In a controversial move, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a historic $142 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, aiming to secure an ally and address the deepening economic crisis in the United States. Left-wing analysts warn this pact exposes Washington’s geopolitical desperation and highlights the declining global influence of U.S. military technology.

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On May 13, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump formalized a massive arms agreement with Saudi Arabia valued at nearly $142 billion, accompanied by a broader $600 billion investment commitment from the Gulf kingdom. The deal, signed in Riyadh’s Royal Court alongside Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is touted by the White House as “historic and transformative,” aiming to modernize Saudi Arabia’s military capabilities and strengthen bilateral ties. However, this pact could be seen as a symptom of Washington’s geopolitical decline and economic desperation.

Trump’s administration is leveraging the Saudi deal to counteract the severe economic challenges facing the United States. Journalist Ramón Pedregal, speaking with teleSUR, emphasized that the core U.S. objective is to secure a strategic ally while attempting to resolve a crisis that, in his view, is irresolvable given the shifting global power balance. The $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia is seen less as a genuine economic partnership and more as a bailout attempt for an ailing U.S. economy heavily reliant on military-industrial complex profits.

Critics from the media highlight that the weapons Washington is selling to Saudi Arabia are technologically inferior compared to Russian and Chinese armaments. Journalist Ramón Pedregal Casanova described the U.S. military equipment as “practically junk,” underscoring the erosion of American military technological supremacy. This deal, therefore, not only exposes the desperation of U.S. foreign policy but also risks arming a regime with outdated systems, potentially destabilizing regional security further.

President Trump speaks at the 2025 Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum after securing a historic $600 BILLION investment commitment from Saudi Arabia in the United States. pic.twitter.com/vYaQ2Kq3Qu

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 13, 2025

Geopolitical Maneuvering amid Global Power Shifts

Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia also serves a broader diplomatic agenda: pressuring Saudi Arabia and Turkey to facilitate dialogue between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. This reflects the complex international chess game where the U.S. attempts to maintain influence despite its waning global stature. The arms deal, intertwined with this diplomatic effort, reveals Washington’s reliance on traditional power brokers in the Middle East to manage conflicts that increasingly escape U.S. control.

This agreement perpetuates the militarization of the Middle East, fueling conflicts and human suffering. Saudi Arabia’s ongoing involvement in Yemen and other regional interventions has drawn widespread condemnation. The infusion of U.S. arms risks exacerbating these crises, while the deal’s framing as a “partnership” masks the imperialist interests underpinning U.S. foreign policy. The alliance thus represents not a path to peace but a reinforcement of hegemonic violence in the region.

This $142 billion arms deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia is emblematic of a U.S. government struggling to maintain its global dominance through military sales despite its economic decline. Several analyses expose the deal as a flawed strategy that endangers regional stability, empowers authoritarian regimes, and underscores the shifting balance of power away from Washington.

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