US-Saudi ties review ‘never about producing a homework assignment,’ White House says
Katherine Doyle
Video Embed
President Joe Biden’s promise to review U.S.-Saudi ties after the kingdom slashed oil production quotas weeks before the midterm elections “was never about producing a homework assignment,” the White House said.
In October, OPEC+ oil-producing countries led by Saudi Arabia cut their production quotas, defying Washington and stoking fears of a price surge. U.S.-Saudi tensions spilled into the open as Biden promised that his administration would take “action” to reevaluate the U.S.-Saudi relationship and vowed “consequences.” Democratic Party allies threatened to reshape the two countries’ decadeslong security arrangement in response.
TRADING PLACES: IS PETE BUTTIGIEG THE NEW KAMALA HARRIS?
Asked about the status of Biden’s pledge, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby’s expectations of a report reviewing ties between Washington and Riyadh was “a misnomer.”
“That was never the intent here,” Kirby told reporters on Monday. “We are focused on making sure that this, like all other bilateral relationships, serves the interests of the American people first and foremost. That’s where the president’s head is.”
Months later, the White House has said little about the promised assessment, with aides privately indicating that any formal outcome was unlikely.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
At the time, White House officials suggested OPEC+’s decision could aid Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. Kirby on Tuesday said Saudi Arabia’s plan to deliver $400 million in aid to Kyiv was “a step in the right direction.”
Biden visited the kingdom in July to ease relations as energy prices rose amid a crackdown on Russian fuel exports during its war in Ukraine.
iFrame Object