According to US President Donald Trump, he will arrive on an official visit to Saudi Arabia only after the country agrees to spend $1 trillion on the purchase of American military equipment and other goods.
Points of attention
- The demand for $1 trillion investment over 4 years indicates the escalating financial expectations of the US administration in international dealings.
- Trump's unconventional approach of setting financial conditions for official visits signifies a shift in diplomatic norms and the prioritization of economic interests.
Trump continues to blackmail US allies
Journalists asked the head of the White House whether he intends to meet with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia in the near future.
Trump did not want to answer this question directly, but said that he would visit the country after his demands were met.
Against this background, the US president recalled that his previous visit to Saudi Arabia ended with the signing of a deal worth $450 billion.
However, now he has put forward a new demand — $1 trillion in investment over 4 years.
The last time I went to Saudi Arabia, they invested $450 billion... Now they're richer, and we're all older. So I said, "I will if you pay a trillion dollars" — $1 trillion to American companies over four years. And they agreed to that, so I'm going to go there.
Donald Trump
President of the United States
He also recalled that in most cases, the first foreign visit of the head of the White House is to the United Kingdom, but he decided to go against the rules due to financial gain.
