Saudi Arabia has re-positioned itself strategically from a leader of the Arab coalition collaborating with Washington to a regional power that adopts positive strategic neutrality, i.e., adopting relations with all axes and major countries in parallel. The Saudi leadership has charted a special path through which it has reintroduced the great powers to the understanding that it is a country that decides its international policies according to its supreme national interests.
Saudi Arabia signed a huge contract to purchase weapons and equipment from the US, putting enormous pressure on American companies, which forced a change in the US administration's position towards Riyadh.
It believes an American - Russian agreement is inevitable to end the Ukrainian war and that nothing else will end the military confrontation between the two warring parties, Russia and Ukraine. It has become clear that without a strong and decisive American role in stopping the clash, there will be no ceasefire or cessation of military operations.
Why has the Biden administration failed in three years to accomplish what Donald Trump succeeded in doing in three months? In coordination with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the US has created a tripartite dialogue between Moscow and Washington to discuss the war and find a ceasefire in preparation for medium- and long-term negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine. What are the reasons for the Biden administration's hesitation or refusal to mobilise for peace?
The Biden administration tried to win the war by imposing sanctions on Moscow. The US tried to impose conditions on Moscow for ending the war, the most important of which was a comprehensive withdrawal from all Ukrainian territories, including the Crimean Peninsula and those whose inhabitants speak Russian. The Biden Administration also forced Moscow to make large payment compensations and commit to a certain price for oil exports. The Biden administration has generalised this policy to its allies in Europe and the world, so the war has lasted a long time.
In his final days in office, President Joe Biden sought to fulfill a commitment he made to the G7 and Europe to increase sanctions and risks on Russian President Vladimir Putin as long as he continues his war on Europe. The sanctions included entities producing and exporting liquefied natural gas from Russia and entities trying to expand Russia's oil production capacity.
The Arab coalition
Among the main regional blocs in the world is the Islamic bloc, led by Saudi Arabia. However, Biden practically pressured it to wage economic and political war alongside his administration against Russia. Between 2021 and early 2022, when the war in Ukraine erupted in February 2022, the Biden—Obama national security and foreign policy team also made mistakes against Riyadh and the Arab coalition.
In February 2021, within weeks of entering the White House, Biden removed the Ansar Allah group (known as the Houthis) from the US terrorist list, opening the way for Iran to support it with weapons and ammunition and dealing a blow to Saudi Arabia and the coalition. Then, under pressure from the Iranian lobby, Washington began to put greater pressure on Saudi Arabia and its Arab partners to prevent the arrival of advanced ammunition and weapons to Yemen.
Riyadh signed extensive economic agreements with China. In turn, Beijing supervised a disengagement agreement between Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic, which paved the way to successful normalisation. Riyadh has strengthened ties with Moscow and made trade and arms deals with France and Britain.
Saudi Arabia has also built a network of interests with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, transforming itself into a major player in the Middle East and the world. It is developing massive development projects that have brought the world's largest companies to the country.
Consequently, since 2023, Saudi Arabia has regained its position in international relations and has played the role of arbitrator in peace talks on the Ukrainian war. Riyadh has relations between the two parties in the conflict and strong relations with the major powers in the UN Security Council. This has made Riyadh's role more attractive than that of other countries, such as Israel, the Vatican, Indonesia, or even Turkey, because the Saudi leadership has great international influence, whether diplomatic or economic.
Moscow was also not entirely satisfied with the Biden administration's role in imposing sanctions on it, so Trump's victory in November 2024 was a signal to start negotiations. Trump is keen to restore good relations between the two neighbours and welcomes the restoration of strong friendship between Washington and Riyadh.
Hence, positive factors have converged, and Saudi Arabia has won the position of sponsor of the negotiations. It aims to reconnect the American and Russian capitals and then broker the trilateral peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the US.
Photo: Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a major player in the world. (by Adobe).