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Shkruar nga PamfletiAfter Trump's change of stance, some people close to the administration suspected that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might have intervened to influence the deal.
A civil nuclear energy deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia, negotiated for more than two decades, faced uncertainty just hours after it was signed, following the intervention of President Donald Trump, who imposed new conditions on its implementation.
On Wednesday afternoon, at the headquarters of the US Department of Energy in Washington, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart, connected via video conference from Riyadh, signed the agreement after months of delays. The ceremony took place with the flags of both countries on stage and was billed as a historic moment in energy cooperation between the US and Saudi Arabia.
According to CNN, the agreement met most of Saudi Arabia's demands.
However, on Thursday morning, Trump declared on his social network Truth Social that the agreement would only come into effect if Saudi Arabia joined the Abraham Accords, the initiative launched during his first term that led to the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries.
Trump also denied that the deal allowed uranium enrichment on Saudi territory.
Discontent within the White House
According to CNN sources, Trump was unhappy that the signing ceremony was organized without informing him in advance that it would be made public.
His dissatisfaction increased after criticism from nuclear security experts and conservative media outlets, including Fox News and the Wall Street Journal editorial page, which questioned why the agreement was signed without being linked to the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Two informed sources told CNN that even US nuclear negotiators were surprised by the new condition imposed by Trump, as he had not been part of the negotiations.
Clashes between the White House and the Department of Energy
As confusion grew, White House officials attributed responsibility to the Department of Energy.
According to a source, the White House had requested that the agreement not be publicly presented on Wednesday, but Secretary Chris Wright went ahead with the ceremony and also gave an interview to Fox Business.
Some Trump aides argued that the deal was not final because the necessary documentation for Congress had not yet been submitted. Sources said the president and some of his senior staff were angry about its premature release.
Zëdhënësja e Shtëpisë së Bardhë, Taylor Rogers, deklaroi se administrata ka qenë gjithmonë në një linjë të përbashkët.
"Marrëveshja civile bërthamore mes Shteteve të Bashkuara dhe Arabisë Saudite është e kushtëzuar me anëtarësimin e Arabisë Saudite në Marrëveshjet e Abrahamit, të cilat do të ndihmojnë në sjelljen e paqes së qëndrueshme në Lindjen e Mesme.", tha Rogers.
Nga ana tjetër, Departamenti i Energjisë hodhi poshtë pretendimet për mungesë koordinimi.
Zëdhënësi Ben Dietderich tha se negociatat dhe shpallja e marrëveshjes ishin koordinuar ngushtë me Shtëpinë e Bardhë dhe Departamentin e Shtetit, duke i cilësuar raportimet për të kundërtën si "lajme të rreme".
Marrëveshja shkakton reagime edhe në konferencën për shtyp. Çështja dominoi konferencën për shtyp të Shtëpisë së Bardhë të enjten.Zëdhënësja Karoline Leavitt, e pyetur pse kushti për Marrëveshjet e Abrahamit nuk ishte përfshirë në njoftimin e së mërkurës, u përgjigj se Trump është "negociatori përfundimtar" dhe se ky objektiv ka qenë gjithmonë pjesë e politikës së tij.
Reagimi në Arabinë Saudite
Sipas CNN, deklarata e Trump surprizoi edhe autoritetet saudite.
Në variantin fillestar të marrëveshjes nuk ishte përfshirë kërkesa për normalizimin e marrëdhënieve me Izraelin. Për më tepër, dokumenti parashikonte që Arabia Saudite të mund të pasuronte uranium në territorin e saj pasi të plotësonte disa kushte, ndërsa kufizonte kompetencat e Agjencisë Ndërkombëtare për Energjinë Atomike (IAEA) për të inspektuar objekte të dyshuara si sekrete.CNN njoftoi se ka kërkuar koment nga ambasada saudite në Uashington.
Një proces negociues që zgjati pothuajse 20 vjet
SHBA-ja dhe Arabia Saudite kishin shpallur qëllimin për të bashkëpunuar në energjinë bërthamore rreth dy dekada më parë.
Në tetor të vitit të kaluar, Chris Wright dhe homologu i tij saudit arritën një marrëveshje paraprake dhe lëshuan një deklaratë të përbashkët.
Administrata Trump më pas paraqiti një raport për Kongresin për të kërkuar përjashtim nga disa kërkesa procedurale, pasi marrëveshja nuk detyronte Arabinë Saudite të nënshkruante Protokollin Shtesë të Agjencisë Ndërkombëtare për Energjinë Atomike, një mekanizëm që forcon kontrollin mbi aktivitetet bërthamore.
Megjithatë, sipas CNN, marrëveshja mbeti për muaj të tërë në pritje të miratimit përfundimtar nga Trump. Burimet thanë se vonesat lidhen me shqetësimet për konfliktin me Iranin dhe frikën se Kongresi mund ta kundërshtonte.
Zyrtarët e Departamentit të Energjisë besonin se kishin marrë miratimin e presidentit javën e kaluar dhe nisën planin për publikimin e marrëveshjes. Megjithatë, një burim tjetër tha se Trump kishte miratuar vetëm një version paraprak dhe jo finalizimin apo shpalljen publike.
Kritika nga ekspertët
Reagimet e para nga ekspertët e mosshpërndarjes së armëve bërthamore ishin kryesisht negative.
They expressed concern about allowing uranium enrichment in Saudi Arabia and the lack of commitment to additional IAEA oversight standards.
Supporters of the deal argued that it would bring economic benefits to the US and increase American influence over Saudi nuclear safety standards, while avoiding Riyadh's rapprochement with China or Russia.
The US administration defended the agreement, stating that it respects the highest standards of nuclear security and non-proliferation.
Suspicions of Israeli influence
After Trump's change of stance, some people close to the administration suspected that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might have intervened to influence the deal.
Two Israeli sources told CNN that Netanyahu wanted the deal to be linked to the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel or, at least, include progress in that direction.
However, the White House stated that Trump and Netanyahu had not spoken prior to the announcement and that the US president had simply reiterated a position he has long held.
According to CNN sources, critical reactions in conservative media influenced Trump's decision to block the agreement in its current form.
The Wall Street Journal wrote that the Biden administration had planned nuclear cooperation as a reward only if Saudi Arabia agreed to normalize relations with Israel and questioned why the Trump administration was offering this deal without that condition. Fox News executives also expressed surprise. Brian Kilmeade said that during the Biden administration such a deal had been discussed, but was conditioned on the Abraham Accords.
Even former White House spokeswoman during Trump's first term, Kayleigh McEnany, raised the question of whether normalization with Israel was left out of the agreement.
The Biden administration had been conducting intensive negotiations with Saudi Arabia for a nuclear deal that would be accompanied by the normalization of relations with Israel.
However, Hamas' attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the ensuing war in Gaza interrupted the progress of these talks.
Since then, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has publicly stated that Saudi Arabia will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without a credible path towards the creation of a Palestinian state.
However, Trump reinstated that condition in his post on social media on Thursday morning. Spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt stated that the president had not held a conversation with Prince Mohammed bin Salman before or after the announcement and added that the US administration will continue discussions with Saudi Arabia on the matter. / Adapted from CNN
Lini një Përgjigje