Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Aug 02, 2025

Saudi Arabia’s support of Ukraine doesn’t compensate for OPEC+ cut: US top diplomat

Saudi Arabia’s support of Ukraine doesn’t compensate for OPEC+ cut: US top diplomat

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia’s support to Ukraine was a “positive development,” but did not “compensate” for the OPEC+ decision to cut production.
Blinken acknowledged Saudi Arabia’s recent $400 million humanitarian aid for Ukraine and the Kingdom’s vote at the UN to condemn Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory.

“These are positive developments. They do not compensate for the decision that was made by OPEC+ on production. But we take note of that,” he said at a Bloomberg News event.

OPEC+, the group comprising of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries plus allies including Russia, decided earlier this month to cut its oil production target by 2 million barrels per day.

The decision infuriated Joe Biden’s administration which is worried about higher consumer prices right before the November US midterm elections.

Biden accused Saudi Arabia of siding with Russia and vowed that “there will be consequences” for Washington-Riyadh ties.

Riyadh rejected Washington’s criticism as “not based on facts” and stressed that the OPEC+ decision was “purely economic”, according to a statement by the foreign ministry.

Blinken reiterated Washington’s stance that Saudi Arabia had made the “wrong decision” with the oil production cut.

“There was nothing to suggest in the analysis that we had – and it was shared with the Saudis – that we were looking at prices plummeting in ways that would be problematic for them.”

The top US diplomat said that Biden’s administration was reevaluating its relationship with the Kingdom.

“We're going to do it in a very deliberate fashion, in consultation with members of Congress to make sure of this, that the relationship better reflects our own interests,” he said.

Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US, Princess Reema bint Bandar, said in an interview with CNN aired on Tuesday that a review of US-Saudi ties was a “positive thing” and stressed that the OPEC+ decision was purely economic.

“But you are hearing it from the horse’s mouth: This is not political; this is purely economic, based on the expertise of 40 and 50 years of mapping,” Princess Reema said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
×