On 10/11/2022, during briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced numerous questions about the topic just hours after the administration canceled an in-person meeting between U.S. and Saudi official. The White House said that President Biden believes Saudi Arabia has effectively sided with Russia following the Riyadh-led OPEC+ alliance’s announcement last week that it would cut oil production. “We believe by the decision that OPEC+ made last week, (Saudi Arabia is) certainly aligning themselves with Russia,” Jean-Pierre said. Jean-Pierre said that President Joe Biden’s administration is undergoing a “review” of the current U.S.-Saudi Arabia “relationship,” given the recent oil cuts announced by OPEC+.
She said that Biden would “re-evaluate” the partnership between Washington and Riyadh, after the president’s much-scrutinized and criticized July meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman appears to have been a miserable failure — despite Jean-Pierre insisting the president did not regret his travel to the Middle East. “The president has been very clear that United States needs a different sort of relationship with Saudi Arabia,” Jean-Pierre said. “When OPEC made the decision to align their energy policy with Russia’s war aims and against the American people further underscores that reasoning to realign that relationship to reevaluate that relationship with Saudi Arabia.”
Reporter: There’s been talk about reassessing your relationship with Saudi Arabia. What is the administration prepared do at this point, as far as reassessing? Would it involve weapon sales, diplomatic relations? Can you talk about some of the options here?
MS. Jean-Pierre: So, from the beginning of the administration, since taking office, the President has been very clear that United States needs to — needs a different sort of relationship with Saudi Arabia. He has said that from very early on. And I have said this last week — when OPEC made the decision to align their energy policy with Russia’s war — war aims and against the American people further underscores that reasoning to realign that relationship, to reevaluate that relationship with Saudi Arabia. We are reviewing where we are currently right now. And we’ll be watching closely over the coming weeks and months as well, consulting with our allies and also with our — with members of Congress. And decisions will be made once that — once that — once that policy review is underway.
Reporter: Thanks, Karine. Does President Biden believe that Saudi Arabia sides with Russia in this war?
MS. Jean-Pierre: Well, we believe by — by the decision that OPEC+ made last week, they certainly are aligning themselves with Russia. And right now, this is not a time to be aligning with Russia, … And we’ve been very clear about that. The President has been very clear about that since the beginning of this war. And so this action that they took, this decision that OPEC+ made last week proves that that’s where they are aligning their energy policy is with Russia.
Reporter: So, given that, Senator Bob Menendez, the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee has proposed that the U.S. basically stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia. Is that something the President would consider?
MS. Jean-Pierre: Again, we’re going — the President has been very clear that we need to find a different sort of relationship with Saudi Arabia. We are going to look at, assess our policies, get a sense of how we’re — what we’re — how we’re going to — the actions that we’re going to take. And so we’re reviewing this. I don’t want to get ahead of the President’s decision. But again, I don’t have anything specific to that particular question. But we are going to have a review of where we are and take a really, really deliberate, close look.
Karine Jean-Pierre: “The president has said from the beginning of his administration that we need to redefine this relationship that we have with Saudi Arabia.”
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WH: from beginning different relationship with Saudi, Saudi Aligning with Russia, reviewing relationship