Is US backpedaling after Riyadh won first round amid tensions flare-up?

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine intensified energy problems, leading some Western countries to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia. In addition to U.S. President Joe Biden, the crown prince this year hosted France, the U.K., and Germany’s leaders at the Kingdom. The Kingdom further mended relations with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. These good relations presented Saudi Arabia a vaster autonomous area. It can be said that Saudi Arabia clearly won the first round in the U.S.-Saudi Arabia tensions, which emerged as a result of their insistence that the fuel cut decision was made due to “economic reasons” against the U.S.’s hegemonic imposition or pressure. Saudi resistance against the U.S.’s hegemonic pressure, with their hand conjuncturally stronger, caused the U.S. to step back, even if strategically. In addition to all this, the latest production cut decision further escalated tensions between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. In the White House statement following the recent production cut, it was said that the nature of the partnership between Washington and Riyadh changed radically before Biden visited Jeddah in July. As the U.S. is working on reviving a nuclear deal with Iran, Riyadh’s regional enemy, Saudi Arabia continues to fight against the Iran-backed groups in Yemen. Besides the fuel war between the two countries, this thus contributes to the differences of opinion and tensions covertly targeting U.S. hegemonic power. 

 It is clear that the winter months will be extremely challenging for the EU countries that have been experiencing great issues in energy because of the pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and Russian President Vladimir Putin using the natural gas weapon against the EU countries implementing sanctions on his country. As the world experiences the risk of a new energy crisis and oil wars, the OPEC+ group decision to cut production by 2 million barrels, and Brent crude representative Russian leader Putin supporting this decision with the statement, “stability needs to be maintained in global energy markets,” had angered the U.S. and President Biden. In fact, Russian Vice President Alexander Novak’s participation in the negotiations regarding the reduction of oil supply despite U.S. pressures, while entering a winter in which Russia is using gas export to Europe as a trump, was considered by the Americans as a subjective open message to themselves. Therefore, the White House made a harsh statement, which appeared to target OPEC+ countries, but openly threatened Saudi Arabia, and covertly threatened Russia. 

 White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said the OPEC+ group’s decision to cut oil production by 2 million barrels as of November is equivalent to providing moral and military support to Russia in the Ukraine war. Kirby had made statements on Oct. 11 that U.S. President Biden would re-evaluate relations with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faysal bin Farhan, on the other hand, stated the other day on Al Arabiya television channel that his country has strategic relations with the U.S., and the OPEC+ decision to cut crude production was taken due to economic reasons. In the latest statement from the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry claiming that the statements made after the OPEC+ group’s decision to cut daily crude production by 2 million barrels as of November, it was stated that the government completely rejects these statements “which are not based on the reality, and are aimed at creating the impression that OPEC+ decisions were taken outside the economic frame.” 

Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a politics professor in the UAE, said, “Right now everybody needs Gulf oil, everybody needs Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Some of those in Washington are certainly not aware that there is a new Gulf, and we are no longer taking orders from Washington.” 

According to a comment in the Washington Post newspaper, this decision is an indication of Biden’s failure in foreign policy, and a blow on the U.S. and its allies on several fronts at the same time. According to the Washington Post, Saudi Arabia is trying to retake control over the oil market, and giving political signals to a U.S. president, who described Saudi Arabia as a “pariah” following the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Opening a new window, they aim to show they have other friends in Beijing, New Delhi, and Moscow.  

 In statements made by top-level U.S. officials in the face of a more powerful Saudi Arabia against the U.S. and the West in the world’s newly developing conjuncture, it was said that the U.S. will stop making harsh or threatening statements, and President Biden will behave “systemically” and without haste when re-evaluating relations with Saudi Arabia.