s all-of-the-above tax approach.

‘The president is determined not to have a standard – and this is my view, from what I’ve based upon him, I’m not putting in words in his mouth – a standard Republican-style budget. What he wants to see is something that is in the interest of all America, middle-income America, small businesses, and by the way, we would be talking about an exemption for pass-through small businesses so they would not be paying at the higher rate, as they do now, at their income level rate,’ Meuser said. 

While Meuser has indicated his warmth to the idea of tax hikes for the ultra-wealthy, other conservatives have remained steadfast in their rejection of any tax increases. 

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital last week that tax cuts are ‘what Republicans are good at’ as he urged his fellow Republicans to protect tax cuts for working-class Americans who fuel Trump’s base. More Republicans, including Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Rep. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin are pushing to make Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent, which is considered a Republican priority during budget negotiations. 

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who refers to the 2017 tax cuts as the ‘Trump-Pence tax cuts,’ last week urged House Republicans to stand firm against raising taxes on the country’s top earners and make the 2017 tax cuts permanent. 

Advancing American Freedom, Pence’s conservative policy advocacy group, sent a letter to congressional Republicans, including House Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., and Senate Finance Committee Chair Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, last week, urging Congress to ‘stand firm against tax hikes.’

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Keep Reading
Politics

Voice of America restored by judge after Trump dismantled taxpayer-funded outlet in March

Politics 2 Mins Read

A federal judge ordered the restoration of Voice of America (VoA) on Tuesday, the federally-funded state media network that the White House dismantled earlier this spring.

Judge Royce Lamberth ruled in favor of the plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction, though the Trump administration is allowed to appeal the decision.

The plaintiffs asked the court to ‘cancel the orders putting approximately 1,300 VOA employees on administrative leave’ and to ‘cancel the termination of contracts with approximately 500 personal service contractors (PSCs) with VOA, cease dismantling VOA, and restore VOA’s personnel and operating capacities.’

President Donald Trump dismantled the news agency through an executive order (EO) in March, claiming that VoA promoted biased reporting.

‘The non-statutory components and functions of the following governmental entities shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, and such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law,’ the EO stated. 

The EO also dismantled VoA’s parent company, the United States Agency for Global Media, as well as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 

‘Voice of America has been out of step with America for years. It serves as the Voice for Radical America and has pushed divisive propaganda for years now,’ a senior White House official told Fox News Digital at the time.

On Mar. 22, VoA employees filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration and Kari Lake, who serves as the special advisor to the United States Agency for Global Media.

‘In many parts of the world, a crucial source of objective news is gone, and only censored state-sponsored news media is left to fill the void,’ the lawsuit reads.

‘The second Trump administration has taken a chainsaw to the agency as a whole in an attempt to shutter it completely,’ the suit stated.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Keep Reading
Politics

Vance issues ultimatum to Russia, Ukraine on peace negotiations

Politics 3 Mins Read

Vice President JD Vance told reporters in India that the U.S. had offered Russia and Ukraine ‘a very explicit proposal’ to end the war that has been ongoing for over three years: make a deal or risk the U.S. walking away.

‘We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the U.S. to walk away from this process. We’ve engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy, of on-the-ground work,’ Vance told reporters.

The vice president also said that ‘the only way to really stop the killing is for the armies to both put down their weapons, to freeze this thing and to get on with the business of actually building a better Russia and a better Ukraine.’

Vance’s comments come after Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that he would not be attending talks in London aimed at facilitating a ceasefire. On Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters that Rubio would not be attending the talks due to ‘logistical issues.’ 

The secretary later wrote in a post on X that he was planning on ‘following up after the ongoing discussions in London and rescheduling my trip to the UK in the coming months.’

During Tuesday’s briefing, Bruce also said Gen. Keith Kellogg, special presidential envoy for Ukraine, would represent the U.S. at the talks in London.

On Friday, Rubio suggested that the U.S. might walk away from negotiations to end the war within ‘a matter of days,’ despite President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to secure a ceasefire deal. Trump later told the press that Rubio was ‘right in saying that we want to see it end.’

‘Think about it, every day a lot of people are being killed as we talk about, you know, as they play games, so we’re not gonna take that,’ Trump told reporters. He also said he thinks the U.S. has a ‘good chance’ of bringing peace to Ukraine and Russia.

Security experts, however, are not as confident that peace is on the horizon, as some warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want peace.

Trump seems to be hoping to entice Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop the fighting with talk of how both countries could benefit from doing business with the U.S. after the war ends. He made the remark after Ukraine and Russia’s temporary Easter ceasefire ended. Both Ukraine and Russia accused each other of violating the ceasefire.

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Keep Reading
Politics

Trump insists Ukraine-Russia peace deal is close, but mistrust in Putin leaves experts skeptical

Politics 5 Mins Read

President Donald Trump this week said he is ‘very’ optimistic that Ukraine and Russia will enter into some sort of deal in the coming days, but security experts are still sounding the alarm that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want peace. 

A feeling of geopolitical whiplash is surrounding Washington after the Trump administration last week said it would abandon peace efforts if a ceasefire cannot be secured, though days later Trump said there is a ‘very good chance’ a deal will be reached this week.

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about what it would mean should the U.S. walk away from one of Trump’s top campaign trail issues: ending the war in Ukraine. 

The administration also has not clarified if Washington would take retaliatory measures against Putin, as Trump threatened to do last month.

‘Simply because Trump hasn’t announced any consequences yet does not mean that he doesn’t plan on taking some anti-Russia measures,’ former DIA intelligence officer and Russia expert Rebekah Koffler told Fox News Digital. ‘Trump almost certainly intends for his economic warfare against China to serve as an example to Putin how far Trump is willing to go to compel his adversaries to his will.’

‘But unlike the China case, there’s no similar dependence between the U.S. and Russia. Trump’s decision on Russia is much more complicated, more risky and requires more thought,’ she added. ‘He may or may not take draconian economic steps against Russia, as Putin may take devastating, non-kinetic actions against the U.S. 

‘It’s Trump’s risk tolerance vs. Putin’s now,’ Koffler said. ‘And both like to win and both have risk tolerance way above average.’

The White House did not respond to questions by Fox News Digital on whether the U.S. would still aid Ukraine in some capacity, particularly given recent restrictions on military aid Trump has implemented on Kyiv, like refusing to sell Patriot missiles previously used to defend civilian populations from Russian strikes and that cost $1.5 billion a piece.

‘If we want to be a global superpower, and we want to deter aggression, not with U.S. troops on the ground, but in general, to deter aggression because it is good for our national security, then we should continue to support Ukraine,’ former CIA Moscow Station Chief Dan Hoffman told Fox News Digital. ‘It’s a tiny percentage of the Department of Defense budget.’

‘The return on investment is pretty high,’ he added, referring to the $66.5 billion in military assistance Washington has provided Kyiv since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, compared to the $841.4 billion defense budget congressionally approved for 2024 alone, a figure which Trump has pushed to increase.

A Ukrainian delegation was set to meet with Trump administration officials in London on Wednesday alongside other European partners, including representatives from the U.K., France and Germany.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff is reportedly set to return to Moscow this week to continue negotiations with Russian officials, though the Kremlin has not indicated they are anywhere near agreeing to ceasefire terms, let alone a peace deal.

A spokesperson for Putin, Dmitry Peskov, on Tuesday reportedly said the issue of Russia’s invasion was too ‘complex’ to achieve a quick fix and warned against rushing into a deal.

‘It is not worth setting any rigid time frames and trying to get a settlement, a viable settlement, in a short time frame,’ he said.

The Kremlin’s position has given credence to repeated warnings from security experts that Putin is not interested in securing a peace deal with Ukraine. 

‘There’s no indication that Putin wants to stop the war,’ Hoffman said. ‘That isn’t surprising. Because for a war to end, somebody has to win or both sides have to be so tired they can’t continue to fight. 

‘Russia is the invader, so you have to stop them in order to have an end of the war,’ he added. ‘The one consistent thing here is Putin is continuing to fight. His objective is to overthrow the government in Ukraine. He’s going to keep fighting until he feels like he has accomplished that goal or he can’t fight anymore.’

Koffler echoed Hoffman’s position: ‘Putin will be pursuing the same strategy regardless of Trump’s actions; that is continuing the war of attrition until Ukraine capitulates or is completely destroyed and the government collapses.’

‘Putin would like to string Trump along and will continue to try doing so,’ she added.

A report by the Moscow Times on Tuesday cited sources close to Putin and said the Kremlin chief is looking to reorder the global ‘spheres of influence’ by negotiating leverage points between the U.S. and adversaries like Iran and North Korea. 

The article claimed that Putin would attempt to get Trump to either force a less-than-desirable deal for Ukraine or potentially stop the U.S. from aiding Kyiv by proposing personally enticing deals, like allowing Trump to build a hotel in Moscow, and geopolitical wins, like securing a nuclear agreement with Iran and a ‘peace deal’ in Ukraine.

Fox News Digital could not verify the report’s claims, but Koffler agreed it could be a strategy that Putin is looking to employ as the U.S. pushes deals across Europe and the Middle East. 

‘He could promise Trump not to share certain sensitive technologies to these two [nations],’ Koffler said. ‘And he could convince Iran not to operationalize and weaponize its nuclear program in exchange for Trump’s promise not to target Iran’s nuclear facilities in a kinetic strike and to lift sanctions from Russia. 

‘The important aspect of all of this is to give these adversaries face-saving opportunities, which is not a strong point for the U.S. style of diplomacy,’ Koffler said. ‘But Putin’s ability to convince Trump and Trump’s decision calculus are two different things.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Keep Reading