OPEC+the President believes we should reassess the bilateral relationship with Saudi Arabia”,”text”:”In view of recent events and OPEC+ decisions, the President believes we should reassess the bilateral relationship with Saudi Arabia saudi””>In view of recent events and the decisions of theOPEC+the president thinks we should reassess the bilateral relationship with Saudi Arabia
John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, told reporters on Tuesday.
It is necessary, according to him, to make sure that [la relation] serves our national security interests
.
Joe Biden is ready to work with Congress to reflect on what this relationship should be
he previously said on CNN.
He wants to start these consultations now
, said John Kirby again. However, he clarified that these discussions had not yet started and that they would initially take place in a rather informal setting. We are not announcing a formal review of our policy with a dedicated team
he specified.
The fall in oil production in question
L’OPEC+ – the 13 members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) led by Saudi Arabia and their 10 partners led by Russia – decided last week to slash its production quotas, at the risk of igniting the price per barrel.
It is a diplomatic snub for Joe Biden, who on the contrary calls for an abundant supplyand potentially a boon for Russian President Vladimir Putin who needs sustained oil prices to finance the war in Ukraine.
The American president had traveled to Saudi Arabia in July to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, after having sworn during his campaign to make the kingdom a pariah
following of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhane told Al-Arabiya TV on Tuesday that the drop in production was a move purely economic taken unanimously by the member countries
of the organization, aimed at maintaining a sustainable oil market
.
OPEC+ acted responsibly and made the appropriate decision”,”text”:”OPEC+ members acted responsibly and made the appropriate decision””>The members of theOPEC+ acted responsibly and made the appropriate decision
he said.
Furious Americans
The decision of the oil cartel has sparked a wave of indignation among members of the American Congress and in particular among the parliamentarians of the Democratic Party, that of Joe Biden.
The powerful head of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, Bob Menendez, threatened on Monday to block any future arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal and House Representative Ro Khanna took him at his word when they introduced draft legislation on Tuesday to end such exports.
« For years we looked the other way when Saudi Arabia massacred journalists, carried out massive political repression, for one reason only: we wanted to make sure that when the time came, in the event of an international crisis, Saudi Arabia would choose us rather than Russia. […] They did not do it. They chose Russia. »
The partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia had been sealed after the end of the Second World War, providing the kingdom with military protection against access to oil for the Americans.
This relationship, enamelled with crises, had been relaunched by former Republican President Donald Trump, with pharaonic arms sales as a result.
According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institutebetween 2016 and 2020, Saudi Arabia received 24% of total US arms exports.
The relationship is strategic
and did advancing security and stability in the Middle East
, the Saudi Embassy in Washington said in a statement on Tuesday. Bilateral military cooperation serves the interests of both countries
she added.
Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition in Yemen since 2015 to fight Houthi rebels, backed by its regional enemy, Iran. She was targeted by Houthi missile fire.
A diplomatic setback for Biden
Joe Biden, aware of the fury of human rights activists, had tried during his July visit to Jeddah a delicate balancing act.
He had justified this trip by the concern for energy security, but also for regional security, by highlighting a timid rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, or by insisting on the need to counter Iran.
But the image of a familiar greeting, fist to fist, exchanged with Mohammed bin Salman has not finished turning against Joe Biden. Since the OPEC+ decision, the American press has been full of murderous editorials on the failure of itsfist bump“”,”text”:”diplomacy you “fist bump””}}”>diplomacy of “fist bump“.