Saudi Prince, Putin Give Highly Visible Greeting, Watch Opposition Media Go Crazy

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was once feted in Western capitals as a new breed of economic and social reformer. Then came the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul on Oct. 2 — and with it, a whirlwind of international controversy and criticism that has engulfed the young Saudi royal.

This week, less than two months after the killing of Khashoggi, Mohammed traveled to Buenos Aires for a G-20 meeting that brought together leaders from the world’s top economies. For the Saudi crown prince, it was a chance to see whether he would now get the cold shoulder from the same leaders who once embraced him.

At a photo call during the official welcome ceremony Friday, Mohammed stood to the far right of the stage on the second row of world leaders. Footage showed the crown prince walking away from the stage as other world leaders, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, mingled.

But the crown prince appeared far from isolated. Later, Mohammed sat next to Russian President Vladimir Putin as the G-20 summit began. The two were filmed aggressively shaking hands and laughing as they greeted each other.

A more ambiguous interaction from earlier in the day with French President Emmanuel Macron was also captured on film that was shared by Saudi news outlets. What the two leaders are saying is hard to discern, but at one point Mohammed appears to tell Macron not to worry. “I do worry,” Macron responds.