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donald trump has announced that it will sell F-35 to jet saudi arabia He welcomed the crown prince as a major policy change mohammed bin salman till white House,
It is one of several trillion-dollar deals announced by the leaders during a friendly summit in the Oval Office on Tuesday, the first meeting since. Relations became strained after the 2018 murder Of Washington Post Journalist Jamal Khashoggi By Saudi agents.
It is understood that the US President is trying to put pressure saudi arabia To normalize relations with Israel and join the 2020 Abraham Accords, which was brokered during his first administration, and countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain established diplomatic ties with the government of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Asked if this had been discussed, the Crown Prince, often referred to as MBS, said, “We want to be part of the agreement”, but added that he also wanted to make sure there was a clear path to a two-state solution with Palestine.
He said he had a “healthy discussion” with Mr Trump on the topic, with the President saying they had a “very good conversation” about it where they talked about “one-state, two-state… a lot of things”.
The Crown Prince announced that Saudi Arabia is increasing its planned investment in the US to $1 trillion, up from $600 billion initially when Mr Trump visited the kingdom in May.
The President also dismissed questions from the Crown Prince about the murder of journalist Khashoggi. His death at the hands of Saudi agents in Istanbul sparked worldwide outrage, with US intelligence concluding that MBS had approved his capture or killing.
Relations with the United States have improved in the past seven years following the murder of Mr. Khashoggi. While MBS has accepted responsibility for the killing “because it happened on my watch”, he has insisted that he did not order it.
“Whether you like them or don’t like them, things happen,” Mr Trump said of the international incident.
Mr Trump, along with the prince, praised the Saudi leader for progress the kingdom has made on human rights, without giving any specific details. MBS is the son of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, 89, but is widely considered the country’s de facto leader.
“I’m very proud of the job they’ve done,” Mr. Trump said. “What he has done is incredible in terms of human rights and everything else.”
Mr Trump warmly welcomed Prince Mohammed upon his arrival there white House Tuesday morning for a pomp-filled arrival ceremony that included a military flyover and a rousing welcome from the U.S. Marine Band.
The summit, along with footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, is set to conclude with an evening White House soirée hosted by First Lady Melania Trump to honor the prince.
Mr Ronaldo, who currently plays for Saudi club Al-Nassr, has become an important sporting ambassador for the kingdom and recently referred to the prince as his “boss”.
The Portuguese forward has not visited the United States since 2014. followed by his absence He was accused of sexual harassment By Model Kathryn Mayorga, who gave up her right to anonymity, while on vacation in Las Vegas in 2009.
German newspaper first gave details of the allegations mirror In 2017, this has always been vigorously denied by Mr. Ronaldo, and has never made any allegations.
The footballer recently praised Mr Trump in an interview with Piers Morgan.
He said: “He is one of the people who can help change the world. One of the most important people is the American president.”
He added, “He’s one of those people I want to meet and sit down and have a good chat. If he’s here, or in America, wherever he wants, I know he was here in Saudi with our boss MBS.”
sale of F-35 The jets represent a major policy shift for Saudi Arabia, while also having a significant impact on the balance of military power in the Middle East, particularly in an era of high tensions between Israel – the only country in the region that currently has the F-35 – and its neighbors.
The Saudi government has requested to purchase 48 jets manufactured by Lockheed Martin, despite Pentagon concerns that giving Riyadh access to the jets could give China access to their advanced and sensitive stealth technology.
Ahead of the Crown Prince’s visit, a coalition of 11 human rights groups called on the Trump administration to use its leverage to pressure Saudi authorities to make concrete commitments on human rights and press freedom during the visit.
Activists say Saudi authorities continue to harshly repress dissent, including arresting human rights defenders, journalists and political dissidents for criticism against the state.
Human rights organizations have also documented an increase in executions in Saudi Arabia, which they link to an effort to suppress internal dissent.