Counter-position: why Riyadh may accept Putin-Trump talks

The meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Donald Trump may take place in Saudi Arabia, which is increasingly positioning itself as a center of international diplomacy. It is this country that the new head of the White House named as the place for future negotiations after a telephone conversation with the Russian leader. Riyadh has already played a prominent role in the U.S.-Russia prisoner exchange, having previously hosted a summit on Ukraine. Thanks to its strong ties with both sides and its ability to ensure the confidentiality of negotiations, the kingdom is becoming a convenient platform for dialog between world leaders, experts interviewed by Izvestia said.

Moscow and Washington may get closer in Riyadh

The talks between the US and Russian presidents - in whatever format they take place - are an event capable of influencing the global balance of power. The February 12 phone conversation between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin caused a stir. According to Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in an hour and a half, the leaders discussed issues related to the exchange of Russian and U.S. citizens, as well as the settlement of the situation in Ukraine, what is happening in the Middle East, the Iranian nuclear program and Russian-American economic relations.

Putin and Trump agreed to continue contacts, including face-to-face contacts. Afterward, speaking to reporters at the White House, the US president said that his meeting with his Russian counterpart could take place in Saudi Arabia.

- The country has strong political and economic relations and growing interests with friends in Russia and America and is highly trusted by global powers. In addition, Saudi Arabia has great experience in resolving historical conflicts," Saudi political analyst Mubarak Al-Aati told Izvestia.

Shortly before the phone conversation between the US and Russian leaders, Washington and Moscow held a prisoner exchange. On February 11, Russia handed over to the United States convicted American Mark Fogel, the next day it became known that Russian Alexander Vinnik will soon be sent to his homeland. The deal, according to Steve Whitkoff, the US president's special envoy for the Middle East, would not have taken place without the mediation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. "He has a very strong friendship with President Trump, and behind the scenes he was promoting the right outcome," Whitkoff revealed.

Donald Trump has built a close relationship with Riyadh even during his presidency. Saudi Arabia was the first country he visited on his foreign tour, and Trump has also approved major arms deals with the kingdom.

- Trump needs to demonstrate Washington's willingness to use the kingdom as an important promoter of its interests - not only in the region, but beyond. And thus emphasize Riyadh's global role. This step also fits into the logic of deepening the strategic partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia," Leonid Tsukanov, an orientalist, explained to Izvestia, adding that the Republicans need to revise some provisions of the U.S.-Saudi "deal of the century," which the Biden administration began drafting.

According to the expert, the choice of Saudi Arabia (against the background of other Gulf countries) is also conditioned by the fact that this state has been neutral for a long time and has not been involved in the Ukrainian conflict.

Saudi mediation on Ukraine

It is obvious that the kingdom is aiming for bigger initiatives, also because it has already mediated the negotiations between Moscow and Kiev. In August 2023, Riyadh hosted an international meeting on Ukraine that included representatives from dozens of countries, including the United States, China and European states. Russia was not represented at the forum in Jeddah, but Riyadh informed Moscow about the outcome of the talks.

- The KSA has practiced positive neutrality in many disputes, especially between the two superpowers, Russia and the United States. It enjoys the trust of Ukrainians and has excellent economic relations with them. Riyadh has provided more than $400 million in humanitarian aid to Kiev. All this has made Saudi Arabia an expected venue for negotiations and a reliable mediator for all sides," Mubarak Al-Aati said.

Although the summit did not lead to concrete agreements, it demonstrated that Saudi Arabia can be an effective platform for discussing complex geopolitical issues. This experience shows that the kingdom is capable of creating conditions for discussion between world powers, even if their positions differ greatly. According to the expert, Saudi Arabia enjoys international prestige and influence in the economic and geopolitical spheres.

Since the beginning of the NWO, Saudi Arabia has been under unprecedented pressure from the US and its allies. Nevertheless, the Saudis have consistently taken a balanced position on Ukraine. While formally advocating the search for political ways to resolve the crisis, Riyadh refrains from joining the anti-Russian sanctions.

In December 2023, the Russian president visited Saudi Arabia, where he held talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. Putin was then received in the kingdom with special honors.

In September 2022, a large number of prisoners were exchanged between Russia and Ukraine through the mediation of Saudi Arabia and Turkey. In particular, Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk was transferred to Russia, while some AFU commanders were granted asylum in Turkey under the personal guarantees of the president of that republic until the end of the special operation. Undoubtedly, this gesture demonstrated that Riyadh is indeed an independent and influential player capable of taking into account the interests of both sides of the conflict.

- Saudi Arabia, although it remains a regional ally of the United States, tries to keep neutral on a number of issues - among them the Ukrainian conflict. Over the three years of the SWO, the kingdom has not made any critical statements about Moscow, nor has it participated in direct arms deliveries to Kiev," Leonid Tsukanov said.

Riyadh, in general, is open to dialog with both Moscow and Washington, which is noticeable by the frequency of government contacts. Of course, the American line in the policy of Riyadh is expected to dominate, but the kingdom leaves itself the opportunity to interact with Russia through humanitarian and trade channels, summarizes the expert. In addition, the US, Russia and KSA are the three largest players in the oil market. The likely meeting between Trump and Putin in Riyadh may include not only political topics, but also discussion of energy issues, in which Saudi Arabia plays a key role.

At the last U.S.-Russian summit in June 2021, the two sides agreed to start arms talks, but the strategic dialog was never launched. If we compare the possible meeting with the summit involving Putin and Trump in Helsinki in 2018, this time the US president's hands are untied. At that time, Congress was taking a hard line against Russia, and prosecutor Robert Mueller was investigating Russian Federation's "interference" in the US election in 2016. So in those circumstances, Trump was unable to go too far in rapprochement with Russia. Now the leaders' meeting may help to stop the escalation and overcome the negative agenda in relations.