US quietly extracting concessions from Saudi Arabia after Muhammad bin Salman humiliated Biden


Joe Biden speaks to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Joe Biden at the Al Salman Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on July 15, 2022.Reuters

  • Saudi Arabia has made moves to appease the US after a recent feud over oil.

  • The kingdom has stepped up its support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.

  • But tensions between the United States and Saudi Arabia are unlikely to ease, one analyst said.

US scrambled jets to Iran last week in the warning that the Islamic Republic was planning an imminent drone and missile attack on Saudi Arabia;

No attacks came after the use of force.

But the case has helped highlight the complex web of interests that keep the US-Saudi alliance alive even in difficult times.

Diplomatic ties between the Biden White House and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are being tested like never before in a series of key diplomatic encounters.

As an insider reported last month, Saudi Arabia has frustrated the United States by colluding with Russia to cut oil production. US officials report they believed they had a guarantee that the Saudis would do the opposite.

Abandoned oil deals — and a series of more personal displays of disdain for Biden Crown Prince Mohammed, analysts say, It believes the US power is waning and is courting rival powers like Russia and China.

Biden officials were said to be stunned by the announcement, I believe we made a secret pact to increase supplies.President Joe Biden is seeking to cut Moscow’s oil export revenues as punishment for Russia’s unilateral aggression in Ukraine. Meanwhile, curbing inflation is one of the president’s key domestic priorities.

Vladimir Putin Mohammed bin Salman

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Moscow in May 2017.Pavel Golovkin/AFP/Getty Images

The move also sparked a wider backlash within the Democratic Party. Delaware Senator Chris Murphy calls on US to withdraw some troops Ban exports from Saudi Arabia and ban arms sales to the Kingdom. Biden himself said there would be “consequences” for Saudi Arabia, but did not specify.

The threat from Iran also seems to be concentrating.

“As long as the Islamic Republic remains in power, it cannot be denied [in Iran]officials in Washington and Riyadh will continue to view the Iranian regime as a grave threat to both US and Saudi interests.

“This factor is one of many that help maintain the partnership between Washington and Riyadh despite all sources of tension between the United States and Saudi Arabia.”

The anger of the Biden administration appears to have reached Saudi Arabia, which in recent weeks has launched a series of diplomatic initiatives apparently designed to appease the United States.

At the United Nations General Assembly last month, Saudi Arabia voted in favor of the resolution Declaring that Russia’s annexation of eastern Ukraine is illegal, A mockery of Putin, further isolating him on global forums.

Prince Mohammed recently announced a significant increase in Saudi humanitarian aid to Ukraine, adding $400 million to the $10 million pledged in April.Saudi Arabia too It played a key role in brokering a high-profile prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. Some of the British and American citizens held captive fighting for the Ukrainian army have been released.

Kafiero said the move was a signal from Saudi Arabia that it was willing to support Western interests in Ukraine. But he warned that Riyadh’s geopolitical maneuvering and refusal to impose Russian sanctions on Ukraine have fostered a deep distrust of Washington.

“It seems unlikely that the Kingdom’s diplomatic initiative in the Ukrainian conflict could offset such damage done to Saudi Arabia’s reputation in the U.S. capital.

Despite soured diplomatic relations, the United States continues to rely on Saudi Arabia as a bulwark against Iran and as a key strategic partner in a volatile region. Prince Mohammed knows this and will likely continue to take advantage of the situation to strengthen Saudi autonomy on the world stage and antagonize the United States, Kafiero said.

“These are mutual interests and the interest of the United States and Saudi Arabia in a bilateral partnership. I can continue to show my desire for,” he said. He said.

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