Senator Dick Durbin on Wednesday said he would advise President Biden that Saudi Arabia cannot be trusted, and the president’s previous efforts to reach out to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “failed,” a reporter said. told the group.
In July, Mr. Biden came under widespread bipartisan criticism for stopping to bang his fists on leaders who have been implicated in human rights abuses.
“I mean, it’s only natural to meet people you’re not friends with sometimes,” the Illinois Democratic Rep. said on Capitol Hill. But it didn’t work out, and I think he’s having second thoughts about our relationship, and I certainly do.”
Earlier this month, Biden said that announcements by oil-rich countries and their fellow OPEC+ members, including Russia, to cut oil production were “disappointing” and that relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia were “problematic”. . .
Democratic lawmakers call for moratorium on Saudi arms sales after OPEC + oil cuts, say Riyadh has “failed”
Saudi- and Russian-led cuts are helping to prop up high oil prices that allow President Vladimir Putin to continue to bear the costs of an eight-month invasion of Ukraine.
Moreover, the cuts will hurt U.S.-led efforts to make the war financially unsustainable for Russia, threaten a global economy already destabilized by the Ukraine conflict, and push gasoline prices ahead of the midterm elections. risks plaguing Biden and the Democrats with a rise in
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud told Saudi debtor Al Arabiya on Tuesday that his government’s justification for cutting production was “purely economic.”
In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, the president said he would consider talking to Congress about the future course of action, but fell short of backing Democratic lawmakers’ calls to halt arms sales. rice field.
White House says Biden believes Saudi Arabia sided with Russia after OPEC+ cut
“What they have done to Russia will have consequences,” Biden said.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez Uses His Position To Block Future Arms Sales To Saudi Arabia With Laws Introduced Immediately Halting All U.S. Arms Sales To Saudi Arabia For One Year I promised
John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said Democrats in New Jersey did not warn the White House before announcing their intention to block future sales.
The White House said arms sales to Riyadh have served as a key regional counterweight to Iran, according to the Associated Press.
Durbin said on Wednesday that he would advise Biden that “we learned a lesson from Saudi Arabia in the last week or so and we cannot trust them themselves.” Durbin said he felt the leaders had “decided their future with Vladimir Putin”.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Echoing previous tweets, he called the strategy “malicious” and “purely driven by greed”, saying that the Saudi leadership “basically I am saying that I am against those who are fighting for the
“They are for Vladimir Putin. There can be no world driven by Vladimir Putin’s agenda. If it means more profit for the royal family, the Saudis are ready to accept it.” said Durbin.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.