Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have snubbed Democrat President Joe Biden as he calls on foreign nations to export more oil to the United States.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the UAE’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan both reportedly refused to take Biden’s phone calls.
The Persian Gulf monarchies have been signaling for weeks they will not help ease surging oil prices unless Washington supports them in Yemen and on a few other issues.
However, the two leaders have been speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin and agreed to not break an earlier agreement between OPEC, Russia, and other oil producers that limits production.
“There was some expectation of a phone call, but it didn’t happen,” said a U.S. official of the planned call between Saudi Prince Mohammed and Biden.
“It was part of turning on the spigot of Saudi oil.”
Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to America, said relations between the two countries were not the best at present but he hoped that would change.
“It is like any relationship,” he said.
“It has strong days where the relationship is very healthy and days where the relationship is under question.
“Today, we’re going through a stress test, but I am confident that we will get out of it and get to a better place.”
Both Prince Mohammed and Sheikh Mohammed did take phone calls from Russian President Vladimir Putin last week and both spoke with Ukraine’s president.
“The White House unsuccessfully tried to arrange calls between President Biden and the de facto leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as the U.S. was working to build international support for countering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and contain a surge in oil prices, said Middle East and U.S. officials,” The Wall Street Journal reported.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the UAE’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan both declined U.S. requests to speak to Biden in recent weeks, the officials said, as Saudi and Emirati officials have become more vocal in recent weeks in their criticisms of American policy in the Gulf.
Saudi, Emirati leaders decline calls with Biden.https://t.co/l0w2rYwytO
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) March 8, 2022
Biden is in trouble https://t.co/U0kxFLzL2M
— curtmills (@CurtMills) March 8, 2022
The White House unsuccessfully tried to arrange calls between Biden and the de facto leaders of Saudi Arabia and the UAE on countering Russia and containing a surge in oil prices. Both leaders spoke to Putin last week, after declining to speak with Biden. https://t.co/mKJwokoM7u
— Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) March 8, 2022
