Chapter 173

Steve and Naomi then returned to the conference room the American delegation had been using as a base of operations. Senators Chatham and Mason greeted them immediately.

“Steve! I can’t believe that you just promised the Russians that your company would spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a hospital in Russia. I didn’t even realize that was what he was hinting at until you made the offer,” marveled Senator Chatham. “They were envious of Ukraine and the hospital you built there. They wanted you at the discussions today so they could force you into making the offer. They knew that other nations would oppose that fly-over policy. They tossed it in so they had something they would be able to give up if you offered a new hospital.”

“I’ve been involved in difficult negotiations before, but I’ve never seen a country include a private corporation before,” added Senator Mason. “Can you actually afford that sort of expenditure?”

“I wouldn’t have offered it if we couldn’