Trump's Middle East tour linked to hefty Saudi investments
The US President, Donald Trump, confirmed on Monday that his first foreign trip after taking office will be to Saudi Arabia, as well as to Qatar and possibly other countries in the region. He stated that the choice was made due to the promise of Saudi investments in the USA, and the trip may occur in May.
The US President stated that, similar to his first term, he will embark on his first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia because, according to him, Riyadh agreed to spend almost a trillion dollars on American companies.
"They’re going to spend hundreds of billions of dollars and giving them to American companies that are going to be making equipment for Saudi Arabia and other places in the Middle East," Donald Trump said during the signing of orders in the Oval Office. He recalled the January promise of the Saudis, who announced they intend to invest approximately €561 billion in the USA over the next four years.
Trump announced that during the same trip, he will also visit Qatar and possibly the United Arab Emirates and other countries in the region. All these countries have also promised to invest in the United States.
The date of this visit has not yet been officially set. When asked whether it will occur next month, Trump replied that "it could be next month, maybe a little bit later."
According to the Axios portal, the Saudis want the US president's trip to take place after a truce between Russia and Ukraine is agreed upon.
War in Ukraine. Talks on a truce. Putin hesitates
It is in Saudi Arabia that discussions are taking place about the war in Ukraine and the potential truce. Their outcome could significantly affect the further course of events in the region. Expectations are high, especially in the context of achieving a lasting ceasefire and resolving the technical issues related to the ongoing war.
"For too long now, America’s proposal for an unconditional ceasefire has been on the table without an adequate response from Russia," declared Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday. In his opinion, this is due to insufficient pressure on Putin's country. He added that if it weren't for Russia's delay, an agreement on a truce might already be in effect.
Vladimir Putin suggested on Friday the transfer of Ukraine under temporary administration before peace talks. He said that the temporary administration could be implemented in Ukraine "under the auspices of the United Nations, with the United States, even with European countries, and, of course, with our partners and friends." This would lead to elections and the formation of a government to then begin talks on a peace treaty. The American side rejected this Kremlin plan.
Despite the declarations of the Trump administration and attempts to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine, no breakthrough has been achieved so far.
