Ministers from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced on Wednesday that they would cut oil production by 2 million barrels consistent with the day, which is expected to drive up oil costs around the world. President Biden said, “[he] is disappointed by OPEC’s myopic resolve to cut production quotas as the global economy faces the continued negative effect of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. “
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez called Monday for a freeze on all U. S. cooperation with Saudi Arabia, in one of the most powerful expressions yet of U. S. anger over cuts in Saudi Arabia’s oil production that are being used to incite Russia into its war in Ukraine.
In a statement, Menendez in particular called for a halt to all arms sales and security cooperation, one of the foundations of the more than 70-year-old U. S. strategic partnership. The U. S. government with the oil kingdom, beyond the minimum to protect Americans and U. S. interests. U. S.
As chairman of the committee, Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, vowed that he “will not give the green light to any cooperation with Riyadh until the Kingdom reassesses its position regarding the war in Ukraine. Enough is enough. “
Theirs came four days after Saudi Arabia and Russia led OPEC countries to announce a daily cut of 2 million barrels in oil production. For its eight-month invasion of Ukraine. Production cuts are also hurting U. S. -led efforts. The U. S. military is trying to make the war financially unsustainable for Russia, threatening a global economy already destabilized by the Ukraine conflict and risking burdening President Joe Biden and Democrats with emerging gas costs. just before the U. S. midterm elections.
Menendez’s announcement Monday places him among a developing number of Democrats who, since the announcement through OPEC countries and Russia, have called for a halt to billions of dollars in annual U. S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
Democrats accuse Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, of mocking the Saudi component of a decades-long deal that concerned the U. S. military and defense industry. A trustworthy oil.
Last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was among the Democrats who criticized Prince Mohammed for appearing to act in favor of Putin’s invasion.
Schumer said at the time that lawmakers had legislative measures in place to deal with what he called Saudi Arabia’s “appalling and deeply cynical action. “
Less than a day after OPEC’s decision, Democratic lawmakers introduced a new law to halt U. S. gun sales. UU. al kingdom. Menendez’s action on Monday, given his key role in foreign policy law, raises the option that Congress simply act to punish the Saudis for the failures. It was after the November elections.
It’s unclear how far Menfinishez and other Democrats would go to end arms deals and maximize cooperation with the Saudis, or whether Biden’s management would agree. Biden said last week he was disappointed with Saudi Arabia’s role in the latest oil production cut and said management was looking at options.
There was no prompt reaction from the White House on Monday to Menendez’s decision.
Last week’s oil production cuts dealt one of the most serious blows to date in a series of blows to U. S. -Saudi relations. They come with the 2018 killing in Saudi Arabia of a U. S. -based journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, in which the U. S. intelligence network concluded that the crown prince played a key role. Americans also blame the crown prince for refusing to join U. S. -led efforts to isolate and punish Putin for his invasion of Ukraine in February and for maintaining friendly relations with Putin.
“There is simply no room to play any aspect of this clash: either you are the rest of the loose world looking to prevent a war thief from violently wiping an entire country off the map, or you him,” Menendez said in his statement. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia chose the latter in a terrible resolution motivated by its own economic interest. “
Biden had sought to settle with Prince Mohammed, traveling to Saudi Arabia in July to throw an awkward punch in a conciliatory gesture.
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