Mohamed bin Salman is not afraid to play either side. The crown prince of Saudi Arabia only cares about winning. Therefore, their attitudes towards the various actors involved in Russia’s attack on Ukraine may seem contradictory. Later, they decided together with several oil producing countries led by Russia. reduce world oil productionSaudi leader announced 400 million dollar humanitarian aid Ukraine. While Vladimir Putin applauded the OPEC+ decision, Volodymyr Zelensky said, “We have more important relations with Saudi Arabia now than in the last 30 years.”
Earlier in the month, the expanding Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+), which includes 13 Saudi-led OPEC countries and 10 Russia-led countries, announced that they will reduce oil production by two million barrels per year. .day was equivalent to 2% of world production. It didn’t take long for the Joe Biden administration to see this cut as an “alliance with Russia”. “Not a good time to deal with Russia“, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed. Countries confirmed that this is an economic decision, not a political one.
However, the Kremlin spokesperson was quick to congratulate OPEC’s announcement. “At least this balances out the chaos caused by the Americans,” said Dmitry Peskov. “It’s good that this balanced, thoughtful and planned work of countries that have taken a responsible position within OPEC is opposed to the actions of the United States.” In July, he traveled to the province he once called a “pariah” to gain the Saudi leader’s trust. and avoid decisions such as those made in the past weeks.
Calls with Zelensky
This alienation between Washington and Riyadh can be exploited by Moscow. However, the ambiguous position of the Saudi regime in the war does not guarantee this. Saudi officials voted in solidarity with Ukraine in the resolutions presented at the meeting United Nations General Assembly. In these texts, Saudi Arabia condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and demanded that Putin immediately cease the use of force from the start of the attack. Most recently, on October 12, he asked countries not to recognize the four regions of Ukraine that Russia had requested from various referendums.
Two days later, MBS and Zelensky spoke on the phone. The crown prince expressed the kingdom’s readiness to continue mediation efforts and support anything that will contribute to de-escalation. His role as mediator can be attributed to successes such as the largest prisoner exchange since the beginning of the conflict. The Ukrainian president appears pleased with his Saudi partner, even as the OPEC cuts have boosted oil prices, allowing Russia to continue its offensive against Ukraine. Zelensky announced “big dealsLike “the most meaningful relationships between the two of the last 30 years” and the $400 million humanitarian aid at the time.
Faced with the enthusiasm of the Ukrainian president, the Saudi Defense Minister touched on the accusations that have come in recent weeks. “We are shocked by the accusations that the kingdom sided with Russia in its war with Ukraine – saying these false accusations did not come from the Ukrainian government,” Prince Khalid bin Salman said on Twitter. While none of the three actors involved seem to have been affected by the Saudi uncertainty, Biden has been shivering for weeks before an oil-free cold winter. In the hot Saudi desert, MBS never gets tired of playing.