Washington — Hello! President Donald Trump He had a warm and cordial meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House, filled with plenty of handshakes and pats on the back. he Questions aside About the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Human rights recordHe praised the prince for his political acumen and announced hundreds of billions of dollars in new Saudi investments in the United States.
The White House took off Lots of pomp for the Saudi king On Tuesday, fighter jets were scrambled and the two leaders watched from the red carpet, parading through a guard of honor on horseback and saluting. Sumptuous dinner in the East Room.
The sit-in in the Oval Office took place just seven years after Prince Mohammed was implicated by US intelligence agencies in the case of the assassination of Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The murder of journalist Jamal KhashoggiTrump and the prince took numerous questions from reporters — one of whom was repeatedly insulted by Trump — about everything from trade to the sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Riyadh.
Here is a look at some of what was mentioned during the visit:
Trump had reviewed his decision to sell the F-35s on Sunday but formalized it before the prince on Tuesday when he said that approval was complete and that Israel’s concerns about maintaining its qualitative military superiority in the Middle East would be addressed.
Details of the deal were not immediately clear, but some at the Pentagon and other agencies opposed the sale because of the prospect of sharing advanced technology with China, which also has close ties to Saudi Arabia.
“As far as I’m concerned, I think they’re at the level where they should be at the top of the line,” Trump said of Saudi Arabia and Israel, which already have F-35s. “Israel is aware of this and they will be very happy.”
Israeli officials indicated that they would not oppose Saudi Arabia obtaining F-35 aircraft as long as Saudi Arabia normalized Relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords range.
The Saudis said they would join the Abraham Accords but only after there was a credible and guaranteed path to establishing a Palestinian state, a position that Prince Mohammed reiterated at the meeting.
“We want to be part of the Abraham Accords, but we also want to make sure that we secure a clear path to a two-state solution,” he said. “We will work on that to make sure we are ready for the situation as soon as possible to make that happen.”
Trump also said that the United States and Saudi Arabia would complete a broader agreement on military and security issues during the visit and that the United States would move forward with a civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, something Israel has also raised concerns about.
The two countries also signed an agreement calling for the Saudis to purchase nearly 300 tanks from the United States
At the dinner on Tuesday night, Trump announced that he would designate Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, a largely symbolic move that gives foreign partners some advantages in defense, trade and security cooperation.
Tuesday’s meeting was the first White House visit by the crown prince since the killing of Khashoggi, who was a US resident and columnist for The Washington Post. Murder and dismemberment in the Saudi consulate In Istanbul, Türkiye, 2018.
American intelligence said It is likely that Prince Mohammed approved the killing.
In an eye-catching scene in the Oval Office, the prince, nicknamed MBS, faced questions from reporters, unusual for the de facto head of an absolute monarchy where dissent is criminalized.
He was asked about the killing of Khashoggi and the role played by Saudi citizens in the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States. But Trump criticized the reporter for his interrogation style.
Trump described Khashoggi, the Saudi pro-democracy activist, as “very controversial” and said: “A lot of people didn’t like this guy you’re talking about. Like it or not, things happen, but he (the crown prince) doesn’t know anything about it and we can leave it at that.”
Prince Mohammed who He denied his involvement In response to Khashoggi’s killing, he responded that his government had taken the necessary measures.
“It was painful for us in Saudi Arabia,” he said. “We’ve taken all the right steps to investigate, etc., in Saudi Arabia, and we’ve improved our system to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again. It hurts, and it was a terrible mistake.”
Trump also praised the Saudi leader for the steps the kingdom has taken in the field of human rights without providing any specific details but supposedly referring to reforms related to women’s rights. “What he did is unbelievable in terms of human rights and everything else,” Trump said.
Trump welcomed Prince Mohammed at the entrance to the South Lawn of the White House by shaking his hand and placing his arm on the prince’s shoulder. Trump rolled out the red carpet for the Saudi leader, with a military band on hand and a bridge for US military aircraft, before showing the crown prince his medals along the White House portico.
“We have a highly respected man in the Oval Office today,” Trump said at the top of the meeting, describing the prince as “a friend of mine for a very long time.”
Trump also criticized his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, for receiving Prince Mohammed Fist bump during his 2022 visit To the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“When you get off the plane and you greet the future king – and one of the most respected people in the world – you shake his hand, you don’t hit him with your fist, right?” Trump said. “Trump doesn’t hit his fist. I hold that hand” — and he did just that.
At the gala dinner on Tuesday night, the President and First Lady Melania Trump, dressed in formal evening wear, welcomed the Crown Prince back to the red carpet once again, before honoring him at a dinner attended by tech giants such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Tesla founder Elon Musk, and Apple CEO Tim Cook, along with golfer Bryson DeChambeau and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.
They dined on a rack of lamb with a pistachio crust, followed by pear mousse for dessert.
Prince Mohammed informed Trump that his country would increase its financial obligations to the United States from $600 billion, which was announced during the president’s meeting. Trip to Riyadh in Mayto 1 trillion dollars.
The details of these deals were not immediately clear, but they are expected to include investments in a variety of American companies, including artificial intelligence, in addition to the purchase of jet engines and other equipment.
___
Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price.