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Russian officials make ultimatums on NATO, Ukraine as Saudi Arabia peace talks begin

U.S. and Russian officials held peace talks in Saudi Arabia without any Ukrainian officials present on Tuesday.

Russia’s foreign ministry issued several ultimatums as the talks began early Tuesday morning. Russian officials noted that Ukrainian membership in NATO is unacceptable, and they said a simple refusal by NATO to allow Ukraine to join is not a sufficient protection. Instead, Russian officials said NATO must disavow promises of Ukrainian membership in NATO made during a 2008 summit in Bucharest.

The groups, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, are seeking terms for a peace agreement in Ukraine as well as negotiating a potential meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The two groups broke for a working lunch at roughly 2 p.m. local time.

PUTIN VIEWED AS ‘GREAT COMPETITOR’ BUT STILL A US ‘ADVERSARY’ AS UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS LOOM, LEAVITT SAYS

Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Sputnik/Alexei Danichev/Pool via REUTERS/Leah Millis/Alina Smutko)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country would never accept peace terms negotiated by the U.S. and Russia without Ukrainian involvement. Trump has vowed that Ukraine will be involved in the larger process.

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff emphasized on Sunday that the ongoing meeting in Riyadh is more about “trust building” than getting into the details of an actual peace agreement.

Zelenskyy urged Trump not to trust Putin in a phone call last week.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting with Russian counterparts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

“I said that [Putin] is a liar,” Zelenskyy said of the call. “And he said, ‘I think my feeling is that he’s ready for these negotiations.’ And I said to him, ‘No, he’s a liar. He doesn’t want any peace.’”

FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL LANDS IN US AFTER YEARS IN RUSSIAN CAPTIVITY

The Ukrainian leader nevertheless said he believes Putin is a “little bit scared” of Trump.

Also excluded from Tuesday’s talks are any European representatives, a notable absence given the stern rebuke of European allies delivered by Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference last week.

The war in Ukraine continues to rage as fledgling peace talks take place in Saudi Arabia. (AP Photo/LIBKOS, File)

Some European allies are taking the cue, with U.K. Prime Minister Kier Starmer announcing that he is willing to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine to ensure its security as part of a peace deal.

“I do not say that lightly,” he wrote in the Daily Telegraph. “I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way.”

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“But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country,” he added.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

February 18, 2025
Rubio meets Saudi crown prince, foreign minister ahead of US-Russia talks

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Saudi Arabian officials Monday ahead of planned talks in the country between United States diplomats and their Russian counterparts meant to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war.

Rubio was joined by U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, in a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at his palace in the capital city of Riyadh. Rubio also met with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud earlier Monday after traveling to Riyadh from Israel during his first trip to the Middle East as secretary of state.

Talks are scheduled for Tuesday in Saudi Arabia between the U.S. and Russia. Ukrainian officials are notably expected to be absent from the negotiating table.

Rubio, Waltz and Witkoff will meet the Russian delegation, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SAYS PUTIN, ZELENSKYY AGREE ‘ONLY PRESIDENT TRUMP COULD GET THEM TO THE TABLE’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Feb. 17, 2025. (EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov set off for the Saudi capital on Monday, according to Russian state TV.

Addressing reporters in Moscow on Monday, Lavrov said he looked forward to putting an “absolutely abnormal period” of estrangement between the U.S. and Russia behind them, according to the Washington Post.

“We want to listen to our partners,” Lavrov reportedly said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks will be primarily focused on “restoring the entire range of U.S.-Russian relations, as well as preparing possible talks on the Ukrainian settlement and organizing a meeting of the two presidents.”

Bruce said the meeting is aimed at determining how serious the Russians are about wanting peace and whether detailed negotiations can be started.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud receives Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Saudi Foreign Ministry headquarters in Riyadh on Feb. 17, 2025. (EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

“I think the goal, obviously, for everyone is to determine if this is something that can move forward,” she told reporters traveling with Rubio in Riyadh, according to the Associated Press.

Bruce said that even though Ukraine would not be at the table for Tuesday’s talks, actual peace negotiations would only take place with Ukraine’s involvement.

Tuesday’s talks are expected to lay the groundwork for the summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said he spoke to Putin on the phone last week and they “agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately.” The call upended years of U.S. policy, ending the isolation of Moscow over its Feb. 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine. Trump phoned Zelenskyy afterward to inform him about their conversation.

Trump on Sunday told reporters that Zelenskyy “will be involved” but did not elaborate.

ZELENSKYY NOT YET SIGNING US ECONOMIC AGREEMENT ‘SHORT-SIGHTED,’ WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL SAYS

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron is convening an emergency meeting between the main European powers in Paris on Monday to discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Speaking on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Witkoff said he and Waltz will be “having meetings at the direction of the president,” and hope to make “some really good progress with regard to Russia-Ukraine.”

Witkoff didn’t directly respond to a question about whether Ukraine would have to give up a “significant portion” of its territory as part of any negotiated settlement. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week that NATO membership for Ukraine was unrealistic and suggested Kyiv should abandon hopes of winning all its territory back from Russia.

The Ukrainian president said Monday his country had not been invited to the upcoming talks and won’t accept the outcome if Kyiv doesn’t take part. The U.S.-Russia talks would “yield no results,” given the absence of any Ukrainian officials, Zelenskyy said on a conference call with journalists from the United Arab Emirates, according to the AP. Zelenskyy said he would travel to Turkey on Monday and to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, but that his trip was unrelated to the U.S.-Russia talks.

Rubio meets with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Feb. 17, 2025. On a separate couch are Waltz and U.S. charge d’affaires Alison Dilworth. Witkoff, not pictured, was on another couch in the room. (EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

In an appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” Waltz rejected the notion that European allies are not being consulted on negotiating an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, noting how Rubio, Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spent last week in Europe meeting with allies. Bessent, in particular, traveled to Kyiv, while Vance met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

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Waltz said one of the key tenants in negotiating a peace deal would be ensuring “a permanent end to the war,” describing how the conflict has devolved “into a World War I-style meat grinder of human beings.” He said long-term military security guarantees have to be European-led, criticizing how a third of NATO countries are not contributing what they agreed upon a decade ago.

As for the billions in U.S. aid sent to Ukraine during the Biden administration, Waltz said the American people “deserve to be recouped, deserve to have some type of payback for the billions they have invested in this war.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on X: @danimwallace.

February 17, 2025
Putin sending foreign minister to Saudi Arabia for talks with Trump officials

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dispatched a group of senior officials to Saudi Arabia for meetings with the U.S. about a potential peace deal for Ukraine, the Kremlin announced Monday.

The officials, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, will meet with U.S. counterparts on Tuesday. The groups plan to discuss a restoration of diplomatic ties between Washington and Moscow, as well as a Ukrainian peace deal and a potential meeting between President Donald Trump and Putin.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the U.S. delegation, accompanied by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and national security adviser Mike Waltz, the state department confirmed Monday.

The meeting comes just days after Trump revealed he had spoken to Putin in a phone call last week. Trump said he and Putin “agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately.”

TRUMP SAYS RUSSIA AGREES TO ‘IMMEDIATELY’ BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS TO END WAR IN UKRAINE

President Donald Trump (center), Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (right). (Alessandro Bremec/NurPhoto via Getty Images | Contributor/Getty Images | Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met the effort with skepticism, urging Trump not to trust Putin in a separate call last week.

“I said that [Putin] is a liar,” Zelenskyy recounted of his phone call to Trump. “And he said, ‘I think my feeling is that he’s ready for these negotiations.’ And I said to him, ‘No, he’s a liar. He doesn’t want any peace.’”

PUTIN VIEWED AS ‘GREAT COMPETITOR’ BUT STILL A US ‘ADVERSARY’ AS UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS LOOM, LEAVITT SAYS

Zelenskyy nevertheless said he believes Putin is a “little bit scared” of Trump.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will lead the Russian delegation meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Saudi Arabia this week. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Trump’s representatives have declined to offer details about the negotiations, such as whether the U.S. would support a deal where Ukraine is forced to give up a sizable amount of its pre-war territory.

FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL LANDS IN US AFTER YEARS IN RUSSIAN CAPTIVITY

“Those are details, and I’m not dismissive of the details, they’re important. But I think the beginning here is trust-building. It’s getting everybody to understand that this war does not belong continuing, that it should end. That’s what the president has directed us to do,” Witkoff told Fox News on Sunday.

Meanwhile, U.K. Prime Minister Kier Starmer has confirmed that he is willing to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine to ensure its security as part of a peace deal.

“I do not say that lightly,” he wrote in the Daily Telegraph. “I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way.”

“But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country,” he added.

War has continued to rage in Ukraine in recent days despite a phone call between Trump and Putin discussing a possible peace deal. (Anatolii STEPANOV / AFP, ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images)

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Zelenskyy added in his interview that he will not accept any negotiation hashed out by just the U.S. and Russia.

“I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine. Never.… The war in Ukraine is against us, and it is our human losses. And we are thankful for all the support, unity between U.S.A. – in U.S.A. around Ukraine support, bipartisan unity, bipartisan support, we’re thankful for all of this. But there is no… leader in the world who can really make a deal with Putin without us about us,” he said.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

February 17, 2025
How Saudi Arabia’s crown prince became a central player in US-brokered peace talks between Russia and Ukraine

Saudi Arabia has emerged as a central player in the pursuit of a U.S.-brokered peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, in large part due to the political capital it wields with its massive oil reserves.

President Donald Trump suggested Riyadh as a meeting place to kick off face-to-face talks between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin agreed the location was acceptable. To some it might seem a curious choice, but the Middle Eastern kingdom has reasons to involve itself in finding an end to the conflict happening thousands of miles from its borders.

For Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, mediating peace negotiations would help to solidify his standing as a global leader. It also offers him a leg up on Qatar, which was heavily involved in negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Qatar has also, since 2023, helped facilitate the return of dozens of Ukrainian children taken to Russia during the war.

Trump cited both his and Putin’s relationship with the Saudis in his remarks. “We know the crown prince, and I think it’d be a very good place to be,” he said.

RUSSIAN-AMERICAN BALLERINA ‘IN TRANSIT’ AFTER US SAYS SHE WAS WRONGFULLY DETAINED, BOYFRIEND SAYS

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS)

It’s why Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has taken a front-row seat to the U.S. dealings in Eastern Europe. Witkoff jetted off to Moscow this week and returned home with Marc Fogel, an American teacher who had been detained by the Kremlin on charges of bringing medical marijuana into Russia in 2021. Witkoff credited Prince Mohammed for his “instrumental” role in mediating the release.

Trump said in a Truth Social post Wednesday he’d designated Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Witkoff to lead peace negotiations but failed to mention the special envoy he originally hired for the task, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg. The post came after he spoke by phone with both Putin and Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy.

The Saudi kingdom is the largest exporter of oil in the world and plays a critical role in setting global prices. Higher oil prices generate more revenue for the Kremlin from Russia’s own exports.

In 2024, Russia made $108.22 billion from oil and gas sales, 26% more than the previous year, according to Reuters.

Trump suggested Riyadh as a meeting place to kick off face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Mikhail Metzel/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump has repeatedly pressed nations in the OPEC alliance to flood the market with oil and lower the global price, believing Russia would be more open to negotiations if its war coffers are hit.

“Right now the price is high enough that that war will continue,” Trump told executives at the World Economic Forum at Davos last month.

“You got to bring down the oil price,” he said. “That will end that war. You could end that war.”

The Trump team is far closer to the Saudis than the Biden administration was, though relations may strain over Trump’s plan to move Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip and into neighboring nations and take over the territory. Still, bin Salman has pledged to invest as much as $600 billion in the U.S. over the next four years.

FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL LANDS IN US AFTER YEARS IN RUSSIAN CAPTIVITY

Trump and Zelenskyy (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Trump, who spoke to bin Salman just ahead of his Davos remarks, said he would be asking “the Crown Prince, who’s a fantastic guy, to round it out to around $1 trillion.”

The Saudis and Ukraine have a common enemy in Iran, which has long been providing Russia with Shahed drones and other munitions.

“The [Iran-backed] Houthis have deployed Iranian weaponry against Saudi Arabia, targeting critical infrastructure, including oil pipelines and airports,” said Daniel Balson of the advocacy group Razom for Ukraine. “In fact, repeated Houthi attacks against highly urbanized targets like Khamis Mushait in Saudi Arabia have served as a prelude for Russia’s use of drone warfare against Ukrainian cities.”

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In May 2023, bin Salman invited Zelenskyy to speak at a meeting of Arab leaders in Jeddah. Later that year, Zelenskyy and bin Salman held closed-door talks with diplomats from 40 countries on ending the war, but Russia did not participate.

Putin thanked Saudi Arabia in August for its role in negotiating the most extensive prisoner swap since the Cold War, securing the release of 26 people.

February 14, 2025
Saudi Arabia contradicts Trump, vows no ties with Israel without creation of Palestinian state

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Saudi Arabia said it would not establish ties with Israel unless a Palestinian state is created, shooting down U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that the Saudis were not demanding a Palestinian homeland when he floated the idea of the U.S. government taking control of the Gaza Strip.

Trump said on Tuesday at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he wants the U.S. to take over the Gaza Strip, which has been ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war, after Palestinians are resettled in other countries.

“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” Trump said at the White House. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexplored bombs and other weapons on the site.”

“Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area,” he said. “Do a real job. Do something different. Just can’t go back. If you go back, it’s going to end up the same way it has for 100 years.”

‘LEVEL IT’: TRUMP SAYS US WILL ‘TAKE OVER’ GAZA STRIP, REBUILD IT TO STABILIZE MIDDLE EAST

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) poses prior to a working lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Presidential Palace on June 16, 2023, in Paris, France. (Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that the country rejects any attempts to displace the Palestinians from their homeland, stressing that its position on the Palestinians is not up to negotiation.

The statement noted that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has affirmed the kingdom’s position in “a clear and explicit manner” that does not make other interpretations possible under any circumstances.

TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST ENVOY EXPLAINS GAZA TAKEOVER PROPOSAL: ‘MORE HOPE’ FOR PALESTINIANS’ FUTURES

Any proposed displacement of Palestinians, an idea Trump has suggested multiple times since retaking office last month, is a highly sensitive matter for both Palestinians and Arab countries.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu answer questions during a joint press conference in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., February 4, 2025. ( REUTERS/Leah Millis)

Trump said on Jan. 25 that he wanted Jordan, Egypt and other Arab nations to accept more Palestinian refugees from the Gaza Strip, potentially moving out enough people to “just clean out” the area.

“You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, ‘You know, it’s over,’” he said at the time.

Amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Palestinians feared they would suffer from another “Nakba,” meaning catastrophe in Arabic, which refers to the displacement and dispossession of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during the 1948 war at the birth of the State of Israel.

‘PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH’: TRUMP AND NETANYAHU EXPECTED TO DISCUSS IRAN, HAMAS AT WHITE HOUSE MEETING

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., February 4, 2025. (REUTERS/Leah Millis)

The U.S. had led months of diplomacy to convince Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with Israel and recognize the Middle Eastern country. But the war in Gaza, which began with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on the Jewish State, prompted the Saudis to abandon the matter amid Arab anger over Israel’s offensive.

Trump wants Saudi Arabia to follow in the footsteps of countries including the United Arab Emirates, a Middle East trade and business hub, and Bahrain, which signed the Abraham Accords in 2020 and normalized ties with Israel.

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Saudi Arabia establishing ties with Israel would be a grand prize for the Jewish State because the kingdom has huge influence in the Middle East and the wider Muslim world, and it is the world’s biggest oil exporter.

Reuters contributed to this report.

February 5, 2025
Ramadan 2025 Date in Saudi Arabia: When Is Ramzan Starting in KSA? Check Tentative Dates

Mumbai, January 31: Ramadan 2025 is nearly a month away from now. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) welcomed Shabaan (Shaban), the month before Ramadan or Ramzan, on Friday, January 31. Following the completion of Shabaan, Ramadan shall commence. The exact date marking beginning of Ramadan 2025 will be determined following the moon sighting ritual. If you are looking for “Ramadan 2025 date” in Saudi Arabia online, this article has tentative dates from when the Islamic holy month is expected to begin.

Before we disclose tentative dates for the start of Ramadan, it may be noted that the Islamic calendar is based on lunar cycle. It simple means an Islamic month lasts for either 29 or 30 days. On the evening of 29th day of each month, Muslims look for the crescent moon. If the moon is sighted, the ongoing month concludes and a new month begins from the next day. If the moon is not sighted, a new month commences after the ongoing month completes 30 days. Ramadan Fasting Tips: From Staying Hydrated to Mindful Eating, Things That Can Help You With Fasting in the Holiest Islamic Month.

Ramadan 2025 Date: When Is Ramadan 2025 Starting in Saudi Arabia?

As mentioned above, the Shabaan month started from January 31 in Saudi Arabia. Thus, 29th of Shabaan shall fall on February 28. If the moon is sighted on February 28, Ramadan 2025 would begin from March 1 in Saudi Arabia. If the moon remains invisible, Shabaan shall complete 30 days on March 1. In this case, Ramadan would commence from March 2.

What Is Ramadan? Why Is It Important to Muslims Worldwide?

Unlike general perception, Ramadan or Ramzan is not a festival. It is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. This month holds significance for Muslims because it is believed that the holy Quran was revealed to prophet Muhammad during this period. During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs from dawn till dusk, everyday. Ramadan Explained: Why and How Do Muslims Fast? Are There Exemptions From Fasting? What Are Some Cultural and Social Traditions Associated With Ramadan?

Fasting in Ramadan, also known as Roza, is mandatory for all adult Muslims, unless they are sick, travelling, are having their menstrual cycle, are pregnant, diabetic or elderly. It is intended to help Muslims learn self-discipline and self-restraint. When Ramadan month ends, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr or Eid Ul Fitr. Eid al-Fitr is one of the two festivals celebrated by Muslims globally.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 31, 2025 10:11 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).

January 31, 2025
Saudi prince eyes $600B investment in US over next 4 years: report

Khalid Al-Falih, minister of investment of Saudi Arabia, on boosting non-oil investments, Middle Eastern conflict and President Donald Trump’s relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told President Donald Trump the kingdom plans to sink $600 billion into new investments and trade with the U.S. over the next four years, according to reports.

The Saudi State news agency reported that, during a phone call between the two leaders, bin Salman said expected reforms from the Trump administration could create “unprecedented economic prosperity.”

The agency also said Saudi Arabia would like to capitalize on these conditions, though it did not say where the $600 billion would come from, how it would be deployed and if it would be public or private spending.

Bin Salman told Trump the investment “could increase further if additional opportunities arise,” the report noted.

TRUMP SPOTTED SITTING WITH HEAD OF SAUDI ARABIA’S PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND AT UFC FIGHT

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shakes hands with President Donald Trump at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. (Reuters/File photo / Reuters Photos)

During his first term, President Trump built close ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. In fact, Saudi Arabia invested $2 billion in a firm created by Trump’s son-in-law and former aide, Jared Kushner, after Trump had left office.

During his inauguration Monday, Trump said he would consider making Saudi Arabia his first destination for a foreign visit if the capital city of Riyadh agreed to purchase $500 billion in American products.

PGA TOUR AND LIV GOLF COMBINATION: THE PLAYERS, INVESTORS, MONEY

Russian President Vladimir Putin presents a gift made of a mammoth tusk to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, looks on in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 14, 2019. (Reuters/File Photo / Reuters Photos)

“I did it with Saudi Arabia last time because they agreed to bury $450 billion worth of our product,” Trump said in reference to his 2017 visit to the country. “I said, ‘I’ll do it, but you have to buy American product,’ and they agreed to that.”

After winning his way back to the Oval Office in November, Trump and several others attended a UFC fight at Madison Square Garden.

Those in attendance with Trump included Elon Musk, Kid Rock, RFK Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, House Speaker Mike Johnson and the head of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

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The PIF is the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, which is controlled by bin Salman and governed by Al-Rumayyan.

According to Reuters, the PIF was estimated to have about $925 billion in assets in July.

Reuters contributed to this report.

January 23, 2025