Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman

 Do you remember the G 20 summit in 2018? You may not. It's usually a boring affair, but this one was not. This G 20 summit was in Argentina in the month of November. It happened days after the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal al Khashoggi. Khashoggi's killing made the west furious. It could not criticize Saudi Arabia. Enough. All fingers were pointing at Mohammed bin Salman MBS, the Saudi Crown Prince. League analysis from the CIA implicated him.

 The US named MBS is the man who commissioned the hit squad. The west, being the west and the self-appointed torch bearer of human rights, decided to make MBS a pariah at G 20. Let me show you a sample. The Saudi Crown Prince was left literally cornered during the G 20 group photo. Cut to 2022. MBS is now in Europe. It's his first visit there since the killing of Khashoggi. And look at the welcome he's getting. Look at the loud claps, the warm handshake. Look at the contrast since 2018. What has changed in the last three and a half years? Khashoggi is still dead. There's no justice. So what has changed? Global politics and economics. That's what has changed.

 Europe is hurting. It is at the receiving end on both counts, politically and economically. There's a war in Ukraine. Europe decided to take on Russia indirectly. And now it is suffering the consequences. Russia is turning off the gas taps. Winter is coming. Europe needs energy. And Saudi Arabia has energy in the form of oil. It is in fact the world's biggest crude oil exporter. Now look at this hospitality in this context, and it will all make sense. This is Europe getting off its high horse. It has ended MBS's isolation. Greece just signed a host of agreements with Saudi Arabia. The Saudi conference was in Greece for two days. He met the Prime Minister. He signed agreements on defense technology, maritime transport, food production, and cultural agreements. 

 I promise you that when it comes to Greece, I will not come into handed. We have a lot of stuff that's going to be a game changer for both countries and also for the whole region. The game changer indeed. It's almost amazing how fast the west diplomatic game changes after Greece. France is now hosting MBS. President Emmanuel Macron has invited the Saudi Crown Prince to the LLC palace for a dinner date today. The west couldn't care less about Khashoggi. The man who vowed to make Saudi Arabia a pariah traveled all the way to the kingdom earlier this month. I'm talking about us.

 President Joe Biden. He too wanted to OOH MBS. Biden did a little fist bump, smiling wide for the cameras. But he could not get the Saudi Prince to pump more oil. Biden's oil diplomacy, much like everything else in foreign affairs, failed. All bets are now on Macro. He has become the de facto leader of Europe ever since Germany's Angela Merkel retired. Macro showed that he could step into Merkel's shoes with his prewar meetings with Putin. We saw that jet-setting diplomacy. While he could not stop Putin from waging war, he did raise expectations. Will Macron be able to do what Biden could not? Will he be able to get MBS to turn on the oil taps? Macro and MBS, in fact, are on more cordial terms compared to Biden and MBS.

 Let's go back to the same G 20 summit in 2018. While some Western leaders ignored the Saudi prince, macron decided otherwise. They met on the sidelines of G 20. They had a candid conversation, not realizing that the cameras were watching and listening. What do you think they were telling each other? Macron says. I do worry. I'm worried. I told you. Yes, you told me, MBS replies. You never listen to me, says Macron. No, I listen. Of course, replied the smiling Saudi prince. At this point, the two become aware of a TV camera and Macro turns away. He said something inaudible. And then MBS replies, it's okay. I can deal with it. Sounds like a conversation between two friends, doesn't it? Macron was the first Western leader to travel to Saudi Arabia since the Khashoggi killing. 

He traveled to the kingdom in 2021. Some of his voters are not happy with his courting of the Crown Prince, but the French president has dismissed all criticism. He says the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is too important to be ignored. And he's right. Given the current energy crisis, Europe needs to diversify its energy sources. It needs Saudi Arabia.