Trump Says Middle Eastern Allies Should Pay Protection Fees

According to a report by Jinse Finance, on July 14 (local time July 13), U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the United States is protecting several wealthy countries in the Middle East and should therefore receive compensation from these countries. Trump specifically named Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait, saying that the U.S. is safeguarding the security of these nations as well as Israel. He remarked that since the U.S. is investing funds in the region, it is appropriate for the protected countries to share the related costs. Trump also noted that the U.S. has abundant oil resources, claiming that "if you include oil from places like Venezuela, the U.S. controls more than half of the world's oil supply," and therefore the U.S. itself "does not rely on Middle Eastern oil." He emphasized that U.S. actions in the Middle East are "primarily to protect its allies." (CCTV International News)