President Donald Trump departed for Saudi Arabia on Monday, kicking off the second foreign trip of his second term with a packed agenda. Here’s what you need to know.
Trump is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and possibly Turkey. The trip was supposed to be the president’s first foreign trip until he attended Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome last month.
The trip to the three energy-rich nations comes as Trump seeks to make deals with foreign nations and attempts to end both the war between Israel and Hamas and the war between Russia and Ukraine.
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Trump’s trip got off to a controversial start following reports that the president is preparing to accept a $400 million Boeing 747 jumbo jet from Qatar, which would be available for Trump to use in lieu of Air Force One. Shortly before he leaves office, the plane would then be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation.
The gift has caused an uproar with critics who say it’s a signal that Qatar — a massive funder and enabler of terrorist groups — is trying to gain influence in the Trump administration.
Trump defended the gift as an affordable way to replace the 40-year-old Air Force One.
“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40-year-old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,” he posted. “Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!!”
Speaking to reporters on Monday from the White House, Trump floated adding a stop to Turkey, where peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are scheduled.
“I would fly there if I thought it would be helpful,” Trump said about the meeting where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is slated to meet face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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“Thursday’s meeting with Russia and Ukraine is really important,” he added. “I was really insistent that that meeting take place. I think good things can come out of that meeting. Stop the bloodshed, it’s a bloodbath.”
Zelenskyy posted on X that he would “appreciate” if Trump “could be there with us at the meeting.”
Recently freed American hostage Edan Alexander may meet with Trump in Qatar, depending on his medical condition.
Last week, Israel approved an expanded ground operation plan that includes plans to conquer and retain more areas of the Gaza Strip. The plan, named “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” will go into effect if Hamas fails to make an agreement with Israel by the end of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East this week, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Israel announced it will be sending a delegation to Qatar on Tuesday to negotiate a hostage deal.
During his first term, Trump built strong ties with several Gulf states, which led to the signing of the Abraham Accords between the UAE, Israel, and Bahrain. Trump has expressed interest in expanding the agreement to include Saudi Arabia, but the ongoing war in Israel has complicated those efforts.
Saudi Arabia did receive a possible win this week after the White House dropped demands for Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with Israel as a condition of receiving U.S. assistance in starting a civilian nuclear program, reported The Times of Israel.
In March, Trump announced that Saudi Arabia committed to investing $1 trillion into the American economy.
“I made a deal with Saudi Arabia…I said I’ll go if you pay $1 trillion to American companies, meaning the purchase over a four-year period of $1 trillion, and they’ve agreed to do that,” Trump said, Newsweek reported.
Also in March, the UAE committed to investing $1.4 trillion in American energy, manufacturing, and technology over the next decade.
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“This new framework will substantially increase the UAE’s existing investments in the U.S. economy in AI infrastructure, semiconductors, energy, and American manufacturing,” the White House said in a statement announcing the framework.
Saudi Arabia was the first country Trump visited during his first term in 2017, where a viral image was captured of him touching an orb alongside Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the opening of the Global Centre for Combating Extremist Ideology.
@KingSalman and @POTUS inaugurate The Global Center for Combatting Extremist Ideology in Riyadh. #RiyadhSummit pic.twitter.com/do6cFL7wBW
— Saudi Embassy USA (@SaudiEmbassyUSA) May 21, 2017
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