Trump, MBS Deepen US-Saudi Strategic Partnership

On November 18, at the White House, US President Donald Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and announced a new level of strategic partnership between the two countries. Despite the ongoing controversies surrounding the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the parties signed a number of important agreements during the visit related to the defense, nuclear, and technological sectors.

During the meeting, Donald Trump strongly defended the Crown Prince, stating that Mohammed bin Salman "knew nothing" about the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents. This position directly contradicts the assessment of the US intelligence community, according to which the order for the murder was given by the Crown Prince himself. "A lot of people didn't like the gentleman you're talking about. Things happened, but he knew nothing about it, and we can leave it at that," Trump said, sitting next to bin Salman.

In turn, Mohammed bin Salman described Khashoggi's death as "painful" and a "huge mistake," adding that his government "took all the right steps in the investigation" and has improved the system to prevent such incidents.

Despite this sensitive issue, the visit was marked by a deepening of bilateral relations. During an official dinner at the White House, Trump announced: "We are taking our military cooperation to an even higher level," granting Saudi Arabia the status of a Major Non-NATO Ally. This provides Riyadh with military and economic privileges but does not imply mutual security obligations like those that exist between members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Within the framework of the visit, the parties signed a Strategic Defense Agreement, which, according to the White House, "strengthens deterrence throughout the Middle East" and facilitates the activities of American defense companies in the kingdom. a major arms deal was also confirmed: Trump approved the future supply of modern F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, as well as the sale of 300 American tanks. The supply of F-35s (Riyadh wants to buy 48 units) could change the military balance in the region, as until now, Israel was the only country in the Middle East that had this type of fighter jet.

In addition to the defense sector, cooperation has also been expanded in the fields of technology and energy. A joint statement was signed on the conclusion of negotiations in the field of nuclear energy for civilian purposes, as well as memoranda of understanding on cooperation in the fields of artificial intelligence and critical minerals.

Mohammed bin Salman, in turn, promised to increase the volume of Saudi Arabian investments in the US from $600 billion to $1 trillion as part of his "Vision 2030" program.

The issue of normalizing relations with Israel was also on the agenda of the meeting. Trump noted that he had received a "positive response" on this issue, but the Crown Prince clarified that despite his desire to join the "Abraham Accords," his condition remains unchanged: Israel must pave the way for the creation of a Palestinian state.

The Crown Prince's visit, his first to the White House in seven years, was accompanied by a lavish ceremony. And at the official dinner organized in his honor, among others, were the forward of the Portuguese national team and the Saudi club "Al-Nassr," Cristiano Ronaldo, and businessman Elon Musk. This visit is seen as an important step in restoring Mohammed bin Salman's international reputation and opening a new page in relations with the US, which, according to many experts, he successfully accomplished.