Saudis Sign Military Cooperation Agreement With Russia

[Mike]

Lots of implication for things like the Petrodollar and how the world has been set up since the 1970's. Many writers over many years have talked about if the Petrodollar is undermined, then the US dollar/Global Reserve Currency and the US are in serious trouble.

First we have what is happening in Afghanistan, and the implications of how it is happening and what that could be saying to Americans and the rest of the world, and now this... seems to me that things are being shaken up and possibly moved in a specific direction geopolitically and possibly by design to some extent.

Saudis Sign Military Cooperation Agreement With Russia

Saudi Arabia and Russia have signed a military cooperation agreement at an arms expo outside Moscow.

www.rferl.org

Saudi Arabia and Russia have signed a military cooperation agreement at an arms expo outside Moscow.

Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman announced on Twitter on August 24 that he signed the agreement with Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin “aimed at developing joint military cooperation between the two countries.”

Salman also met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during his visit outside Moscow to the arms expo International Military-Technical Forum Army-2021.

The deputy defense minister said the meeting explored ways to "strengthen military and defense cooperation between our two countries."

There were no immediate details of the military agreement between Saudi Arabia, the world’s top arms importer, and Russia, the second largest weapons exporter after the United States.

The United States has traditionally been the top arms supplier to Saudi Arabia. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Saudi Arabia was the main recipient of U.S. arms transfers in 2016–20, accounting for 24 percent of U.S. arms exports.

"We aim for a progressive development of cooperation in military and military-technical fields on the entire spectrum of issues that pose mutual interest," Shoigu said during the meeting with Salman.

He noted that Russia had many new weapons systems that have “proven themselves well in Syria," where Russia's military intervened to support President Bashar al-Assad in that country’s civil war.

 

[Michael B-C]

A very interesting development Mike. As the Saudi petro-dollar was always linked to a recycling of dollars the US guaranteed for oil back to the US Military Industrial Complex for substandard hardware, along with a US military guarantee of the security of the House of Saud, (and that as part of the deal they would each cover for the other - which reached its most uncomfortable stage when the US tried to pass heat for 9-11 on to Saudi Arabia and they mostly just had to take it - being partially true and mostly false as they were in fact the cover story for Israeli involvement), then this looks to be the beginning of a possible slow realignment by the House of Saud knowing the writing is firmly on the wall - for both US military backing and the dollar.

Its clear to anyone now (how not before!) that you cannot bet your life on them standing by you. And as for the dollar... I think the Saudis have had enough of that printing press, and seeing the Going Direct acceleration of the same, are possibly going to try and disentangle themselves. And what place does Saudi-Arabia play in an Davos eco-green world??? And Russian tech - and the Russians themselves - clearly are fit for purpose. Better look East at last. But somehow I don't think it is/will be as simple as that... worth watching to see how this one plays out and what rumbles come from across the ocean...

 

[altomaltes]

Well, not long time ago, Saudis and Russians had a trade war on oil. It seems this has changed.
I think usa ( or west ) defeat on Afganistan had put many things on motion. May be pick some pop corn and enjoy the show could be a good option.

 

[Mike]

@Michael B-C - great comment. It could very well be that Russia and Saudi Arabia saw an opening and opportunity, possibly very necessary and required change on SA's end in order for their survival, with what has been happening in Afghanistan and with what is taking place in the US and its role in the world in terms of what looks to be totally incompetent and corrupt leadership and inability to manage anything successfully. And all of this I think really strengthens China (and also Iran) and what they want to do with the New Silk Road, etc. But I think Joe and Niall by far have the best knowledge and track record on the subject and hope they maybe talk on future shows about the big picture with to respect to this and other things that might take shape.

Now, I also think it is possible that this is how it all looks on the surface, but the 'Hidden Hand' might be guiding the process to some degree. But seeing any distinct things that point to this 'Hidden Hand' is or can be very hard to see outright.

 

[Michael B-C]

If I were the Saudis I'd be most concerned about the 'Hidden Hand' of Israel. I think that's certainly in their thinking and they see how it is Russian tech that keeps them somewhat in check.

 

[Redrock12]

Well, the Saudis, it seems to me, are stacking the deck in their favor. Russia is a major player in the middle east, presently garnering favor with the Taliban (who hold nothing but mistrust to the Americans and rightly so), who will likely be establishing favorable trade relations with Russia, and by extension Iran and China, ie the whole Silk Road thing. Socially, politically, and economically the US is coming apart at the seams, both domestically and abroad.
I can just see SA, an ultra conservative society if there ever was one, looking askance at the unchecked social mayhem caused by the woke, BLM antifa mobs, illegal immigrants streaming unchecked across the border with Mexico.
As well, Russia is not separated by an ocean, but highly accessible by land, and probably moreso in the future with land-based transportation and energy corridors.
As well, Russia, unlike the US' historical track record with its "allies", is regarded as a country that can be trusted to honor its trade and military agreements, to be a reliable source of stability, security and prosperity.
Of course, none of this takes into account major earth changes.