- Title: 'Saudi Arabia is aligning with Russia' - White House
- Date: 11th October 2022
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 11, 2022) (REUTERS) WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE ARRIVING FOR BRIEFING (SOUNDBITE) (English) WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, SAYING: "From the beginning of the administration, since taking office, the president has been very clear that the United States 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 and 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 will be watching closely over the coming weeks and months as well, consulting with our allies and also with members of Congress. And decisions will be made once that policy review is underway. And so but but to be clear, I'm not going to get ahead of that. But that's the process that we're going to take next. I don't have a timeline, but clearly this is something that we're going to closely monitor. And we have said from the beginning, we need to kind of reassess and have a different relationship with Saudi Arabia, especially after the decision that was made by OPEC+. And we were very clear about that last week." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, SAYING: "Well, we believe by by the decision that OPEC+ made last week, there certainly are aligning themselves with Russia. And right now, this is not a time to be aligning with Russia, especially with this brutal unprecedented war that they have started in in Ukraine. 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." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, SAYING: "This OPEC+ decision, you know, on their energy policy was indeed self-serving. And it's going to hurt, you know, middle and low economies, countries across the country. And that is a problem." WHITE FLASH JEAN PIERRE LEAVING LECTERN
- Embargoed: 25th October 2022 22:27
- Keywords: MBS OPEC OPEC+ Russia Saudi Arabia Ukraine war
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- Country: US
- Topics: Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries,Government/Politics,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA001159811102022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: DITORS PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS WHITE FLASHES
White House press secretary echoed statements by the national security spokesman John Kirby and State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Tuesday (October 11) regarding plans to reassess U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia following OPEC+ decision to cut oil production.
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing that OPEC+ countries had made the decision to align their energy policy with Russia's war and against American interests.
“We need to kind of reassess and have a different relationship with Saudi Arabia,'' said Jean-Pierre.
Previously, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Joe Biden's pledge to recalibrate its relationship with Saudi Arabia would need to consider the threat that Iran poses to the region.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that President Joe Biden believes the United States should review its relationship with Saudi Arabia after the OPEC+ decision to cut oil production and is willing to discuss lawmakers' concerns about the bilateral relationship.
(Production: Gerardo Gomez, Bernat Parera) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None