President Biden and his staff are laying the groundwork for a high-profile meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reversing the campaign’s promise to isolate the powerful Gulf leader.
Tensions between the United States and Saudi Arabia are high on a number of issues, from the Saudi government’s crackdown on the opposition and its role in the murder of a Washington Post journalist to Riyadh’s actions in the Yemeni war.
The families of the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks are also deeply suspicious of the Saudi government and are trying to file lawsuits against Riyadh.
A source familiar with the potential meeting confirmed to Hill that discussions are under way, but it is still in the planning stages. Earlier, the Washington Post and the Associated Press reported on the White House discussions.
The administration views US ties with Saudi Arabia as a practical necessity, not as a reflection of common values and principles. But lawmakers and groups critical of the nation’s human rights record and its disregard for civil liberties and freedoms are likely to express opposition.
The meeting will largely focus on persuading Riyadh to put more oil on the market and reduce sky-high gas prices, said Samantha Gross, an associate and director of the Brookings Institution’s Energy Security and Climate Initiative.
“I am sure that President Biden will ask MBS to increase oil production faster than the OPEC group,” she wrote in an email to The Hill, citing the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, where Saudi Arabia is considered – factual leader.
The president could come face to face with Prince Mohammed or MBS at a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which is expected to take place in Riyadh later this month, and this is likely in line with Biden’s expected visit to Israel.
The meeting will send an important signal that the United States recognizes the role of Prince Mohammed as a powerful, daily leader in Saudi Arabia and the official successor to his father, King Salman, 86.
The Saudi government has sent signals that it may make some adjustments to oil prices.
OPEC +, the larger group of OPEC, announced on Thursday that it would increase oil exports by 50 percent in July and August, as part of efforts to offset losses in Russian production as the European Union seeks to ban oil imports. from Moscow to the continent.
The move signals Saudi Arabia’s changing stance as the Biden administration unites nations to impose costs on the Kremlin over its war in Ukraine. This would run counter to the agreements between Riyadh and Moscow, a member of the OPEC + group.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Riyadh on Monday during a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Lavrov reportedly thanked the Gulf countries, which are refraining from joining US-led sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The potential Biden-MBS summit has already been rejected by 9/11 families, who say Riyadh should be held accountable for the role that Saudi officials allegedly played in the attacks.
Pro-democracy activists are also likely to oppose the meeting, especially after the Biden administration suspended sanctions on the heir to the throne for the 2018 assassination of US-based journalist Jamal Kashoghi, although US intelligence agencies say Prince Mohammed has approved a “Catch” plan. or kill “the opposition writer.
Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now, an organization founded by Kashoggi, criticized the Biden administration for “worshiping a assassin dictator.”
“Biden’s global priorities for overcoming authoritarianism and upholding the rule of law – in Ukraine and elsewhere – will be undermined by Biden’s unprincipled, unstrategic approach,” she told The Hill.
Biden is also likely to face pressure from other human rights groups and Democrats who want the United States to end all military support for Riyadh because of its record for civilians killed by Saudi bombs in the Yemeni civil war.
A bipartisan group of 50 members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday unveiled a resolution on military powers to end unauthorized US support for Saudi Arabia’s offensive air strikes in Yemen. An accompanying bill is expected to be introduced next week by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
However, Congress’s criticism could be diverted in the face of competing domestic crises, such as rising inflation, excessive gas prices and unrelated issues such as abortion rights, gun violence and a shortage of infant formula. The administration has also achieved a fragile ceasefire in Yemen.
Lawmakers are also likely to recognize Saudi Arabia’s key role as a security partner in the region and the need to liaise with Riyadh in opposition to Russian and Chinese initiatives.
Saudi Arabia also has deep relations with Israel and is against Iran.
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) Told The Hill last month that he was worried about the meeting between Biden and Prince Mohammed.
“[MBS] He is [a powerful leader]but he also has a past that we must acknowledge. I have concerns, but I would like to hear the reasons for this [Biden] you can meet him, if that’s the case. “
Administration officials, without confirming the upcoming meeting, say they have managed to “recalibrate” Washington-Riyadh relations by placing US interests on regional security, humanitarian aid in military zones and promoting ties with Israel – up front and in center.
Saudi Arabia is a critical partner for us in tackling extremism in the region, in tackling the challenges posed by Iran, and also, I hope, in continuing the process of building relations with Israel and its neighbors, both close and further, by continuing, extending the Abraham agreements, “said Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Wednesday, referring to the Trump-era normalization agreements between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
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Simon Henderson, director of the Bernstein Gulf and Energy Policy Program at the Washington Institute, said there were few points in common, both personally and professionally, between Biden and the heir to the throne, but that global realities pushed them together.
“The Saudis, or MBS, must be angry that Biden is ignoring him. And Biden just doesn’t like it – maybe for good reason, “Henderson said. “He’s just not Biden’s character, as is the case with the relationship so far. But with Ukraine and Russia’s actions there, this means that this kind of distancing no longer works.
Amy Parnes contributed.
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