U.S. and Russia Pursue Partnership in a Head-Spinning Shift in Relations

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The two sides met in Saudi Arabia for their most extensive discussions in years. In addition to Ukraine, business ties were on the table.

The United States and Russia moved toward a head-spinning reset of their relationship on Tuesday, agreeing to work together on ending the Ukraine war, financial investment and re-establishing normal relations. The meeting between senior officials from both countries was a striking display of bonhomie after three years of American efforts to isolate Moscow for its 2022 invasion.

After more than four hours of talks, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that both sides had agreed to work on a peace settlement for Ukraine as well as to explore “the incredible opportunities that exist to partner with the Russians,” both geopolitically and economically.

“We weren’t just listening to each other, but we heard each other,” Sergey V. Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said. “I have reason to believe that the American side started to better understand our positions.”

The meeting, the most extensive negotiations in more than three years between the two global powers, was the latest swerve by the Trump administration in abandoning Western efforts to punish Russia for starting Europe’s most destructive war in generations. It signaled Mr. Trump’s intention to roll back the Biden administration’s approach toward Moscow, which focused on sanctions, isolation and sending weapons to Ukraine that helped kill tens of thousands of Russian soldiers. » | Anton Troianovski and Ismaeel Naar | Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Leer en español aquí.

'Witnessing First-hand the Betrayal of Ukraine': US and Russia Meet in Saudi Arabia

Feb 18, 2025 | Six officials say they believe Russian President Putin could agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine because it would give his military some time to reset and rebuild. However, he is not interested in a "real peace deal." MSNBC national security and intel analyst Marc Polymeropoulos joins Christina Ruffini to weigh in.

Zelensky Postpones Trip to Saudi Arabia amid US, Russia Talks

Feb 18, 2025 | President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine will not “give in to Russia’s ultimatums” following talks between White House officials and Moscow in Saudi Arabia.

What the US and Russia Might Agree On without Ukraine and Europe | DW News

Feb 18, 2025 | US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov today in Saudi Arabia.

Talks are aimed at setting up negotiations for a peace plan for Ukraine without Kyiv or Europe at the table. It's the first high-level meeting between the two countries since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor three years ago. A day earlier, European leaders held an emergency summit in Paris over the prospect of being excluded from peace talks.

Riyadh Slams Israel's Netanyahu for "Palestine in Saudi Arabia" Remark | Firstpost Spotlight

Feb 10, 2025 | Riyadh Slams Israel's Netanyahu For "Palestine In Saudi Arabia" Remark | Firstpost Spotlight | N18G

Riyadh condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's suggestion that Saudi Arabia's land can be used to establish a Palestinian state. In a statement on February 9, the Saudi Foreign Ministry called the suggestions to displace Palestinians from their land an "extremist" idea. Saudi Arabi also affirmed that the "Palestinian people have a right to their land, and they are not intruders or immigrants" who could be expelled as per the wishes of Israeli leadership. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump doubled down on his earlier proposal that Washington D.C. will "take over" and "own" Gaza by resettling people of Palestine elsewhere.

Netanyahu: Saudi Arabia Has ‘a Lot of Room’ to Build a New Palestinian State

THE TELEGRAPH: Arab League and UAE say Israeli prime minister’s comments are a ‘complete detachment from reality’

Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that a new Palestinian state could be established in Saudi Arabia, triggering outrage among Arab leaders.

The Israeli prime minister said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 14 that “the Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there”.

The Arab League pushed back on Mr Netanyahu’s remarks, saying they were “a complete detachment from reality”. Saudi Arabia and the UAE also pushed back against the comments. » | Jotam Confino in Tel Aviv | Sunday, February 9, 2025

What We Know about the Suspect behind Christmas Market Attack

Dec 22, 2024 | A driver who rammed a car into a crowded Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg, killing at least five people and injuring more than 200, has been identified by authorities as a 50-year-old Saudi Arabian citizen who had lived in Germany for more than a decade and worked as a doctor.

Authorities are working to establish the motive of the suspect, named by a US activist group as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, who had a history of making anti-Islam statements and said that he had helped people, particularly women, flee Saudi Arabia. CNN's Matthew Chance reports.

ماجد المهندس - يا رايح وين مسافر | جلسة ماجد صوت الحب | Reupload

May 22, 2024 | Majid Almohandis

Jamal Khashoggi’s Widow Urges Starmer to Raise Husband’s Murder at Saudi Meeting

THE GUARDIAN: Starmer will meet crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia for talks about forging closer ties on Monday

Jamal Khashoggi’s widow has urged Keir Starmer to raise her husband’s murder at his meeting with the Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

Starmer will arrive in Saudi Arabia on Monday for talks with the Saudi crown prince as part of a two-day trip to the Middle East, his first to the region as prime minister.

Hanan Elatr Khashoggi said it was incumbent on the UK to raise the case of her husband, who was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

Khashoggi was a Saudi journalist who was critical of the Saudi government and wrote a column for the Washington Post. US intelligence believes Prince Mohammed directly ordered his murder, which the kingdom strenuously denies. » | Eleni Courea, Political correspondent | Monday, December 9, 2024

One can but feel for this lady. She says that she has never received any apology or compensation from the kingdom. Nor have I for what the kingdom did to me. So, I, too, wish that Saudi would pay me compensation for my substantial losses. My human rights were also violated. – © Mark Alexander

Young Saudis Are Crucial to Halting Desertification, Climate Envoy Adel Al-Jubeir Tells Arab News

Dec 5, 2024 | Young Saudis are crucial to halting desertification, Climate Envoy Adel Al-Jubeir tells Arab News

ماجد المهندس - يا رايح وين مسافر | جلسة ماجد صوت الحب

May 22, 2024 | Majid Almohandis

When I listen to this beautiful song, I experience a longing for the Middle East. The Middle East has a magic all of its own.

Wenn ich dieses wunderschöne Lied höre, überkommt mich eine Sehnsucht nach dem Nahen Osten. Der Nahe Osten hat seine ganz eigene Magie.

Quand j'écoute cette belle chanson, je ressens une nostalgie pour le Moyen-Orient. Le Moyen-Orient a sa propre magie. – © Mark Alexander

ماجد المهندس - يا رايح وين مسافر | جلسة ماجد صوت الحب

May 22, 2024 | Majid Almohandis

WIKIPEDIA: Majid Al Mohandis »

This Arabic music is beautiful and cheerful. Let us hear it again.

Diese arabische Musik ist wunderschön und fröhlich. Hören wir sie uns noch einmal an.

Cette musique arabe est belle et joyeuse. Écoutons-la à nouveau.

هذه الموسيقى العربية جميلة ومبهجة. دعونا نسمع ذلك مرة أخرى — Mark

ماجد المهندس - يا رايح وين مسافر | جلسة ماجد صوت الحب

May 22, 2024 | Majid Almohandis

WIKIPEDIA: Majid Al Mohandis »

Contraband Whiskey and a Secret Royal Dinner: Wall Street Goes to Riyadh

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Are you an international business titan on the hunt for billions of dollars of Saudi oil cash? Prepare for “a mind game.”

At exactly 6:19 p.m. last Tuesday, in a gold-trimmed hallway snaking off the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh, a lesson emerged in money, power and what Arabs call wasta, or influence.

The scene was opened by Marc Rowan, the private equity billionaire, pacing the carpet leading up the unremarkably named Meeting Room B — where a few minutes earlier chairs had been arranged in a semicircle.

Mr. Rowan, clad in a neat suit rather than his usual sweaters, was 11 minutes early — he actually doubled back a few times, apparently unwilling to arrive first — but was soon followed by a dozen or so titans of technology and finance, including top executives of the Carlyle Group, BlackRock, Citi and Standard Chartered, and founders of the giant hedge funds Bridgewater Associates and Third Point. » | Rob Copeland | Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Iran & Saudi Arabia: Neighbours and Rivals | ARTE.tv Documentary

Oct 23, 2024 | On the one hand, Iran, an Islamic republic led by an ayatollah, sworn enemy of Israel and the USA, with a mostly Shiite population. On the other is Saudi Arabia, a hereditary monarchy whose inhabitants are 90% Sunni. This episode focuses on two neighbours whose rivalry shapes the balance of power in the Middle East...

Iran & Saudi Arabia: Neighbours and Rivals | ARTE.tv Documentary

Available until 23/07/2031

Saudi Executions Hit Record Number under ‘Reformist Prince’

THE TELEGRAPH: Rise in capital punishment under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, despite pledge to cut down on the death penalty

Saudi Arabia has reached a record high for executions despite pledges to cut down the death penalty.

There have been some 208 deaths so far in 2024, eclipsing the 2022 record of 196, 81 in a single day.

The executions have been carried out under reformist Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has overseen at least 1,447 executions carried out since he was made Crown Prince to his elderly father, Salman, in 2015.

It comes as on October 9, UN member states will vote on whether to allow Saudi Arabia a seat on the Human Rights Council.

Reforms made in the kingdom include allowing women to drive and bringing in some of the world’s top names in sport and entertainment.

However, the rise in capital punishment continues, with 32 in September alone, and 41 in August, the 2024 monthly high so far, despite a moratorium on the use of the death penalty in 2020. » | Melanie Swan | Sunday, October 6, 2024

Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's Controversial Prince | Full Documentary in English

Aug 20, 2024 | This documentary offers an in-depth look at Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. It examines his rise to power, his ambitious Vision 2030 plan to modernize the Saudi economy, and his controversial actions on both the domestic and international fronts.

Despite accusations of human rights abuses, political repression, and a costly war in Yemen, MBS is presented as a key figure shaping Saudi Arabia’s future and its place in the global order.

The film highlights the complex interplay between his efforts to reform and modernize the kingdom while maintaining tight control and confronting regional threats, particularly from Iran.


Nb: The subtitles can be changed. Several languages are available. – Mark

Ex-Muslim Opens Up About Sex and Islam in Saudi Arabia | The Story of ‪@ApostateAladdin‬

May 14, 2024 | Anonymous YouTuber Apostate Aladdin shares his story of becoming a man in an environment that used fear to keep boys and girls and men and women separated. This intense fear that men need to be kept away so they don’t act on their uncontrollable desires, left him feeling scared, targeted, alone and shameful. Here we learn about purity culture through a different lens and how he was able to overcome his fear of interacting with women so he could create positive friendships and relationships. | Find Apostate Aladdin YouTube: @apostatealaddin

WARNING: This discussion Is suitable neither for children nor for the narrow-minded or people of a prudish or sensitive nature. – Mark Alexander

How Nuriyah Khan’s Upscale Islamic Life in Saudi Arabia & Dubai Took a Dark Turn

Jul 8, 2024 | When her well-off British family moved to Saudi Arabia near Mecca, Nuriyah Khan (‪HolyHumanist‬) lived in two worlds at once — a plush Muslim life inside a compound which protected her from a fundamentalist Islam. Hoping to continue to live a progressive Muslim lifestyle, she married and moved to Dubai. Once her relationship became unsafe, she asked for a separation and was confronted with Sharia law, Islamic religious law that guides the moral and religious lives of Muslims. He relentlessly stalked her along with the Dubai police who were trying to force her to stay with him, confiscating her passport.

Holy Humanist: Fleeing Saudi Arabia | Jasmin's Unprecedented Journey to Freedom

Jul 3, 2024 | oin me and the wonderfully brave Jasmin Faulk Dickerson who is an author, speaker, podcaster, educator and one of the first documented Ex-Muslim women to escape from Saudi Arabia and embrace a new (and often, very unfamiliar) way of life for herself in America.