South Korean media: 8 years after Khashoggi's murder, visiting the US ... Salman and Trump "rekindle brotherhood"

¬ U.S.-Saudi talks to be held in Washington next week

On the 18th, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto top ruler of Saudi Arabia, will visit the United States for the first time in about 7 years and 8 months, meeting with President Donald Trump. Since Trump's first term in office, he has emphasized the strong "brotherhood" between the two. It seems that both sides are trying to improve the strained U.S.-Saudi relations due to the "Khashoggi assassination". In March 2018, Salman visited the U.S. for the last time, met with Trump, and signed a large-scale arms purchase contract.

Saudi is the world's largest oil producer and a major buyer of military equipment, as well as a long-term strategic ally of the United States. However, the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia became awkward in October 2018 when a Saudi dissident journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, was murdered. Khashoggi, a former columnist for The Washington Post, wrote critical columns against Salman, and was later kidnapped and brutally killed by criminals inside the Saudi embassy in Istanbul, Turkey. At that time, Trump supported Salman, who was suspected of being the mastermind, saying, "I believe him," and "Saudi is an important partner." However, when Joe Biden took office in 2021, he called Salman a "murderer" and publicly released a CIA report stating that Salman had personally approved the assassination, which led to a deterioration of relations between the two countries.

In May, Trump, during his second term, made Saudi Arabia his first overseas destination, striving to improve bilateral relations. At that time, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia signed a weapons contract worth $14.2 billion (approximately 208 trillion won). The White House called it "the largest defense package in history." This meeting is the second time the two leaders have met in half a year, and it is expected to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

However, there are still complex variables in U.S.-Saudi relations. The focus of this meeting is also different for both countries. Saudi Arabia focuses on "U.S. security guarantees" and "fulfilling weapon deliveries", while the U.S. hopes to promote the diplomatic normalization of Saudi-Israel relations. It is reported that Saudi Arabia expressed dissatisfaction with the slow progress of the weapons delivery work signed in May. In addition, Saudi Arabia also hopes to reach a defense agreement where the U.S. promises military support. However, it is reported that there are concerns within the U.S. that exporting advanced weapons to Saudi Arabia may weaken Israel's military advantage.

The U.S. also hopes for the normalization of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Trump wants to expand his first term's greatest foreign policy achievement, the "Abraham Accords". Under U.S. mediation, this agreement improved relations between Israel and Middle Eastern countries, and was joined by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Morocco. Recently, Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country, also joined. Trump is pressuring Saudi Arabia, saying, "Many countries have participated in the agreement. I hope to see Saudi Arabia join."

However, public opinion generally believes that it is unlikely for Saudi Arabia to agree to diplomatic normalization with Israel. Saudi Arabia's position is that it will only participate in the agreement if Israel recognizes the roadmap for establishing a Palestinian state. However, Israel's position is that it will never recognize the establishment of a Palestinian state.

There are also significant practical obstacles. After more than two years of war in the Gaza Strip, anti-Israel sentiment is high, and Saudi Arabia is seen as the leader of the Arab-Islamic world. If it establishes diplomatic relations with Israel, it will face opposition from neighboring countries and even lose its leadership. At the same time, Iran is struggling because of its support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthi groups, and cooperation with Israel is not an urgent matter.

In response, the Atlantic Council, a U.S. foreign policy and security think tank, said: "Salman may use his influence over Trump to seek clear U.S. support for the establishment of a Palestinian state." Saudi Arabia stated: "Before making an official statement, it will coordinate positions with the U.S. to avoid confusion before and after the meeting." Analysts say that this move is to clarify in advance to avoid misunderstandings caused by Trump's unique "bluffing" style.

Saudi is inclined to direct America's attention towards defense cooperation and investment during this meeting. Although the two countries are discussing a new agreement to define the scope of U.S. military support, the level of the security agreement is lower than what Saudi Arabia initially expected.

In 2017, Mohammed bin Salman ousted his cousin to become crown prince and has been consolidating power by purging royal family members. He has the authority to independently make decisions on politics, economy, defense, and religion, and is known as the "all-powerful man". He is believed to be determined to succeed King Salman bin Abdulaziz, who is over 80 years old, and inherit the throne.

Source: Chosun Ilbo

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848736091248008/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.