U.S. President Donald Trump has used the first major foreign trip of his second term to outline a vision for restoring global stability that is grounded in pragmatism and self-interest rather than values, holding out U.S. ties to wealthy Gulf countries as a model for America’s longtime foes.
He’s scheduled to attend a business roundtable and tour Abu Dhabi’s Abrahamic Family House before returning to Washington, D.C.
What to know about Trump’s week in the Mideast:
- Trump marveled at opulence, but stayed quiet on human rights: Trump celebrated his business deals with Gulf royals and admired their wealth and suggested in Saudi Arabia that the days of American officials “giving you lectures on how to live and how to govern your own affairs” were over.
- Trump plans to lift sanctions on Syria: The move comes as Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa seeks to establish a new government after overthrowing longtime leader Bashar Assad. The move could eventually facilitate the country’s recovery from years of civil war and transform the lives of everyday Syrians.
- He’s still eying an Air Force One replacement: The president says he’s ready to accept a donated jet from Qatar, despite concerns that it could be less secure, costly to retrofit and a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition on foreign gifts.
- Putin decided to skip Russia-Ukraine talks: Trump has been pushing the Russian president and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to move with greater haste to end their war. But after it became clear Putin would skip talks in Turkey this week, an annoyed Trump insisted he knew all along that it was highly likely Putin would be a no-show.
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