MBS ’Loves Working with Trump’ but ’Will Pay Nothing in Exchange of Security’

Local Editor

In an interview by a Bloomberg team that was conducted at Riyadh’s royal palace on Wednesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman [MBS] praised his relationship with US President Donald Trump, days after the latter warned that the oil-rich kingdom might not last “two weeks” without American support.

Bin Salman, however, stressed that Riyadh “will pay nothing” to the US for the kingdom's “security,” in rebuttal to Trump who recently said King Salman would not last in power “for two weeks” without US military support.

“Actually we will pay nothing for our security. We believe that all the armaments we have from the United States of America are paid for, it’s not free armament," MBS said.

His comments in response to a question whether Riyadh needed to pay Washington more for its security.

“We believe that all the armaments we have from the United States of America are paid for, it’s not free armament,” MBS added.

“So ever since the relationship started between Saudi Arabia and the United States of America, we’ve bought everything with money,” he stressed.

MBS further expressed that he loves working with Trump, noting that: “You know, you have to accept that any friend will say good things and bad things.”

In further details, Trump has a bit earlier increased his verbal attacks on OPEC as global benchmark Brent crude oil has risen to a four-year high.

At the UN headquarters last month, the US President said OPEC was “ripping off the rest of the world” with crude prices, now about $85 a barrel. He warned that “we are not going to put up with these horrible prices much longer.”

Trump has heaped particular pressure on Saudi Arabia, the world’s top exporter of crude, to do more to ease prices, by linking the American military presence in the Persian Gulf to the kingdom’s oil-production policy.

“How about our military deals where we protect rich nations that we don’t get reimbursed?” Trump told a campaign rally in Mississippi Tuesday. “I love the king, King Salman, but I said, ‘King, we’re protecting you. You have to pay for your military, you have to pay.’”

This is a theme Trump has been sounding for years, tweeting in March 2015 that if Saudi Arabia “wants our help and protection, they must pay dearly! NO FREEBIES.” And it’s not restricted to Saudi Arabia: In his speech to the UN General Assembly last month, Trump said the US expected “other countries to pay their fair share.”

In his comments about King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Trump appeared to be referring to a telephone call with him a week earlier. Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV reported that the pair discussed efforts to maintain supplies to ensure the stability of the oil market and the growth of the global economy.

“We never in the history of Saudi Arabia decided that this is the right or wrong oil price,” MBS said. The 33-year old prince added: “The oil price depends on trade -– consumer and supplier -– and they decide the oil price based on trade and supply and demand. What we are committed to in Saudi Arabia is to make sure there is no shortage of supply.”

Early in March, Trump and bin Salman met in Washington and lavished praise on one another, with Trump saying that the US-Saudi relationship “is probably as good as it’s really ever been.”

Although the Saudi ties with the US have improved under Trump, his latest remarks appeared to question the stability of a monarchy in power since the 1930s.

Source: Bloomberg, Edited by website team