Biden will re-evaluate U.S.-Saudi Arabia relationship after oil cuts - NPR

Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy Abdulaziz bin Salman astatine the OPEC and non-OPEC gathering connected October 5, 2022. Vladimir Simicek/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Vladimir Simicek/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy Abdulaziz bin Salman astatine the OPEC and non-OPEC gathering connected October 5, 2022.

Vladimir Simicek/AFP via Getty Images

President Biden wants to instrumentality a person look astatine the longstanding U.S. narration with Saudi Arabia aft after OPEC+ decided to chopped lipid accumulation past week, a determination the White House said was not warranted and chiefly serves to assistance Russia.

"I americium successful the process, erstwhile the House and Senate comes back, there's going to beryllium immoderate consequences for what they've done with Russia," helium told CNN Tuesday night, but declined to elaborate connected what those consequences mightiness be.

Earlier successful the day, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that Saudi Arabia played a cardinal relation successful that accumulation cut. He said Biden wants to sermon the aboriginal of U.S.-Saudi Arabia relations with Congress, and whether those ties inactive service the nationalist interest.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries announced it would trim accumulation by 2 cardinal barrels per day, a determination seen by immoderate arsenic a method of punishing the United States and its continued enactment of Ukraine.

Kirby said the cartel's accumulation chopped was not warranted by marketplace conditions and called it "a short-sighted determination that benefitted Russia, astatine a clip erstwhile cipher — successful immoderate capableness — should beryllium trying to payment Vladimir Putin."

Riyadh support that the determination was prompted by marketplace conditions — and denied it was meant to people Washington.

"The thought that Saudi Arabia would bash this to harm the U.S. oregon to beryllium successful immoderate mode politically progressive is perfectly not close astatine all," Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi curate of authorities for overseas affairs, told Fox News.

The tensions betwixt the 2 countries travel arsenic Biden and his chap Democrats appeared to payment from falling state prices 4 weeks earlier the midterms. The OPEC determination could propulsion state prices higher, affecting Democrats' electoral prospects successful a run successful which ostentation has emerged as a apical contented for voters.

The United States and Saudi Arabia person had a adjacent narration since 1940, with shared interests successful determination information and energy, according to the U.S. State Department. However, the U.S. has been critical of the kingdom successful caller years due to the fact that of the Saudi way grounds connected quality rights.

Biden had promised erstwhile helium ran for bureau that helium would clasp Saudi Arabia accountable for its quality rights abuses, including the execution of Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi.

Biden was criticized this summer for gathering with Saudi Prince Mohammad bin Salman this summer, giving him a fist-bump greeting. The gathering had travel unneurotic arsenic planetary lipid supplies tightened and prices soared owed to Russia's penetration of Ukraine.

Biden plans to speech to lawmakers aft the midterms

Kirby declined to remark connected circumstantial proposals connected however the narration could change, saying that Biden would speech to lawmakers erstwhile they instrumentality to Washington aft the midterm elections adjacent month.

"He knows that galore members person expressed concerns, connected some sides of the aisle," Kirby said.

New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, the president of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued an unsparing connection connected Monday that called for a frost connected arms sales.

In his statement, Menendez accused the kingdom of utilizing its presumption successful OPEC+ to broadside with Russia and its run successful Ukraine.

"There simply is nary country to play some sides of this struggle – either you enactment the remainder of the escaped satellite successful trying to halt a warfare transgression from violently wiping disconnected an full state disconnected of the map, oregon you enactment him," Menendez said. "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia chose the second successful a unspeakable determination driven by economical self-interest."

New Jersey Rep. Tom Malinowski told NPR past week that Saudi Arabia's determination was a hostile act, and that the U.S. should reconsider its information relation successful the kingdom. "I conscionable don't spot immoderate bully crushed for america to support troops that are determination astir solely for the intent of protecting their lipid fields and their information interest."