The US 28-point plan, which favoured Russia, was seen in Moscow as a potential starting point, but the revised, Western-aligned version has been dismissed as “entirely unconstructive.”
The crown prince’s historic visit to the US this week crowned these bilateral relations, elevating Saudi Arabia to the status of a major non-NATO ally and a trusted strategic partner.
While China has warned of serious consequences and may impose sanctions, the U.S. frames the sale as a necessary sustainment measure for existing aircraft rather than an escalation.