When President Trump said on Wednesday that he could soon meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss the end of the almost three -year war in Ukraine, named what might seem unusual for interviews.
“We expect to come here, and I will go there and we will probably meet in Saudi Arabia for the first time,” Trump told reporters in an oval office. “We will meet in Saudi Arabia, see if we can do something.”
Mr. Trump quoted his relationship with Mr. Putin with the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, de facto the ruler of Saudi Arabia, as a reason for the selection of the Nation of the Gulf for their first meeting since he won the White House. “We know the Crown Prince and I think it would be a very good place,” Trump said.
Saudi Arabia has become more and more played by a mediator in the Russian-Ukraina War, along with its neighbor, the United Arab Emirates.
For Prince Mohammed, mediation of the war is the opportunity to strengthen his status of a global leader with an influence that exceeds the Middle East. It also allows him to stand up as a key mediator capable of bringing powerful nations to the table, despite his continuing fight Involvement of Saudi Arabia in devastating rollers in Yemen.
In September 2022, Prince Mohammed helped to provide the release of 10 prisoners from different countries in the wider process of exchange between Russia and Ukraine. Later, in May 2023, he invited Ukraine’s presidentVolodymyr Zlensky, speak to the assembly of Arab leaders in the Saudi city of Jeddah, where Mr. Zelena called on the Middle East nations to support Ukraine against Russia.
Later in the summer, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine hosted interviews with closed doors in Jeddah aimed at the end of the war attended by diplomats from more than 40 countries, albeit not from Russia.
In August 2024, Saudi Arabia played an influential role in negotiating the greatest American Russian prisoner exchange from the Cold War and Mr. Putin he thanked personally Crown Prince.
Earlier Wednesday, Mr. Trump’s special envoy in the Middle East Steve Witkoff said Prince Mohammed played an “instrumental” role in mediation The release of Marc FogelAn American teacher who was arrested for charging of bringing medical marijuana to Russia in August 2021.
“He has a very strong friendship with President Trump and behind the scenes was encouraging and pushing and looking for the right result, and it was useful, it really was,” Said Mr Witkoff The role of the Saudi Crown Prince.
Like many countries in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has shown that the war is not trying to take parties. Has Humanitarian aid sent Ukraine, although grows close ties with Russia.
Trump’s administration is also looking for nations on the Gulf rich in resources, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to play a postwar role in Gaza. Mr. Trump pushed a proposal to convert all two million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and then rebuilt the enclave as “Middle East Riviera”.
At the beginning of this week King Abdullah of Jordan said he would be Meeting in RiyadhThe Saudi capital concerning Prince Mohammed and others to discuss Mr. Trump Gaza’s proposal before Arab leaders will meet at the Arab League in Cairo on February 27.
