Trump Bestows Honorโค on Saudi arabia During Crown Prince โคVisit, Cites Personal Connection
WASHINGTON โD.C. – Former President Donald Trump announced Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally duringโ a โขvisit by Crown Prince Mohammed bin salman (MBS) in 2023, a move accompanied by personal anecdotes highlighting a โburgeoning friendship. The designation, โpreviously held byโ only 19 countries, signals deepened militaryโฃ cooperation betweenโฃ the U.S. and โฃthe Kingdom,โค despite ongoing concerns regarding โhuman โขrights.
The visit underscored a renewed effort to solidify ties โขbetween Washington and Riyadh, with agreements signed concerningโข civil nuclear energy cooperationโค and the potential sale of F-35 โฃfighter jets. โฃTrump,โ speaking at the event, revealed โthe ally โคdesignation was a surprise to MBS, stating, โ”And I’m just telling you now for โthe first time, because they โwanted to keep it a secret for tonight.” The “major non-NATO ally” status provides benefits in โdefense โฃtrade and securityโค cooperation โขbut carries no security commitments.
Trumpโข alsoโฃ shared a personal story, noting his son is a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, andโ suggesting his son now holds โhim โin โขhigher regard for introducing him โto MBS. “You know, my son is a โbig fan of Ronaldo.I โthink he respects his father moreโ now, because โI โintroduced you,” Trump said, according to AFP.
The agreements reached duringโค MBS’sโ visit included a commitment for U.S.โ companies โto be Saudi Arabia’s preferred partners in โฃcivil nuclear cooperation and aโ strategic defense agreement governing the potentialโ F-35 purchase alongside a โขbroader U.S. weapons package.โ MBS, during the visit, also reiterated that progress towardsโค a Palestinianโข state was a โprerequisite for Saudi normalizationโ of relations with Israel, a key objective of the Trump administration’s Abraham Accords. Other Middle Eastern nations designated as major non-NATO allies include Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, โand Israel.