U.S. President Donald Trump doesn't feel that Saudi Arabia is being fair.
"Frankly, Saudi Arabia has not treated us fairly, because we are losing a tremendous amount of money in defending Saudi Arabia," Trump told Reuters during an interview on Thursday.
Trump also suggested that he may be visiting the kingdom in late May, although plans are still not set.
Riyadh pays billions for American weapons
While Trump may feel that the U.S. loses money defending Saudi Arabia, it's also important to note that the kingdom is a major buyer of U.S. military arms.
During the administration of Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, arms sales to the kingdom soared. The total came to some $115 billion, an amount higher than under any previous U.S. administration.
In February, Trump's administration approved a $300 million deal with the kingdom that had been blocked during Obama's final months in office.
Trump's take on Saudi Arabia is confusing
Trump made similar statements about Saudi Arabia during his presidential campaign. He also said that he would block imports of Saudi oil.
At the same time, Trump has made it clear that he really likes Saudi money.
"[Saudis] buy apartments from me," Trump said during a campaign rally in 2015, according to The Hill. "They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.”
For its part, the kingdom has expressed enthusiasm for Trump taking control of the U.S.
In January, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir said that the kingdom's interests "align" with those of Trump.
"The objectives we want to achieve are the same," he said. Jubeir explained that Saudi Arabia and Donald Trump's administration may have some disagreements "on how to get there," but they don't disagree on "what needs to be done."
A former Saudi diplomat also told The Washington Post in November that most members of the royal family "are happy with the result" of the election, saying Saudis "are closer to Republicans [Trump's political party] psychologically."
