United States President Donald Trump delivered a speech at the US-Saudi investment forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, where he strongly criticized neoconservatives, interventionists, and liberal non-profits for their role in U.S. foreign policy. He emphasized a new, more realistic and pragmatic approach to international relations, focusing on economic and security interests rather than nation-building.
Trump lambasted the "nation-builders" and "interventionists" for their failed attempts to remake countries like Iraq and Afghanistan into Western-style democracies.
"It's crucial for the wider world to know this great transformation has not come from Western interventionists, or flying people in beautiful planes giving you lectures on how to live and how to govern your own affairs," Trump said in part. "In the end, the so-called nation builders wrecked far more nations than they built and the interventionalists were intervening in complex societies that they did not even understand themselves.
"No, the gleaming marvels of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were not created by the so-called 'nation builders,' neocons, or liberal non-profits like those who spent trillions and trillions of dollars failing to develop Baghdad, so many other cities.
"Instead, the birth of a modern Middle East has been brought by the people of the region themselves, the people that are right here, the people that have lived here all their lives, developing your own sovereign countries, pursuing your own unique visions and charting your own destinies in your own way.
"They told you how to do it, but they had no idea how to do it themselves. Peace, prosperity, and progress ultimately came not from a radical rejection of your heritage, but rather from embracing your national traditions and embracing that same heritage that you love so dearly."
Trump praised Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the country's development, attributing it to embracing national traditions rather than Western intervention.
The US president outlined a new approach to U.S. foreign policy, emphasizing "peace through strength" and a focus on economic and security interests. He expressed a willingness to engage with Iran and Syria, offering to lift sanctions in exchange for cooperation.
Trump praised Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman(or MBS) during the speech, and described the crown prince as a "very great man like no other" and "the greatest representative of his people."
At one point, Trump asked the crown prince, "Mohammed, do you sleep at night? How do you sleep?" and added, "Critics doubted that it was possible, what you’ve done, but over the past eight years, Saudi Arabia has proved the critics totally wrong."
During his visit, Trump signed several economic agreements with Saudi Arabia, including a $142 billion arms deal and a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia to the U.S.
Trump expressed hope that Saudi Arabia would join the Abraham Accords to normalize relations with Israel, stating, "It’s my fervent hope, wish, and even my dream that Saudi Arabia will soon be joining the Abraham Accords."
Trump criticized the foreign policies of previous U.S. administrations, including those of Bush, Obama, and Biden, for their interventionist approaches. He emphasized that his approach would be different, focusing on serving American interests and promoting stability and prosperity.
The U.S. president also announced to a standing ovation, the end of sanctions on Syria, a move that has been criticized by the Israeli government.
Trump offered a new path to Iran, stating his willingness to end past conflicts and forge new partnerships for a more stable world.
He emphasized that Iran must stop sponsoring terror, halt its proxy wars, and verifiably cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons,. "They cannot have a nuclear weapon."
Trump also expressed his willingness to make a deal with Iran, saying, "I want to do something if possible. But for that to happen, it must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars, and permanently and verifiably cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons." He warned that if Iran rejects this offer, the U.S. will inflict "massive maximum pressure" and drive Iranian oil exports to zero.
The Tuesday's forum was also attended by top U.S. business leaders, including CEOs of Tesla, Nvidia and Blackrock, Elon Musk, Jensen Huang and Larry Fink respectively, and saw the announcement of deals worth more than $300 billion.
Trump is viting the Gulf for a three-day trip that will see him visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The trip aims to address a range of issues, including oil, trade, investment deals, and diplomatic progress on regional conflicts such as the Israel-Gaza war ceasefire and potential Saudi-Israel normalization talks.
