The Evening: Saudi Deals, Lift Syria Sanctions, Preservation Hall, and More

Newsletter - May 13, 2025

U.S.-Saudi Deals

President Trump hailed the U.S.'s relationship with Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, just hours after the White House unveiled what it said was $600 billion worth of defense, artificial intelligence, and other deals with the kingdom, as the FT reports.

U.S. Will Lift Sanctions on Syria

President Trump said on Tuesday that he would lift U.S. sanctions on Syria, throwing an economic lifeline to a country devastated by nearly 14 years of civil war and decades of dictatorship under the Assad family, as the NYT reports.

Mild April Inflation Captures Early Stages of Tariff Effects

Inflation was relatively mild in April, but economists said tariffs will end a recent lull and push up more prices in the coming months, as the WSJ reports.

Executive Education

A confrontation with China could reshape the global order. Analyze China's military rise and test U.S. response strategies in Meeting China's Military Challenge. Join CSIS experts from June 3 to 4, 2025, for expert briefings and an interactive wargame. Register by May 28.

Audio Briefs

CSIS experts give short, spoken-word summaries on the biggest takeaways from their latest reports, white papers, and commentaries-in their own words.

Listen here: "Drone Saturation: Russia's Shahed Campaign" with CSIS's Yasir Atalan.

In That Number

$142 billion

The U.S. agreed on Tuesday to sell Saudi Arabia an arms package worth nearly $142 billion, according to a White House fact sheet that called it "the largest defense cooperation agreement" Washington has ever done.
Source: Reuters

Critical Quote

You achieved a modern miracle, the Arabian way.

iDeas Lab

Despite Ukraine's continued success in intercepting or neutralizing these drones with electronic warfare methods, the relentless pressure of Shahed attacks constitutes a clear attrition strategy.

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.

Optics

Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 13, 2025.

Recommended Reading

"Understanding the Temporary De-Escalation of the U.S.-China Trade War" by CSIS's Philip Luck.

This Town Tomorrow

At 1:00 p.m., the CSIS Aerospace Security Project discusses the recent fiscal year 2026 budget proposal for NASA, which calls for nearly 25 percent less in funding than NASA received for fiscal year 2025.

Earlier, at 9:30 a.m., the Atlantic Council examines the importance of transatlantic security, the U.S. commitment to Europe, and priorities for the upcoming NATO summit.

And later, at 10:00 a.m., Brookings explores how the federal government can support greater investment in regions, localities, and their infrastructure systems.

Video

Today, the CSIS Defense and Security Department welcomed congressional national security leaders Sen. Joni Ernst, Sen. Mark Kelly, and Rep. Pat Ryan to discuss U.S. defense modernization and innovation. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

CSIS's Scott Kennedy and Philip Luck join the podcast to discuss the 90-day pause in the trade war between the United States and China and a significant reduction in tariffs following talks in Geneva.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

Some of the best moments during Jazz Fest came when some of the biggest national acts took the floor at New Orleans' tiny, incredibly intimate, and iconic Preservation Hall. Here's Goose, maybe the hottest rock band in America, performing in the Hall on Bourbon Street with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

I invite you to email me at aschwartz@csis.org and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz