Saudi Arabia seeks alternative for US.
US-Saudi relations have changed dramatically in the past few months with the ouster of Donald Trump and the inauguration of Joe Biden as President of the United States in January 2016, and it seems that the Riyadh-Washington honeymoon It is over and this relationship will not continue as in the past.
After Biden came to power in the United States, the excellent relations between Donald Trump and the Al Saud regime suddenly underwent many changes, which is why Saudi leaders, especially Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, are trying to get closer to Russia.
According to regional experts, this proximity is either artificial or real; If it is artificial, then Riyadh wants to arouse Washington’s jealousy, and if it is real, it is clear that Riyadh is looking for a strong partner in the region to continue its policies.
One of the reasons Riyadh has turned to Russia is the inconclusive withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, or the same defeat that occurred to the Americans after 20 years of occupying Afghanistan; A defeat that could have a major impact on the morale of the aggressor Saudi-Emirati military and their mercenaries in the Yemeni war.
According to media reports, Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi Crown Prince, who is his brother, is in Russia to sign military contracts, a move that seems to have political support behind it, in addition to military issues. And Bin Salman is seeking Moscow’s support with the acquisitions he made from the United States during Donald Trump’s term, which led to his full support, a move whose outcome is still unknown.
Riyadh has long been determined to deal with Moscow and other parties it once considered hostile or was forced to do so, especially after the war in Afghanistan in the 1980s and other sponsored wars against former Soviet forces. Then came the Russians, including the Chechen war, to establish friendly relations.
At the same time as Saudi Arabia’s new approach, US attention to Saudi Arabia has been steadily declining, but those limited ties remain with specific functions, the most important of which was to warn Americans about alternatives, although Riyadh already knew that The nature of dependence on the United States leaves the job entirely to them.
