Washington's relationship with Saudi Arabia is strained. Senator Menendez is enraged that the kingdom is siding with Russia in the Ukraine war by cutting OPEC oil production. He proposes freezing US relations with Riyadh.
After the Saudi-led OPEC cartel cut oil production, the chairman of the US Committee on Foreign Relations has called for a "freeze" on US cooperation with the key Middle East ally. "The United States must immediately freeze all aspects of our cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including all arms sales and security cooperation, beyond what is absolutely necessary to defend U.S. personnel and interests," said Democratic Senator Robert Menendez . He said he would not give the go-ahead for cooperation with the government in Riyadh until the kingdom reconsidered its stance on the war in Ukraine. "Enough is enough."
Menendez said he was appalled by the attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. "Either you support the rest of the free world trying to stop a war criminal from violently wiping an entire country off the map, or you support him," Menendez said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Saudi Arabia chose the latter "in a terrible decision driven by economic self-interest." The Saudi embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Despite concerns about a global recession triggered by high energy prices, the OPEC oil cartel had agreed to cut oil production by around two percent of global supply. The US wants to lower oil prices, among other things, to deprive Russia of oil revenues because of the war against Ukraine. Western countries accuse Russia of using energy as a weapon and creating an energy crisis in Europe. Relations between the UK and the US administration of US President Joe Biden are strained.
